Injecting Benepail

[_Luna]

Hi everyone!

I was on Enbrel for many years and now I've been switched to Benepali pre-filled pen for about a year now. I've been able to reduce the sting by leaving it out of the fridge for longer and using ice! My only issue is I can still only bring myself to inject my thighs and I worry that I keep injecting in the same areas (even though I swap legs).

When I injected Enbrel I had no problem using my tummy as I could grab a bit of fat and it didnt hurt. I think having to stretch the skin rather than pinch has been me believe it will be more painful on my tummy with the pen. (I'm also quite thin).

Has anyone got any advice for injecting in the tummy? It sounds silly but do you inject lying down or sitting position?

Many thanks!

[allanah]

Yes you can get lumpiness if you use the same spots. From your photo you look slim so I'd bunch up tummy , not near belly button or too low and try. I did mine sitting down.

[_Luna in reply to allanah]

Hey!

Yeah definitely that's why I want to use my tummy too! Thank you for the advice, I will try it sitting up in the sitting position then x

[allanah in reply to _Luna]

Good luck, try relax the muscle too if possible, I know easier said than done!

[_Luna in reply to allanah]

For sure! Lol thanks again x

[oldtimer]

It's much easier (in my opinion) to inject into your stomach sitting up. It gives a slackness to the tissues so that you can grab a bit between your fingers to inject into. Personally I found it easier to it there than in my thighs which I found much more painful!

[_Luna in reply to oldtimer]

Yeah I always preferred my tummy when injecting Enbrel but havent been able to bring myself to use my tummy for the pen! Having to press down always put me off. But I will definitely try it on my next injection day. Thank you x

[Kerensa21 in reply to _Luna]

I use thighs Luna, don’t think it matters, personal preference, but warm up Benepali quickly by holding under armpit for few minutes before use. I watched the nurse do this first time; takes ages waiting for it to warm up otherwise x

[_Luna in reply to Kerensa21]

Oh this is a good tip, thank you! X

[Paula-C]

I inject enbrel into my tum, I do it standing up, I use a syringe and not the pre filled pens. I found it really painful injecting into my thighs and swapped to my tum a few years ago, I find it doesn't sting so much. I've done it this morning and it hardly stung at at all. I take mine out the fridge the day before. Be brave! xx

[_Luna]

Yeah I loved the syringes! I was on Enbrel for 10 years and had no issues I was gutted at first when I had to use the benepali pen instead. But like everything, it's getting use to it and I've been on it a year now and cant complain! Yes I will be brave! Lol thank you xx

[Paula-C]

Hope your doing well on Benepali. I was told I'd got to switch to a biosimilar drug and I refused, typed up notes stating my reason why and thankfully my consultant let me stay on enbrel. x

[_Luna in reply to Paula-C]

Thats great you were able to stay on Enbrel, that's what I wanted at first too. I was under the impression of if its not broke dont fix it lol but luckily there has been no change in my condition whatsoever apart from the injection being a bit more painful benepali is great! X

[kerryhannah]

Funny how we’re all different - I can’t stand injecting into my thighs! I find it so painful but tummy is ok. I take it out the fridge a fair few hours beforehand and sit up to do it. I stretch the skin and do it that way. Am similar build to you I reckon too? I even continued injecting into my tummy even when pregnant last year. I did try my thigh again but it was too painful for me x

[_Luna in reply to kerryhannah]

Yeah! Lol Aw that's great thank you for your advice. I'm gona be brave and go for it lol.

Do you mind me asking how long you continued Benepali while pregnant? This has always been a worry on my mind, the thought of stopping! X

[kerryhannah in reply to _Luna]

I personally didn’t stop it. If you continue throughout then the baby can’t have any live vaccines for 6 months but that is only the diarrhoea one. Had several chats with different consultants and was advised to continue throughout rather than stop at second trimester as otherwise I would be having a flare when I needed to be my best for the final part of pregnancy and labour. In fact it was because we wanted to start trying that I was put on Benepali. Before that it was Arcoxia so I needed to not be on that. I breastfed too as it’s considered safe. I honestly don’t know how I would’ve been able to be pregnant had I needed to come off it! x

[_Luna in reply to kerryhannah]

Aw this is so great to hear as I dont want to stop mine either (when I eventually get pregnant). I'm sure pregnancy is hard enough without flare ups! X

[HevJ]

I’m the same with regards to my thighs!!

Like you would, I pinch my tummy hard hold my breath and go for it! Standing usually.

[_Luna]

Hey! Oh really you pinch? Have you got the syringe or the pre filled pen? I thought with the pen we stretch the skin and thats what puts me off! Lol x