Lovenox ?

[BakersDozen]

I'm hesitant to call my doctor on a Saturday so am hoping someone here has been on these lovely injections. :glare: Up until this morning things were fine, minor bruising but nothing terribly uncomfortable. However, after this morning's shot my belly swelled up around the site (probably a 2" diameter area) and is very, very sore! No redness or bruising (yet). Is this normal?

 

Can't believe these tiny shots cause me more trouble than the 2" progesterone shots. ouch

[wapiti]

If you aren't already, I recommend making sure you pinch a good area of fat, not just skin. Once you run out of belly fat, switch to the top rear hip area, which is less painful than the outer thigh (same spot as the progesterone shots, but in the skin/fat rather than the muscle, obviously) Also, you can ice after and/or before. the best advice I can give you, however, is that after the needle is in, push the medicine into the skin as slowly as you possibly can, say over the course of a minute. I would push the plunger a bit, then wait 10 seconds, then do some more, and so on. The slower you do it, the less bruising or swelling you will have. I was on lovenox throughout four of my pregnancies, and that was the best way. Good luck!!

Edited February 26, 2011 by wapiti

[nmoira]

Does it feel like a lump? If so it's called pitting, and can happen occasionally. Mine were usually painful. If it doesn't feel contained, is warm or red, and spreading, I'd be concerned about a possible allergic reaction.

[BakersDozen]

Does it feel like a lump?

There is a definite lump, yes.

 

the best advice I can give you, however, is that after the needle is in, push the medicine into the skin as slowly as you possibly can, say over the course of a minute. I would push the plunger a bit, then wait 10 seconds, then do some more, and so on. The slower you do it, the less bruising or swelling you will have.

I probably did go too fast so I'll slow it down. This stuff burns something fierce!

 

Thanks, ladies.

[KristinaBreece]

I second slowing down the rate of the injection. And find the fattiest area you can to inject it-- that helps a bit. That stuff is awful... but I promise it beats the h*ll out of developing a clot or five...

[nmoira]

 

I second slowing down the rate of the injection. And find the fattiest area you can to inject it-- that helps a bit. That stuff is awful... but I promise it beats the h*ll out of developing a clot or five...

Or injecting regular heparin.

[KristinaBreece]

Or injecting regular heparin.

 

I've never had regular heparin... They scheduled me to start it at 37 weeks when I was expecting DS & when I was expecting DD. We made it to 35 weeks, 5 days with DS & 36 weeks, 2 days with DD. I guess heparin & I weren't meant to be. I think, though, that if I had the option, I would take Lovenox injections over Coumadin. That stuff is so hard to keep regulated. Blah.

[nmoira]

 

I think, though, that if I had the option, I would take Lovenox injections over Coumadin. That stuff is so hard to keep regulated. Blah.

:iagree: I'm on warfarin, but am fortunate to be someone whose levels are easy to regulate. Still, it's a bother going for testing every month and keeping track of (for example) how many spinach salads I've had in the course of a week.

[wapiti]

I've never had regular heparin... They scheduled me to start it at 37 weeks when I was expecting DS & when I was expecting DD. We made it to 35 weeks, 5 days with DS & 36 weeks, 2 days with DD. I guess heparin & I weren't meant to be. I think, though, that if I had the option, I would take Lovenox injections over Coumadin. That stuff is so hard to keep regulated. Blah.

 

Yes, Coumadin is such a pain to keep regulated - thank goodness you can't take it while pregnant. I took it for a couple of postpartum periods. I'd finally get it regulated during week 6 :tongue_smilie: (DH, without fail, would give me a large box of dark chocolates...)

 

I had regular heparin at the tail end of three of the pregnancies, and I bruised a whole lot more from regular unfractionated heparin than from the lovenox.

[KristinaBreece]

Yes, Coumadin is such a pain to keep regulated - thank goodness you can't take it while pregnant. I took it for a couple of postpartum periods. I'd finally get it regulated during week 6 :tongue_smilie: (DH, without fail, would give me a large box of dark chocolates...)

 

I had regular heparin at the tail end of three of the pregnancies, and I bruised a whole lot more from regular unfractionated heparin than from the lovenox.

 

I have to have it every day. Presumably forever. Sometimes it'll be regulated fine for 2-3 months, other times I'm in every week trying to get it stabilized. The looks nurses give a 25-year-old in an anticoagulation clinic... Yeah.

[wapiti]

I have to have it every day. Presumably forever. Sometimes it'll be regulated fine for 2-3 months, other times I'm in every week trying to get it stabilized. The looks nurses give a 25-year-old in an anticoagulation clinic... Yeah.

 

Yuck!! (and boy are you young!) Awhile back, I thought I read something about a new anticoagulation drug that was being researched - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that they come up with something easier than the coumadin.

[Lilymax]

I was on Lovenox for a few months my last pregnancy and I never could figure out how not to bruise. I always injected into my "spare tire"...still had that when preggo...but I had bruises the size of tennis balls. I probably rushed it (rather, DH did, as he was the one who gave me the shots) because it burned so badly going in.

 

You have my sympathies! But as someone else said, it's definitely preferable to developing clots!