Calendar for Biologics

[barbieg]

I started using RoActemra (Tocilizumab on Tuesday and the nurse said there was a calendar you could get so you could record the date and which side (my tummy) you did the injection. What do other people do who are on weekly injections? Thank you.

[Potatos]

Mine are fortnighfortnightly so I write the date and side on the box.

[barbieg in reply to Potatos]

Mine are weekly so I thought that was easy to remember but she stressed not to go into the same place fortnightly if that makes sense. With my bio similar it provided a booklet with pictures of your stomach and legs so you marked each time where you injected. I stupidly threw it away when I stopped that presuming my new medication would have the same thing.

[rmros]

You might find the drug's website, or an RA charity website, has something you can print off. Do you have a smartphone? Then you can set reminders and make a note of injection site. Otherwise a notebook and pen works just as well.

I'm on my third biologic.

Etanercept (weekly) came with a big welcome pack including, iirc, a lengthy booklet to record date and site of injection.

Humira (fortnightly) came with Humira branded stickers you could put on your calendar/diary as a reminder.

Cosentyx (monthly) came with a thick book containing space to record the first few months' injections.

And you know what, I don't think I used any of them after the first few injections. I'd make my own note and now I just remember - as my current one is monthly I don't worry too much about alternating injection site.

[barbieg in reply to rmros]

My Adalimumab came with a book with actual diagrams so you could mark where you had injected and the date. I think I just like pictures 🤣🤣. The nurse was quite emphatic that it’s best to move along the stomach so you don’t inject in the same place in a fortnight. Obviously injecting every week it’s left, then right side. That’s why I thought a diagram would be easier. She was sure you could get them.

[rmros in reply to barbieg]

You'd think there'd be something online you could print at least but I can't find anything. How are you at drawing?! 😉

[barbieg in reply to rmros]

When I was at school the art teacher used to turn my attempt at drawing every which way to have a guess at my subject 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️So the answer to that is pretty useless. My nurse said I would find something on line to print off but I couldn’t find anything either.

[KittyJ]

I’ve never had anything like that, I can usually see where I injected the previous week as I nearly always bleed but I’d write it on a bit of paper if you don’t remember or on the box 😊

[vonniesims]

I just use an ordinary little diary

[barbieg in reply to vonniesims]

My friend gave me a little notebook but as I said in my reply to rmros the nurse was quite emphatic that I don’t inject into the same place the next time I’m injecting into that side. I’ve never heard of that before but it’s made it quite difficult to write down. A picture would be much easier.

[Amnesiac3637]

When I was on Toc I injected in my thighs on alternate weeks and wrote it on the box. Now and again I forgot to write it down at all and might very well have injected into the same leg the following week but the sky didn’t fall in! 😀

As others have said, make a note or a chart or put it on your phone if you use it for alarms etc and don’t worry if you cock it up now and again, nothing awful will happen apart from having a sore bit of bod.

[barbieg in reply to Amnesiac3637]

Thank you. The nurse wanted me to inject into the top front of my legs but I refused. I’ve got skinny legs and I’m in a lot of pain there from my Fibromyalgia ( I think it’s that!) so I didn’t fancy injecting there. I’ve got plenty of spare fat round my stomach though 🤣🤣🤣.

[Lolabridge]

I inject RoActemra weekly, only ever into my thighs because I can't bring myself to inject into my tummy. Avoiding veins is most important for me as I'm taking an anticoagulant and I can see those most easily on my thighs.

I just make a note in my phone diary, repeat each every 4 weeks: upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right. So when I look in my phone diary before I inject I know where to put it!

[Bails67]

I use Alexa to remind me,it reminds me to do most things including hospital appointments.I only inject every 2 weeks ( I decided on Himira for that reason) but I often have a little mark after injection. I did get some stickers in my box to put on a calendar not sure if you get them with all injections though!

[Runrig01]

I’ve been on weekly biologics for 6.5yr. At first i followed the rules closely and completed the body map. However I started getting large red areas of inflammation using the thighs, as well as excruciating pain. I decided to just use my abdomen which I’ve been doing for 6yrs. I vary where I inject week by week. I’ve never developed any scar tissue or lumps from using the same site frequently. I’m a nurse so I know what to look out for and what areas to avoid, so my rheumatologist is happy with my regime. I’m sure there will be body maps online you could use, it could even be one from another company if need be, as they all recommend the same injection sites.

[aliplayspiano]

I’ve been on tocilizumab for five years. I’ve never been given any sort of chart, picture, record book etc to record my injections. I just take it fortnightly now as taking it weekly sent my neutrophils down too low. I just make a note in my diary as to the date I take it. My method of remembering which thigh to inject into is fist and third injections in the box left thigh, second and fourth right thigh! I’ve never been able to bring myself to inject into my stomach although there’s plenty of flab there!

[oldtimer]

I use an ordinary calendar and draw a box with lines to make it into quarters. Small x in the relevant quarter each time.

[AgedCrone]

If you go on line you can print all sorts of calendars that are suitable …but any calendar that has space to write on would work wouldn’t it?

[Otto11]

I like the advice from a post about writing it on the injection box. Personally I don’t tend to look at a calendar very often. I have a note that says injection on it & put it on the kitchen bench the day before to remind me but after 20 years on Biologics I’m pretty blasé about it & just try to remember. Always used my tummy though never tried it on my legs. You will be fine x

[Scottishlad]

I use the calendar on my phone to plan and record my fortnightly Cimzia injections. I inject in my abdomen and rotate Upper Right, Lower Right, Lower Left and Upper Left. This means it is 8 weeks before I get back to the same area. I have 4 recurring calendar events each with a 8 week interval.

[Poshcards]

I put them on my phone in my calendar on weekly dates due xx

[medway-lady]

I simply add to computer calendar on iPad. It shares with phone and Mac

[Green230461]

Don’t tell me you have to be Picasso to have RA now???

[Tobymax35]

I write on my new delivery boxes left ,right , ect I remember same day Not done it in tummy always my thigh’s hope this helps

[Seatgeorge]

I use Benepali, and I do keep a log so I rotate the injections,originally it came with the starter pack but you can download it from the website,or you can google it, I then just print 5 sheets.off

[barbieg in reply to Seatgeorge]

Thank you. I did try googling it but nothing seemed to come up. Which web site are you meaning?

[Angels54]

Hi ,?I inject in the top of my leg , different each week 👍