1. Thoroughly wash your hands prior to your weekly injection
2. Clean the Area: Before injecting, always clean the skin at the injection site with an alcohol swab and allow it to air dry.
3. Choose your injections site: Your self-injections will be administered subcutaneously (under the skin). Common sites include the abdomen, thighs, or upper arms.
4. Pinch a 1-2 inch fold of skin between your thumb and forefinger (Typically your left hand if you are right handed). This ensures you are injecting into the fatty tissue beneath the skin and not deeper into muscle.
5. Injecting the medication. You should inject quickly but without using excessive force on the plunger. There is no need to inject slowly. (One Technique: Take a deep breath before you insert the needle, and exhale as you inject. This can help relax your body.)
6. Remove the needle, recap the syringe, and dispose of the used syringe in a safe container. One trick is to collect the capped syringes in a plastic bottle so that you can dispose multiple syringes at a later convenient time.

Lastly, at first, it may help to have friend or a loved one administer the medication just so you can get a sense of what it’ll feel like. Or perhaps this person can just be with you for support.

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Be sure that you rotate injection sites from week to week and don't always inject in the same spot. For example if you are injecting into your thighs, rotate from left thigh one week to right thigh the next week. Also use different areas on the thigh to pinch the fat where you will perform the injection.

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If you suffer any serious side effects or emergency, head to the closest emergency room or dial 911.

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