just had 1st injection of Humira today and cannot believe the pain I have had all day in the localised area where I did the jab at the top of my leg, it has been impossible to move at all without excruciating pain crippling me - surely this can't be normal or can it??
haven't cried out in agony as much since I first came down with RA 18 months ago
You didn't inject into the muscle perhaps? It shouldn't be so painful? If still as painful tomorrow, I'd give your rhuemy team a call.
Marie
hi Eiram50, no didn't go into the muscle. pinched the skin as shown by my nurse and watched dvd again before injecting myself. Will definitely be ringing someone tomorrow if I am like this, thanks
Do you have a rash near the injection site? I never had any pain after I injected and, no, it's not normal. I'm with Eiram and would phone someone tomorrow if it's still painful.
Not sure this will help you as you may be taken off Humira but if not there were two things I did before injecting that helped me.
1. Take Humira out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before injecting
2. Soak in a tub of warm water to plump up the skin a bit and the needle just slides in. I do this with MTX also and it really helps but then again I may just have particularly tough skin.
I really hope you get everything sorted and if it's an allergic reaction you find something else better for you. In the mean time would an ice pack help ease the pain a bit?
That doesn't sound right at all. I was advised not to pinch the skin by the nurse who showed me how to do the injection. She suggested holding the pen at right angles to my leg so that I could see the plunger and not directly on top but slightly to the side, which also makes it easier to see what's going on. I generally do it about half way up my thigh, being sure to swop legs and sites each time.
Now some questions:
How far up your leg did you inject, ie how close to the top of your leg? Is there any sign of a reaction at the site where the needle went in? Did it hurt immediately?
Hope it all calms down soon.
injected just over halfway up the top of my thigh, no reaction showing anywhere, pain tool about half an hour to kick in and hasn't left since then, goes straight across and right through the top of my thigh, no pain their before the jab so it's got to be the injection giving me serious grief. No way can I make it upstairs so "sleep" in the chair it is for me tonight - if the pain let's me sleep!!
Hope you get some sleep and manage to sort it out tomorrow.
Hi Matilda I hope you don't mind me replying to you. I have just read your reply about Humira.I am due my first injection next week and am terrified as I seem to react to everything. Could I ask you does it help as I don't know anyone who takes it? I have a pen is that what you have? Thank you Sue
Yes the good news is it has helped to reduce the pain and inflammation in my joints! I don't need to take any pain killers, just a very low dose of MTX. I do get some side effects but won't bore you with them in the hopes that you don't get any.
Lots of people on this forum have had good results with Humira.
And yes, I use a pen and it's very easy and pain free. Let us know how you get on with it!
Thank you so much for replying to me I really appreciate it.
I inject into my stomach where there is more fatty tissue ( at least there is on me) - also I use EMLA 5% anaesthetic cream ( get it on prescription from the Drs) so I dont feel anything - try it xx
I was told to use right leg, then right side of stomach, then left side of stomach and then left leg and keep alternating every time I jab myself, going to have to try more steroids/painkillers and see what happens, thanks Ian.
Hi Ian, I hope U have some relief? I am on etanercept for AS and inject weekly. I was told initially that I needed to alternate thighs and tummy for injection but then advised that into the thigh is a lot more painful especially if you are quite lean/muscly so I just alternate each side of my tummy now and have been doing so for the last year without issue. The leg was very painful in comparison. Hope it gets sorted for u 😊
I was on Humira for 3 years but couldn't inject into my leg either as found it too painful. Always into tummy, alternating sides. Pinch an inch (or in my case several!) and inject into that.
Im due to take my 3rd injection today & was told by nurse its not necessary to "pinch" the flesh to inject (I did when on Mtx). Also to alternate sites Leg, Tummy, Tummy, Leg. It didnt hurt but got a large red blotch on injection area when doing 2nd injection got reaction on 1st site.
I am on Humira and I always inject into my tummy. I have never had any pain. I don't have much fat on my thighs so feel it would probably be painful..
Hi I am due to start Humira this week. Is it okay to inject a pen which I have into stomach. Do u mind if I ask you if it's helps a lot with this terrible pain.Thank you
A nurse usually watches you do the first injection. She should tell you all the dos and don't.
I was given Humira because of scleritis...my Das score wouldn't have been high enough to have it for the RA. It has made a huge difference to me...given me back quality of life.
Wow, everybody is so different :).
I've have never used a pen, I've injected Methotrexate, Humira and now Enbrel. I couldn't imagine jabbing into my stomic, ha, I've always shot in the upper leg top side alternating between legs. My Rheumatoligist showed me in her office many years ago on how to do this and since have watched a few videos. Anyways, I simply wrap the prefilled syringe in one hand allowing the solution to warm up to my body temperature (just takes a minute too) then I pinch the shot site many times over and over, after that I clean the shot site with an alcohol swab, let it dry a little, then one pinch and inject, when removing the syringe I use another alcohol swab and clean the shot site again.
I suspect the solution was too cold, maybe didn't hit the muscle or possibly allergic?? But, don't forget once the needle is in all the way to pull back on the plunger to make sure you didn't hit a vein, if you see blood get another prefilled syringe and redo it all. I'm not a doctor, but that's what the doctor taught me, if I were you I would call my doctors office right away. Oh, on the pens that do it all, I have no idea how to check if you hit a small vein or not...but maybe what I'm telling you is old school, so please call your doctor...maybe you are allergic to Humira, that would be my biggest concern..idk???
Blessing,
Brian
Humira
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