PIO Tips

Tips for PIO Shots

Since there has been so much discussion about how to do the PIO (Progesterone in Oil) shot, here is a list of some tips.  After some trial and error, this is what I found worked best for me.  This is how I did it, but feel free to experiment and do what feels best for you.

  1. Some people ice the injection spot for a few minutes to numb the spot, but I didn’t feel that made a difference to me, so I skipped it.  But don’t HEAT the spot.
  2. Draw your oil from the bottle into the syringe.  I put the syringe in a heating pad for a few minutes (I used the cloth one with rice in it that you microwave, but any heating pad should work).  This will warm up the oil so it thins out a little and makes it easier to spread out.  Make sure it is not too hot! (Some people heat up the whole bottle, but I don’t like to do that because I am worried heating up the oil in the entire bottle multiple times may impact the integrity of the oil)  If you don’t have a way to use a heating pad, you can also stick the bottle in your bra or under your armpits for a few minutes to warm it to your body temperature.
  3. When the oil is warm, switch out the syringe (don’t forget this step!)
  4. For me, the best way to get the shot is for my husband to give it to me.  I lay on my front and try to relax as much as possible.  It helps to hang your feet off the bed and point your toes inward towards each other.  This helps relax your butt muscles.
  5. This video is the best I’ve seen so far for showing where the location of the shot should be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-EY_4P67Hs
  6. Clean your injection site with alcohol.  Spread the injection site and stick the needle in QUICKLY, in a dart like motion.  The slower your stick it, the more painful it is.
  7. Pull the plunger up a bit to check for blood.  If there is blood, pull out the needle, change the needle out and try again in a different spot.
  8. If there is no blood, SLOWLY inject the PIO.  My doctor told me to take a whole 3 minutes to inject all the oil.  If you inject too fast, you will get lumps and bumps.  My husband actually uses a timer on his phone to help him pace his shot.
  9. Once all the oil is injected, quickly pull out the needle and apply pressure to the site with gauze.  Sometimes you get a bit of oil or blood that leaks, and that’s OK.  I massage the site a bit and then put a bandaid on it.
  10. I massage the area with a heated hand held massager for a few minutes.  It feels sore but also feels good.  If you don’t have a massager, you can also use a tennis ball.
  11. After that, I lay there with a heated pad on my site for a few more minutes.  I usually time my shots so that I take a shower after that.  It feels good to have hot water running down my injection site.  It helps to move around after getting the shot, so walk around, do a few squats, or go work out after.  It helps the oil move around and not sit in one spot creating lumps and bumps.
  12. I think the biggest factors for PIO shots is the LOCATION, and how SLOWLY you inject the oil.  My first few times of PIO was the most painful because we were hitting the wrong spot (too low) and we had lots of lumps and bumps I think from injecting too fast.  PIOs are a pain, is more tolerable once you figure out what works for you. 
  13. Also, if you find that your injection spots are red, hot and swollen, or you have a fever, you may be allergic to the oil, so contact your nurse and see if you can get a different type of oil.
Hope this helps!

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