32
Pain in left leg after injection (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by will_steal_your_username@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/mtf@lemmy.blahaj.zone
15 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hi! I've been using gel for several months, but a few weeks ago I made the change to injections. Each injection has resulted in some pains in random areas in my left leg, but mostly concentrated in the muscles below the knee. I also started waking up with muscle spasms in the same leg, which is something I used to have before puberty. The pain mostly subsides after a day or two.

I suspect the issue is vasodilation which I understand is more common in women than men because estrogen dilates the blood vessels, but I wanted to hear other peoples thoughts.

Wearing overknee socks (to compress) helps, as does ice and exercise/movement, which I think is in favour of this being vasodilation.

I will be bringing this up with a doctor in a couple of weeks, but I'm afraid he won't be able to help much or have someone to refer me to as competence regarding trans stuff is pretty low here in Norway (also I'm diy).

I would like to know as much as possible about what this could be so I have something to present to him.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] mjsaber@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 3 months ago

Thank you for the thought-out response.

It doesn't sound like site soreness, and if you're using insulin needles, those are too small to get into the muscle anyway.

Your dose might be a little high, but I doubt it's so high that it's putting you at a risk for blood clots.

It honestly sounds like it could just be soreness from exercising more if you started doing that around the same time as injections, and your body isn't used to it. It could also be an electrolyte imbalance, as some others mentioned, but if you're young and relatively healthy that's fairly unlikely.

I usually start with the most likely scenario and move from there. It's pretty unlikely to be a DVT, injection site soreness, or electrolyte imbalance, so it's likely just soreness. If you aren't already, try adding some light stretching before or after you exercise. Applying heat should help, too, if it's just muscle soreness. I would bring all this up with your doctor so they are able to rule out the more serious stuff, but I would not be overly concerned about it.

On a somewhat related note, when looking up medical information I would stick with Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic for general medical stuff. For trans specific info, Fenway Health is the gold standard (imo), someone linked to them in a different response. You can also check WPATH standards of care 8, but that's meant as more of a reference for medical professionals and it might be a bit dense.

Please let us know how it goes, and keep asking questions! It's best to get from medical professionals, but sadly folks like us don't always have that luxury.

[-] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 3 months ago

Yeah, I suspect it's just dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from the increased exercise - I had a similar thing happen when I went from sedentary to regular exercise.

[-] will_steal_your_username@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I'm sure that explains the cramps, but the pain/discomfort happens within an hour or two after injection and lasts for a couple of days, which is the part that I'm worried about. But they might be connected in some way so taking the advice I've been given here seems like the way to go. I've bought magnesium, bought some banana smoothies, had some fried creamed spinach with broccoli, and made sure to drink lots. Hopefully there won't be any issues (or at least milder symptoms) with the next injection. Also gonna go grab some of those electrolyte sports drinks.

Thanks again <3

Edit: Also chocolate contains lots of potassium as well ! Treating myself as we speak

[-] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 months ago

Awesome - I really hope the cramps go away. I was happy to hear you were starting to exercise more too, and to see now that you are really taking care of yourself is just so heart-warming!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2024
32 points (100.0% liked)

Transfem

3422 readers
52 users here now

A community for transfeminine people and experiences.

This is a supportive community for all transfeminine or questioning people. Anyone is welcome to participate in this community but disrupting the safety of this space for trans feminine people is unacceptable and will result in moderator action.

Debate surrounding transgender rights or acceptance will result in an immediate ban.

Posters may express that they are looking for responses and support from groups with certain experiences (eg. trans people, trans people with supportive parents, trans parents.). Please respect those requests and be mindful that your experience may differ from others here.

To make such a request, at the start of the body of your post, not in the title, the first line should look like the this: [Requesting Engagement from _________]

Some helpful links:

Support Hotlines:

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
LadyAutumn@lemmy.blahaj.zone
ada@lemmy.blahaj.zone