FGL injection site reaction – what worked for you?

Posted by casey613 in Safety & Side Effects - 10 points, 7 comments.

I started a 4‑week FGL protocol at 3 mg/kg once daily after training, and after the first week I noticed the injection sites were red, itchy, and a bit swollen for 48 hrs, which felt like a mild cellulitis flare, but no pus or odor. I tried warming the area with a plastic water bottle, a cold compress after 24 hrs, and a quick swipe of a non‑irritating topical steroid, but the swelling persisted. I switched from a 27‑gauge to a 25‑gauge needle and used a slow, steady injection technique, and the reaction tapered off by week three, though I still had a faint line of hyperpigmentation.

I’m wondering if anyone else has had a similar reaction, what needle size or injection technique they found safest, or if they used any pre‑treatment like a brief 5‑sec topical anesthetic or a small dose of oral antihistamine. Also curious if the injection site reaction is dose‑dependent or if it varies by muscle/area. Any advice or personal anecdotes would be appreciated.

Comments

• runner_aaron: I’ve had something alike when I started an oral BPC‑157 cycle after a heavy leg day. The first week the sites were red, itchy and swollen – felt like a mild flare. I used a 25‑gauge, 8‑mm needle and injected very slowly, almost like a “scoop‑and‑wait” method, taking about 30 sec per shot. I also rubbed a tiny bit of 2% lidocaine gel on the spot for 5 sec before injecting, which cut the itchiness. No antihistamine for me, but a 10 mg cetirizine before training helped for a couple of days. The sw
• grinder265: Sounds like your “scoop‑and‑wait” with the 25‑g needle worked well. I’ve used 30 mg per injection for a 70‑kg person, so about 0.43 mg/kg, and saw a similar flare early on. Do you think the dose influenced the reaction, or was it just the injection speed? And did the lidocaine gel affect how long the itch lasted?
• greg208: Not gonna lie, the scoop‑and‑wait slowed the kick‑in for me too, and the 2 % lidocaine gel did cut the itch. I still saw a small puff for 48 hrs even with the 25‑gauge 8‑mm, but it cleared by week two. Did the hyperpigmentation fade with time, or did you keep rotating sites every few days?
• casey613: Thanks for the lidocaine tip, worked wonders on the itch. My hyperpigmentation faded slowly over a month, but rotating sites every 3-4 days definitely helped prevent cumulative discoloration. Did you rotate sites or stick to one spot?
• casey613: Thanks for the specifics, your 30mg dose at 0.43mg/kg is lower than my 3mg/kg, so maybe the reaction isn’t purely dose-dependent.
• casey613: Did the 10mg cetirizine dose make a noticeable difference compared to just the gel? Also, did you stick with the 25gauge needle for the full cycle or drop back to 27 if the reaction eased?
• grinder265: I usually switched between my quads and glutes every 3‑4 days, which kept the irritation down. Did you see any change in how the peptide felt when you rotated versus staying in one spot?

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.