For 3 months,every week on a Thursday I have to attend the hospital to start the process for injections of MTX!!!!!!!

[lovingit]

I had no idea it would take so long to change over from tablets to injections

Has anyone else experienced this and could give me some advice Thanks Anne x

[nomoreheels]

When you say start the process for injections do you mean to learn how to do them? If so all I had to do was see the Rheumy nurse who showed me how to do it. She explained the process, I followed her instructions as I did it & as she was satisfied I could do it correctly that was it.

[lovingit in reply to nomoreheels]

no i've been told i have to go every week for at least 3 months and the nurses at the hospital will inject me take my blood every week and generally monitor me with increased dosage for at least 3 months until they get the dose right as i am on 25 milligrams tablets they will probably go down to 15 milligrams injections then steadily go up till it is right dosage x

[nomoreheels in reply to lovingit]

Right, I would guess then Anne that you're not well controlled at the moment & they're keeping a close eye on you. Have you had any problems with your bloods, particularly liver function AST/ALT levels? I switched to injections in an attempt to reduce side effects, which it did, but was well controlled at the time as I'd been taking the tablets for 13 months. I went from 6 x 2.5mg tablets to 15mg injection so a smooth process & ok to administer it myself.

Unless it's your Rheumy's preference for nurses to inject I would think that once they're happy you're well controlled they'll allow you to do your own injections, if you're LFT's are stable & remain on MTX. I do know though that some authorities insist on medical professionals administering injections. I had to have the district nurse do it at home when I was having one of my IVF injections as they wouldn't allow either myself or my h to do them. This was under the Central Manchester Health Authority.

I'd ask when you go next time to clarify exactly why this is the case with you, as much to know what's going on as anything.

[Hidden]

I just went to see the practice nurse as I don't have a rheumy nurse - she did it the first time and watched me do it the second and then that was it. The only thing I can think of is that you are going to be going up the doses and this means a different quantity of MTX in the syringe/ pen and maybe they think this might be an issue? Or perhaps your RD is poorly controlled and they want to keep close eye on how you respond to the injections as Nomoreheels has suggested? Otherwise baffled - three months is a long time!

[helixhelix]

Blimey, you have a gold plated service! Like Heels, I had just one supervised session when the nurse came to my home to check where I was storing it and assess how well I could do it, and I was then left to my own devices. Although nurse did say that if I wasn't judged to be able to inject properly they would keep coming back until they were satisfied.

I imagine it's probably a nuisance to trudge off to the hospital every week, but this does sound an exceptionally careful service where they are concerned to take best possible care of your health. So maybe try to view it as getting something special?

[Hidden]

Hi my RA nurse showed me how to do it and after me doing 4 injections was told I can do it at home x

[Clare-NRAS Partner NRAS]

It does seem a little excessive but if you are unsure why they want you to go in every week for 3 months ask them. I am sure they will be happy to explain. Each case is different but it does sound like you are getting gold star treatment as many units wouldn't be able to resource so many appointments.

[lovingit in reply to Clare-NRAS]

just had a phone call from my rheumatologist nurse....she tells me it is the protocol in blackpool that this is what they do for everybody it has nothing to do with the new pen!!

tried to explain about this site and nobody else has heard of this don't really think she believes me & if i change to preston n h s i will have to start at the beginning again

so i will just have to put up and shut up and get on with it x

thanks again for all your advice Anne x

[Ozzy]

I had to collect the prescription and then go and see the rhumy nurse. She Told me to sit down, after washing hands, then she said to open the packet and take out the syringe ......, I was shaking by now, right she said swab the area you are no going to inject yourself! After much encouragement and nagging , I did it! She said good now off you go and make sure you put the empties in the right bin. She said that you have to do it youself as there may not be someone who can do it for you, she is also on the injections herself.

[lovingit]

thank you for all your replies

i also thought this was excessiveand not very happy about having to trudge to the hospital every week for 3 months which i have told the nurse.

all my blood's are absolutely fine my esr level is 9 or 10 at the moment which i also think it is fine so i am baffled as to why i have to go every week and i am now going to query it with her

is very inconvenient at the moment going back to my roots as a landlady with my son and husband (more as a hobby for me)probably September...So I really don't need this extra problem

living in blackpool at moment, moving to Longridge maybe I should ask about this at Preston NHS they said i can change if i want!

after all the replies I will have to query this now as I have put it off since June

Thank you everyone Anne x

[nomoreheels in reply to lovingit]

So was this at Vic then Anne? That's where I see my Rheumy though it wasn't my first choice, I guess you'll understand why!!! I only ask as, though I wasn't new to injecting MTX, I had to prove to a Rheumy nurse at Clifton Hospital, my local, that I was capable of doing it!! As I had been self administering the same med for over 2 years I was somewhat surprised (!) but did as they requested (under duress but couldn't let it show!). Obviously I don't know the protocol for patients new to injecting at Vic but it seems somewhat excessive & would rather the money imo wasted used on that 3 months put into patients seeing a Rheumy each time & not once a year but then why should that surprise me it is BVH after all!! Not only that it'll cost you the price of a really good meal out needing to go so often, unless you have a word & they'll waver the parking fees as it's them who've requested you attend so often. It's worth a try, they did it for me when our GP was concerned about my h & I had to rush him up to Ward 7 & was there over 10 hours. I only found out they could do this when a nurse asked me where I kept going & told her I was topping up the meter so she sorted it for me. May be worth asking if you don't swap to Royal Preston.

I wish you luck in your move & new venture & hope you receive good treatment at Royal Preston, I'd take up the offer in a heartbeat, I envy you!! x

PS pm me & let me know where you're going, I go over that way often as my best friend lives in Cottam.

[lovingit in reply to nomoreheels]

Think it's just the protocol at blackpool so i am going to research the minerva centre at preston

with regards to our new adventure we have just come away from a meeting we should be in Alston Arms Longridge first week in september!!!

so excited can't wait and it would be nice to put a face to a name ♡

i will keep you informed as to how i go on where i end up x

Thanks everyone Anne x

[lovingit in reply to lovingit]

P S

my rheumy nurse is Janice Booth x

[nomoreheels in reply to lovingit]

Thanks for that.

[nomoreheels in reply to lovingit]

Right, I wouldn't know that as when I first went to Vic I was reinstated on my meds so didn't need "introducing" to MTX that way of course. It does seem an unusual way though. Did you see scouser's post about the Minerva Centre? If not have a word & see if you can get some info. Are you thinking of going straight there & not Vic? If so hope it's not too long before you can start your injections & you find it better.

Hope all goes well & it's a smooth move with your new adventure. I'll suggest we head over that way one time when we go to Cottam - as you say it'll be nice to put a face to a name.

Keep us updated as to how you get on with both. x

[samjam]

I had a long wait when I stated Cimzia because I had to wait for the Healthcare at Home Nurse to make contact, so she could show me what to do. All to do with budgets I believe.

[Jan66]

Being a bit dim here, but what's a metro pen?

J

[nomoreheels in reply to Jan66]

The method of injecting Methotrexate is changing to a pen. Some are already on it, I'm not yet but suppose it depends when stocks of the syringe type run out. This link will give more info metoject.co.uk/patient/meto...

Hope this helps.