Methotrexate Injection

noggin

Afternoon All.
I may have to increase my dose up from 15 to whatever. I know I will not be able to tolerate a higher dose orally and rheumy has suggested injection. How is this done? self or does the gp or hospital nurse do it?
I wouldn't be too bothered about doing it myself as I have gradually adapted to being a pin cushion with all the blood tests etc. Can anyone give me more info on what the procedure is? Ta

emmarose33

noggin wrote:

Afternoon All.
I may have to increase my dose up from 15 to whatever. I know I will not be able to tolerate a higher dose orally and rheumy has suggested injection. How is this done? self or does the gp or hospital nurse do it?
I wouldn't be too bothered about doing it myself as I have gradually adapted to being a pin cushion with all the blood tests etc. Can anyone give me more info on what the procedure is? Ta

They teach you to do it yourself, once a week. I'm not on MTX yet but my consultant is desperate to put me on it. I can't because I am still breastfeeding, but I have a terrible phobia of being sick which also held me back from agreeing to take it. My consultant suggested the injections for this reason.
Good luck, hope you feel better.

jaspercat

Hi, what happens here in Macclesfield, is that the injections are delivered by a company called Central Homecare, they send someone out to teach you how to do the first injection, then they supply the injections and the sharps box.

You inject into your stomach and thighs on an alternate basis, it really is not a problem and very easy to use, I do not feel sick very much at all, so am glad that I changed over love Jaspercatxx

joyful164

noggin wrote:

Afternoon All.
I may have to increase my dose up from 15 to whatever. I know I will not be able to tolerate a higher dose orally and rheumy has suggested injection. How is this done? self or does the gp or hospital nurse do it?
I wouldn't be too bothered about doing it myself as I have gradually adapted to being a pin cushion with all the blood tests etc. Can anyone give me more info on what the procedure is? Ta

Hi Noggin

I am on 15 mg . When I changed from tablets to the injection, my OH and myself went to the Rheumy dept for about 12 weeks where you get use to doing the injection yourself. They advised us to change the area from week to week and do not put the injection into the same area every week. Therefore, my OH only does my right arm because I cannot do it there, but I manage left or right thigh, you can do it in your stomach and I can manage my left arm because I am right handed. The actual needles are much thinner and shorter than normal needles and you only feel a bit of smarting just after you inject.

My Methotrexate is delivered every 10 weeks, they ring you a week before to confirm best time for del. You get a yellow needles bucket, needles, swabs, and anything else you may need. We have a box of rubber gloves. These are for my OH to wear. He has to take care not to get it on his hands because it is toxic, but this has never happened. The only spillage I ever got was when I tried to inject into my stomach. I lost all of the MTX and I have found that when I inject in this area I have always felt worse. You can feel quite sleepy for about 24 hrs afterwards, you can sometimes get a headache or maybe a bit queezy, everyone is different. When I was on tablets, for some reason, maybe because I have an ulcer or inflammation of the stomach at times, the tablet wasn't being secreted into my system properly.

Doing the injection yourself is just so easy and only takes a couple of minutes. I use to feel a bit daunted at first, but that soon passes. And it does save endless trips to the GP or nurse.

Some posters have saidthat they keep their MTX in a fridge but I have not found this to be necessary. On the label, it says to keep at room temperature 15 - 25 degrees. Whenever does it get any warmer these days. And it is in a heavy tin box they give you aswell. My MTX is delivered by Willow Health Care but there are different agents up and down the country. If it were to get any hotter during the summer and over 25 degrees then I would put it into a fridge, but you must remember to take it out at lease a couple of hours before you use, or else it will hurt when you do it.

I think that is about all of my own experiences of self injecting. Good luck

joyful

joyful164

emmarose33 wrote:

noggin wrote:

Afternoon All.
I may have to increase my dose up from 15 to whatever. I know I will not be able to tolerate a higher dose orally and rheumy has suggested injection. How is this done? self or does the gp or hospital nurse do it?
I wouldn't be too bothered about doing it myself as I have gradually adapted to being a pin cushion with all the blood tests etc. Can anyone give me more info on what the procedure is? Ta

They teach you to do it yourself, once a week. I'm not on MTX yet but my consultant is desperate to put me on it. I can't because I am still breastfeeding, but I have a terrible phobia of being sick which also held me back from agreeing to take it. My consultant suggested the injections for this reason.
Good luck, hope you feel better.

Hi Emmarose

I think I can assure you that MTX does not make you very sick, well it doesn't in my case. I think there has only been two occasions where I have felt nausea, but it you take your folic acid you should get any of this feeling. Of course, it you are breastfeeding now but then want to get pregnant again, you would have to come off it and that is a whole new ball game I do not know about with the waiting time etc. You would need to talk to the Helpline. But I just wantedto give you some assurances that it does not make you physically sick.

joyful

joyful164

scottishlass wrote:

Im the same as Joyful,i havent been sick at all on methotrexate.im on 25mg injection...different areas seem to operate different policies,but basicaly i go to the hospital every 4 weeks where i collect my methotrexate(and needles,cottonwool balls etc)at the same time nurse takes my 4 weekly blood test then checks and records my blood test from the previous 4weeks,I administer my own injection weekly,it honestly is all quite simple good luck.

Sounds a good idea.

joyful

noggin

Thanks for the replies everyone. So do you actually push the needle in yourself as opposed to it being almost automatically "snapped" in (like a diabetic does)? What angle does it go in at (vertical?). sorry to go on about it, I'm just interested to know. I bet it's a bit of a job when you go on holiday having to take all the stuff with you - sharps, bucket, swabs etc.

joyous

hi all i dont find it hard at all it has like a thumb rest thing so its not slipping around no you dont jab it inlikeothers you need 2 hands one to hold skin and other to push plunger in only hurts for a 2nds you musn injec in same place i get a red circle sometimes and like a lump thing soon goes , when you go on hols you meed aletter for customs as it cant go in your case you get a lttle sharps bin as well and your other bits and bobs pretty simple really im on 25mg and enbrel as well the top bits come off so all of it fits in your bin i get mine delivered mtx every 10 wks and enbrel every 4 blood tests every 2 months now and jobs a good un hope this helps you take care joy x

polly24

noggin wrote:

Thanks for the replies everyone. So do you actually push the needle in yourself as opposed to it being almost automatically "snapped" in (like a diabetic does)? What angle does it go in at (vertical?). sorry to go on about it, I'm just interested to know. I bet it's a bit of a job when you go on holiday having to take all the stuff with you - sharps, bucket, swabs etc.

hi i am also mtx 25 when i go on holiday i use a lunch box if u go abrod you have to have in the box with a leyyer off your gp stating you take the drug and let the airline know that you are carring your drugs thy are very helpful sorry my hand are very bad today and am not hitting the right keys best to let you nurse help you then try yourself i did just go to my bedroom and just do it it takes secs and its donr for a week then dont worry til its due again love polly

englishrose

These injections are wonderful. Here in Devon the service is perfect. Every month they deliver 4 doses and anything else I need, this service is by BUPA. You do not need to keep in fridge.
I attended the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital twice to learn how to do it.
The needles are so fine I cannot feel it penetrate my skin - so very easy.
Good luck.
Jane

ktl297

Hi Noggin,

I was on 10mg MTX and I couldn't tolerate a higher dose so my Dr referred me for the injection. A first I am having it done at the hospital and increasing the dose every few weeks. I see the Rheumatology Nurse and she teaches how to do the injection then every week I do it in front of her. I have bloods checked every time the dose increases. I am now on 20mg and nurse says if my bloods Ok after next week I should be Ok to do it at home. THen a company contracted by the hospital trust will deliver the injections every so often, I will keep them in the fridge and do the injection every week. I already inject myself with humira every 2 weeks so the injection itself is not too worrying for me now - it was when I first started the humira though but it's fine really.

I hope it goes OK for you,
KT