Tips to Using Lovenox

This is a new tip post on how to do Lovenox injections. Many will find that it's not so much the needle that stings more so the medicine. Some days are more painful then others. Overall it's not to bad and here are a few things I've picked up while using them both in our last pregnancy and with this one.

• If you notice a knot, basically a hard patch where you did an injection and it is stiff try to stay away from injecting on any hard part of that area it will hurt like no other.

• I don't ice as I find it tends to make my bruising worse (Which is weird considering Ice constricts your veins lessening blood flow, but it does for me) and tightens my skin causing a bit more resistance when I put the needle in.
• pinch nice and hard it'll help with the pain.
• before you take the cap off (I use pre-filled syringes) , tap the needle so the air bubble goes near the needle. I push the plunger in once (again while the cap is on) I find it helps to loosen up the plunger for a better controlled injection.
• Before I inject I get rid of the air bubble, again helps with loosening up the plunger making for a smoother injection. Instead of the awful jerk you can get at the start.
• I find if I alcohol swipe the area afterwards I bleed more and often bruise worse. So I stick to Kleenexes on the area. 
• DO NOT RUB IN. Don't rub the liquid in. I hate that I can't do this as I notice I get so many knots that I otherwise might not have if I could have rubbed the area. But with lovenox it's a no no.
  
  Please note not all of these tips will work for you and some of my donts' you may actually find you like to do. That's ok and is perfectly fine (besides the last tip). Hopefully I was able to help ease the pain that can be Lovenox Shots. We have 9 months of these needles, mid as well find some way to manage them.