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In some situations, you’ll need to take medications by injection — like a shot in your arm. The highly skilled team at CN Internal Medicine provides injectables at their offices in Alexandria and Lansdowne, Virginia. Injectables available include allergy shots, vaccines, and vitamin B12. Call the office nearest you today or schedule an appointment online to find out more about injectables.
Injectables are medications administered into your body through a needle. These medications are usually injected into your upper arm, buttocks, or hip muscle and are called intramuscular injections. Your muscles contain a rich blood supply, so they absorb and deliver the medication quickly and efficiently.
The CN Internal Medicine team determines who needs injectables. Some medications are only given by injection. Or you may need an injectable because of poor tolerance to the oral form of the medication. Common medication injectables include: Vaccines Vaccines are injections that build up your immunity to contagious diseases. CN Internal Medicine provides many vaccinations adults need throughout life, including vaccines for the flu, COVID-19, and human papillomavirus (HPV). Antibiotics Antibiotics fight off bacterial infections. Though you can take most antibiotics by mouth, in some situations, the team will recommend you receive an antibiotic by injection. You’ll need an injectable antibiotic if you have a severe infection that needs to be cleared up quickly. Corticosteroids Corticosteroid injections are given to quickly reduce inflammation or allergic reaction. Allergy shots CN Internal Medicine offers immunotherapy to treat allergies. Immunotherapy is a series of shots given over time that desensitizes your immune system to your allergen. Hormones Testosterone is sometimes given by injection. Vitamin B12 CN Internal Medicine also provides vitamin B12 injections. Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient found in animal foods, not a medication. Some people develop anemia because they can’t absorb vitamin B12 from food or supplements and must get it by injection.
Your CN Internal Medicine provider reviews what you can expect when receiving injectables at your initial visit. The details of your treatment depend on your needs. You might need one injection, a limited series of them, or injections at regular intervals. For example, you only need one shot when getting the flu vaccine. But you’ll need regular injections if you can’t absorb vitamin B12. In most cases, injectables are a quick treatment that takes only a few minutes and requires no downtime. You can develop redness and swell at the injection site. But these side effects usually get better within a few days. Call CN Internal Medicine today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about injectables.