HealthRX.com · Printable side-effect diary
Injection-site pain and bruising diary with infection warning signs
Log each injection's site, volume, needle and how it felt, then the next-day bruise or lump. After a few entries you can see whether pain tracks the site, the volume or the needle, and you have a record to show a clinician. Warning signs of infection are on the sheet.
Each injection
Pain score: 0 for none to 10 for the worst you can imagine. Fill the last column the next day.
| Date and time | Site (belly, thigh, arm) | Volume (mL) | Needle gauge and length | Pain right after (0 to 10) | Next day: bruise, lump or redness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before the next injection
- The chosen spot has no redness, swelling, scarring or bruising
- This spot was not used for the last few injections
- Needle is new and undamaged
- Volume per injection noted, so a pain pattern can be checked against it
What controlled studies found
- In a randomized trial of saline injections, larger volumes hurt more and push speed made no difference.[1]
- Thigh injections hurt more than belly injections in the same trial (9.0 mm more on a 100-mm scale).[1]
- Thinner needles caused pain in fewer insertions, and the thickest needle caused the most bleeding.[2]
- Some soreness at the injection site is expected.[3]
Contact your health care provider
- Signs of infection at a site: redness, swelling, red streaks, or a fever.[3]
Sources for the facts on this sheet
- Heise T, Nosek L, Dellweg S, et al. Impact of injection speed and volume on perceived pain during subcutaneous injections into the abdomen and thigh: a single-centre, randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Obes Metab 2014. PMID 24720741. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24720741/
- Arendt-Nielsen L, Egekvist H, Bjerring P. Pain following controlled cutaneous insertion of needles with different diameters. Somatosens Mot Res 2006. PMID 16846958. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16846958/
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. Subcutaneous (SQ) injections: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Accessed 2026-10-18. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000430.htm
This sheet records information for a conversation with your prescriber or pharmacist. It does not replace their instructions or the medication's prescribing information.