Should I inject or not? Advice please.

[Mhairi54]

Was due to have my Benepali injection yesterday, but have postponed it for just now as I'm not sure if it's ok to or not. I developed a cough at the start of the week. Although I am not coughing anything up, it feels as though it is in my upper chest. What would you advise? My hospital helpline is only manned on a wednesday and don't want to leave it that long, and don't want to use up an emergency GP appointment as don't feel like it's an emergency. Any advice would be gratefully received! This is the first time I've been faced with this dilemma since I started an immunosuppressant.... Thank you!

[PFKAAde]

It's difficult for any of us to advise you as we are not doctors and may advise that you take it only for you then go on and develop a worse chest infection or whatever (that may have happened anyway).

So all I will say is that a simple unproductive cough would not stop me from taking Humira - if it is just a simple cough.

But like I say, I'm not your doctor.

Another thing is that it may depend on how active your disease is. Delaying taking Humira for a week or two doesn't make any noticeable difference to me, so in your position I'd wait until I could speak to someone at rheumatology. If a delay of a few days will mean that you have an increase in pain / inflammation, you might decide that you don't want to wait.

It is slightly odd that they only man the phone one day a week though, have you tried calling it anyway and leaving an 'urgent' message? You never know they may check it...

[Paula-C in reply to PFKAAde]

I'm on Enbrel and I've had to stop taking it due to having a cataract op. I've now missed 4 injections and just starting to have joint pain and stiffness coming back, not enough to make me what any pain relief though.

In the past I have missed the odd injection here and there and have been fine, but I am in remission.

Paula x

[JoWall44]

If you are unsure, I would suggesting leaving off the injection until you can get some advice. I recently had to stop injecting for 4 weeks and it took me around 2 weeks before discomfort started in my joints _ similar to the prediction from my rheumy nurse.

When I started Benepali I was told that the "rule of thumb" was - if you are ill enough to take time off work, give it a miss until you feel better. You are in the best position to say how unwell you feel and go with your gut instinct.

[Mhairi54]

Good advice thank you. Going to hold off till I get some advice. x

[HallJackie123]

Can you ring your Rheumatologist's secretary to ask for urgent advice? If not, I would take a written note into my GP's surgery when it opened and ask the Receptionist to show it to the doctor, saying that I would like a response that day and would be happy with the way in which they chose to respond, either via the receptionist ringing me with the doctor's response, a telephone consultation or an emergency appointment.