This information will help you learn how to give an intramuscular injection (shot) using a Lupron Depot prefilled syringe.
An intramuscular injection is an injection that’s given into your muscle. A prefilled syringe is a syringe that comes with medication inside.
Your healthcare provider will show you how to give yourself the injection. You can use the information in this resource to remember how to do it at home.
How to store your prefilled syringes
Store your prefilled syringes at room temperature. Room temperature is 68 to 77 °F (20 to 25 °C).
How to give yourself the injection
Clean your hands
Clean your hands well with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- If you’re washing your hands with soap and water, wet your hands and apply soap. Rub your hands together well for at least 20 seconds, then rinse. Dry your hands with a paper towel. Use that same towel to turn off the faucet.
- If you’re using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, cover your hands with it. Rub them together until they’re dry.
Gather your supplies
Place your supplies on a clean, flat surface, such as a table or countertop. You’ll need:
-
1 Lupron Depot package. The package has:
- A prefilled syringe.
- A white plunger.
- An alcohol pad.
- 1 bandage, such as a Band-Aid®.
- 1 small gauze pad or cotton ball.
- Medical gloves, if you want them.
-
A container to throw away the used syringe and needle. This should be an empty, hard plastic container with a screw-top lid, such as a laundry detergent bottle.
- Read How to Store and Get Rid of Your Home Medical Sharps to learn more about choosing a home sharps container.
You may also want an extra alcohol pad. The one that comes in the Lupron Depot package is small.
Check the prefilled syringe
Check the medication:
- Name. Make sure it matches what your healthcare provider prescribed.
- Dose. Make sure it matches what your healthcare provider prescribed.
- Expiration date. Make sure the expiration date has not passed.
- Color. Make sure the liquid in the syringe is clear and colorless. Do not use it if it looks foamy, discolored, cloudy, or has crystals in it.
Do not use the syringe if the medication name or dose does not match what your healthcare provider prescribed, if the medication is expired, or if the liquid is foamy, discolored, cloudy, or has crystals.
If you have another syringe, use that one instead. Then, contact your healthcare provider or pharmacist to tell them. You may be able to bring the full syringe to your pharmacy so they can replace it.
Get the syringe ready
- Open the Lupron Depot package. Set the supplies in the package on the table.
- Screw the white plunger into the end stopper until the stopper starts turning (see Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1. Parts of the syringe
Figure 2. Twisting the plunger into the end stopper
- Hold the syringe with the needle facing up. Push the plunger in until the middle stoppers touch the blue line in the middle of the barrel (Figure 3). You should see the liquid mix with the powder near the syringe’s tip.
Figure 3. Middle stoppers touching the blue line on the syringe
- Gently roll the syringe between your hands until the powder and liquid are mixed. The medicine should look milky. If you see clumps, or if powder is stuck to the stopper, tap the syringe with your finger. It’s important to make sure the powder and liquid are mixed before you use the injection.
Get the injection site ready
The injection site is the place on your body where you’ll give the injection. Give the injection in the large muscle where your leg and hip bones meet (see Figure 4). This is called your ventrogluteal site. This area has thick tissue without many nerves around it. This reduces the risk of nerve damage. It makes it the safest place to get an injection in your glute area. You may feel some pain or tenderness after the injection. This is normal and expected.
Figure 4. Your injection site
Before you give the injection, wipe the injection site with the alcohol pad for 15 seconds, then let it dry for 15 seconds.
Give the injection
- Hold the syringe with the needle pointing up. Pull the needle cap straight up off the needle without twisting. Drop it in your home sharps container.
- Keeping the needle pointing up, slowly push in the plunger until you don’t see any air in the syringe.
- Hold the syringe in your dominant hand (the hand you write with). Hold it between your fingers like you would hold a pen or dart.
- Put the needle straight down into the injection site in a smooth, quick motion.
- Quickly push the plunger all the way down to inject the medication into your muscle.
- Pull the syringe straight up out of the injection site.
- Push the LuproLoc® safety device up toward the needle until it clicks in place (Figure 5). Drop the syringe in your sharps container.
- If you see blood, hold the cotton ball or gauze pad over the injection site. Press down for a few seconds until it stops bleeding.
- Put the bandage over the injection site.
Figure 5. Pushing the LuproLoc safety device into place
When to call your healthcare provider
Call your healthcare provider if:
- The injection site won’t stop bleeding.
- You have very bad pain.
- You have a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher.
- You have signs of an allergic reaction, such as swelling, redness, itching, or a rash.
- You can’t use a syringe because the medication is expired, foamy, discolored, cloudy, or has crystals.
- You can’t use a syringe because something touches the needle before the injection.
- You have trouble giving the injection.
- You have any questions or concerns.
