Humira

shaggy

Hi all,

After my recent unexpected allergic reaction to Infliximab, I am now being put on Humira. Would anyone be able to share their experiences? I am stupidly petrified at the thought of self injecting :oops:

TIA x

skezier

Hi TIA

Sorry you have had the reaction but hang in there as a lot have found the Humira has really helped them and hopefully you will find the same. Hang in there and leaving you a bucket of hopes. Cris x

dreamdaisy

I can understand that, but it can be overcome. I do my humira and my meth, and I remind myself that it is far quicker and easier than having to trog off to the hospital once one week, and twice the next.

My first humira injection was administered by a rheumatology nurse at the hospital and it was hellish - she had not done one before, so she had the pen in one hand, the instructions in the other and she had left her glasses at home. That gave me all the resolve I needed to DIM (do-it-myself) and I was pleasantly surprised when the Healthcare at Home nurse turned up, talked me through it, I did it and it was so much better than my first experience. OK, I freely admit it's not the highlight of my life but it's OK. A little tip: take the pen out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to do the injection so the stuff warms through a little - that reduces the sting quite considerably. Also rubbing an ice cube over the injection site before the jab helps to numb the skin a little. I inject into my stomach as that is nicely flabby and there are not so many nerve endings - but never too close to the navel.

I wish you well and I hope it helps you as much as the inflixi did (I'm assuming it did before the reaction). DD

shaggy

Hi, thanks for the replies. well, after a cock up by the hospital I will have my first delivery tomorrow, and the h@h will come out next Tuesday to show me what to do. :oops: Am still stupidly nervous as had a bad experience with subcut methotrexate, but I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the tips DD

dreamdaisy

Co-incidence! I'm waiting for my delivery today too, I'm hoping it willl arrive before I have to go to the hospital for an ortho app.

Of course you're nervous, everyone is when they take a step into the great unknown. Doing something like this to oneself is not the norm but us auto-types (alas and alack) sometimes have very little choice about these meds. Refuse them and let the disease run riot or accept and at least put some measure of control in place. Surely that has to be the better option. Good luck, we'll be here for moral support. DD

Nicchick

I did my first Humira shot on Tuesday evening and it was nowhere near as bad as I had been expecting it to be and have had no reactions as yet (touch wood) in fact I woke the following morning with no tiredness! I do usually start to feel a little better this time of year so the test will be how it helps me in the spring. Saying that I have been much worse this year.

Good luck with it and I hope you have a better nurse than I did, she was in and out in 20 minutes, complained about how far I lived from her and forgot to tell me to take it out of the fridge beforehand. I was quite pleased to see her leave as she sighed and said to herself 'oh well, it's a job' we all have days when things don't go as planned but really? It does seem to be the luck of the draw as my friend said the one she had was great and even rang her the following day to check she was ok!

I did use both hands as my grip is bad, one to hold down firmly and one to press.

Nic x

ritwren

It's interesting to hear how everyone has gotten on with their Humara. I'm hoping to start in a couple of weeks and will post how I've gotten on as well.
I inject my methotrexate and giving an injection does'nt bother me in the slightest. It's much handier than having to go to the hospital or waiting on a nurse to come and do it.

Good luck.