Metoject.

dreamdaisy

I toddled off to the hospital today to collect my next load of meth injections to be told that they have switched to the metoject system. It all looks very simple and straightforward but I will miss (oddly, I know) flicking the bubbles out and attaching a needle. They are more bulky to store however because the boxes don't fit in my special meth container. Time to get another container maybe, but first I will remove one from its box to see if it fits OK - they are sealed so shouldn't come to any harm. DD

stickywicket

I'm a metoject/syringe virgin so no advice, just my hopes and expectations that it will be easy enough for you to use - and store

toady

As I've mentioned before, and rheumy nurse flagged up for me, metoject has a tendency to dribble if not careful & that's been my experience; so I always store mine standing heads up so to speak & it seems to help.. plus being v careful when taking cap off, in case any rogue droplet pings out because the cap has a rubbery suction grip action and tends to resist 'controlled' removal so I always feel it's going to 'give' all at once. I preferred putting on my own needle, all things considered.

Sorry to be casting aspersions on your new injections but forewarned etc., good luck with 'em.

scattered

I've always used Metoject and I find it works fine. There is sometimes a small drop on the end of the needle after I've removed the cap but it never goes anywhere except where it should. All in all, nice and easy.

Good luck with it.

dreamdaisy

Hello toady, it's lovely to hear from you and thank you for replying. I occasionally 'dribbled' with the needle/syringe combo and that never bothered me as it would be mopped up by the post-jab plaster (also popped into the sharps bin after removal). These things are bulky even without their boxes. :roll: Hey-ho, ain't life fun? No? I so agree.

Scattered, I freely admit that I am not myself at the moment hence my thinking that this is 'newsworthy'. I fully realise that it isn't but, as I currently can tell which way is up, I beg forgiveness.

Sticky? Oh girl, you ain't lived. Tablet meth is sooo old hat. DD

Tubby

You may not think it is news worthy but as someone about to head into the world of methotrexate injections I find the subject interesting....keep us in touch with your progress

toady

dreamdaisy wrote:

I occasionally 'dribbled' with the needle/syringe combo and that never bothered me as it would be mopped up by the post-jab plaster (also popped into the sharps bin after removal).

Come to think of it I did tend to find one lot of the needle/syringe combo (I had 2 different sorts owing to hosp. keep chopping & changing suppliers) formed a 'bead' which dripped into the plastic tray if you laid it down while prepping the needle (as suggested). I'd forgotten that - so they're all a bit iffy I guess.. I did have one episode with metoject droplets spurting across the bathroom at the speed of light so that I was quite lucky to even spot where they'd gone :shock: & though that may be my incompetent lid-removing action, ideally they shouldn't be leaky at all; it's one more thing to think about.

Tubby, good luck with yours, is it metoject for you?

scattered

DD, i didn't mean to imply that this is not newsworthy! Of course it is. It's a new form of MTX for you and you're bound to have thoughts and feelings about it. I only meant to offer some reassurance that it is easy and hopefully less fiddly than that which went before.

Now, no apologising for not being yourself or for any of your posts.

dreamdaisy

And I didn't mean to offend you, Scattered, I value your thoughts and kindness very much indeed. :oops: I'm used to the humira pre-loaded things and I guess this is more of the same. I will take it all in my decreasing stride, of that I'm sure.

Tubby, the injections are a doddle once you are used to them. Initially the hospital did mine and that was an utter pain (I could be in the clinic from between five minutes to ninety-five :roll: ) but then they decided I was capable of doing my own, which is much more convenient. I hope it works well for you, let us know how you get on, yes? DD

Numptydumpty

I have recently changed from tablet, to injected Meth. I've done three injections so far. The nurse who came out to train me said they're talking about changing from syringe to pen. I used a pen with one of my Anti-TNF s
and didn't like it. It came out too hard and fast, stung and bruised. I prefer a syringe as I'm more in control, and can do it slowly and gently.
Numpty

Tubby

I will let you know how I get on.....but I have long wait until I see the Rheumy Nurse so hobbling around for quite a while yet until any relief is on the horizon!

scattered

It would seem that we are both suffering from a miscommunication! No worries. I am very difficult to offend but I was worried that I might have been a bit brusque and come off the wrong way. I can be a bit short sometimes! I too value your input greatly, and consider you, although we've never met, a friend, and I'd hate to make my friends feel uncomfortable. :oops:

Take care.

theresa4

I will add my thoughts
I do not like the new methojects at all. With the needle combo I rarely dribbled its often dribbling with this one. The needle feels thicker and bruises and bleeds much easier than then needle combo too. They were easier to store and travel with these bulky things are a pain all round in my opinion. It is similar to humira ones DD so not much new there for you but I suppose double the bulk for you. I find it harder to use as my hands don't cooperate with the needle combo I could stick it in then use my palm to plunge whereas I can't do this with the metoject ones. When they said pen I expected something similar to my mum in laws insulin pen now that would be convenient.
Hope you've found it ok DD.

Theresa

dreamdaisy

Thank you everyone for your input, I'm sure all will be well. I have one needle/syringe combo left for next week then I start the new regime. I can cope with the humira and I'm sure this will be just as straightforward. If not you lot will be the first to know! DD

Mat48

Since switching to injectable I have only ever been given Metoject. I find it pretty easy but have no point of comparison. I am glad they fill the sharps bin a bit quicker because the bin I'm given is always massive and the receptionist shakes it sometimes and gives me the eye as if I'm taking the micky as it's not strictly full - but I dislike seeing it there full of my metoject waste so I get as far as six and hand them in whatever the receptionist thinks of me!

I'm glad you started this thread DD because I hadn't realised that the droplets might actually fire out as someone has described - I'll have to be more careful now because of the dogs. I don't think a lick of MTX would be too good for them somehow. I find if I do it fast enough once the lid is off then it all goes in including the little drip. Mat x

nanarose

I've been using the Metoject system for a couple of years now, with few problems.
However the top on some of them can be a bit awkward to get off, so how someone with severe arthritis in their hands cope, I don't know. I have had different tops a few times now. :?

I have stabbed myself a couple of times wrenching the top off, otherwise they are pretty straightforward.

Mat48

The tops are really tricky sometimes I agree - I've had to get my husband to pull them off a couple of times - ironic really seeing as we are taking the stuff to keep arthritis at bay?! X

toady

They are definitely not arthritis friendly.. who designs these things. I preferred Ebetrex as the caps though small had a good grip. The previous needle/syringe variety I had (can't remember the name) I couldn't shift the square lids and had a small spanner for the purpose.

I hope I'm not scaremongering re the leaky metoject, I did only have the one incident like that & I blame my technique partly - the drops that splashed out, I'm 99% sure were from the small amount that I find tends to be up in the lid, and as I pulled the cap off sharply they were flicked out. Nothing would fire out of the syringe itself, I shouldn't think. It just made me wary especially with the nurse's advice, but she was definitely talking of the little bit that 'beads' on the needle - it wasn't a warning that the syringes would randomly ping any liquid out in mid-air.

I get on fine with the enbrel lids & they're so similar, so no idea why that should be.

Mat48

No I don't think you're scaremongering at all - it's just that I'm a bit cavalier about such things. A friend was given all sorts of paraphernalia alongside her injectable mtx and told to wear rubber gloves and be terribly careful because it's cytotoxic, dispose of clothes with spillages etc- whereas I was just given one lesson by the practice nurse and given a prescription for metoject and a sharps bin and that was that! I've noticed that the lids seem to work like corks so it's hard to put them back on when the injection is done and I put the used syringe into the sharps bin? So perhaps it's because it's designed to grip the needle rather than just sitting over it? I always get a blob no matter how carefully I try to take the lid off.

barbara12

DD without a word of a lie..I have posted before and it has disappeared ..and so have my post on Stephen thread..any how I have not a clue what the needles are like, but I do hope you have mastered them...x

toady

Mat48 wrote:

I've noticed that the lids seem to work like corks so it's hard to put them back on when the injection is done and I put the used syringe into the sharps bin? So perhaps it's because it's designed to grip the needle rather than just sitting over it?

Seems like a variety of advice that people get given.. I was told never to recap the syringe before disposal; fiddly, risk of finger stabbings, & a bit pointless anyway as it's all going in the sharps. Yes they are very grippy lids which is why I find they resist removal.

Re protective gloves etc, I was never given anything like that when I used to collect my syringes from the hospital, but once I went over to deliveries they sent round gloves, and plastic aprons (ugh) but I've never used them and they've never offered me any more.

Mat48

I won't put the lids back on anymore Toady - its just a tidying up thing I suppose but of course you're right about it being unnecessary. I do feel the grippy lids are the problem with Metoject and the blobbing. Otherwise I quite like them for being integral and ready for use and having colour coded packaging thats a bit jolly - mine have gone from
purple to pink as I've risen a dose! Mat x