Bree's injections

Bree's injections became the subject of a great deal of debate since the video House Arrest, in which Bree is wearing a bandage because she had to receive an injection.

These are given to her by her father but he claims that he does not know what they contain. Fans have speculated:

• The injections may contain vitamin B-12 to stimulate blood production and that her participation in the upcoming ceremony will involve blood being drawn from her.

• The injections may contain mood-altering drugs.

Millie commented on October 25th, 2006 at 1:41 am:

"Injections given into the upper arm are usually intramuscular or subcutaneous (into the layer of fat between the skin & the muscle). Anticoagulants ARE sometimes given subcutaneously, but of course these routes are also used for lots of other drugs (including vitamin B12, which is needed for red blood cell production), vaccines, etc.

The main reason the shots are likely to be something else altogether is that anticoagulants are quite fast-acting, i.e. if the aim was to thin Bree’s blood to maximise the amount that could be drawn from her (if that’s the kind of thing the ceremony people are in to), this could be achieved with shots starting less than 12 hours before the ceremony. There would be no need for her to have anticoagulant therapy for weeks beforehand.

Also, apart from possible pain at the site of injection and bruising, anticoagulants are not likely to leave Bree feeling awful. (Although she might feel awful from having the shots anyway given that she doesn’t know what they are, what they’re for, or what they’re doing to her, and she has no control.)

Apart from vitamin B12, for which the dose schedule (what we know of it) seems to make sense, but which also shouldn’t make her feel awful, the other plausible possibility (well, if we are considering a mysterious, possibly blood-letting ritual!) is erythropoietin (EPO), which DOES leave a lot of people feeling awful after having it injected - flu-like symptoms, headache, nausea etc. One type (darbepoetin) can be given once weekly."

According to Wikipedia, "Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they are to "abstain from blood"; this belief results in the refusal to accept transfusions of blood or blood components. The use of erythropoietin to increase the number of red blood cells is one suggested alternative to a blood transfusion. However, the presence of human albumin in the erythropoietin mixture may preclude its use in some Jehovah's Witnesses."