first enbrel box delivered but need advice

i received my first box today, put every thing away as ordered to enbrel in fridge and so on, but now im confused am i meant to wait for a nurse or some thing or do i just go ahead and do the the treatment its my first time any advice please thankyou,,,, vicky

[Paula-C]

Hello

Mine Enbrel is delivered by Healthcare at home. A nurse out to my home a few days later to talk to me and show me what to do. I can't remember if the appointment for her to come was made before or after my delivery. You could always ring who ever delivered it or your RA nurse to ask. I don't think they will let you just inject it by yourself. In fact I had two visits to watch me inject it, even though I had been injecting MTX for over a year, I still had to have a nurse with me the first and second time I did it and I had to sign some paperwork saying that I had had everything explained to me. When the appointment was made I do remember being asked what day I took MTX, they do like to keep a few days inbetween taking the two drugs, I ended up with Friday being Enbrel day and then realised afterwards that if I did have any reaction the next day (which I didn't), I wouldn't beable to contact my RA team until Monday. Something to bear in mind.

On the first visit the nurse asked for the envelope with FAO The Nurse on, we had a bit of a panic because I hadn't got one. It's got the dose on it that you are suppose to take, she wouldn't let me do it until she checked my syringes. She said it would of been in the bag with the drugs. Even sent husband with Marigold gloves on searching through the dustbin for the bag. She ended up having to ring up to check it. So make sure you find yours.

Paula

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thankyou paula,

not t sure if i do have envelope FAO ,,,but thankyou i bear that in mind and ill ing them soon

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I had mine delivered before the arranged meeting with the nurse, but the letter from HealthCare at Home had arrived, also a telephone call from my own Rhumey team informing me of the person name who would give me a call before visiting me to demonstrate the injection. This person called a few days later and a visit was made, I had a letter for the nurse in my pack as well. She came the following week and then odd phone calls up to 12 weeks, when she paid one last visit. She also gave me her direct mobile in case I needed her at any time whilst I am taking the Embrel. Mine come in the pen variety whereby I inject each week with 50ml, but I think there are others here that have a different form of injection and dosage although it's contents are Embrel.

If yours is the pen variety, then its very easy, and you can spend your time beforehand like I did by pressing a normal pen into your leg to get the feeling of what it would be like. On no circumstances do you 'pinch or pucker' the skin where you are going to inject as you need a flat surface, taught is better. One leg may sting more than the other, that is normal and you may feel your toes curling after about an hour, its more a sensation than reality, I cant really describe it other than, then I know its working. This all stops gradually as the more you have in your body. Also if you are a 'bleeder', have some extra makeup wipes to hand for afterwards, I am a said bleeder and was worried that the dosage would come out, have been reassured that it wont. Also I always make sure that the injection is out of the fridge for a good hour to bring it to room temperature, I inject in the morning so I get up take it out the fridge and place it where I am going to do the injection, be it lounge or bedroom, have breakfast, then get the sharps bin ready along with makeup wipes,plus a visit to the loo! by then an hour has generally gone. Inject and then I sit for half an hour to settle the site the injection before moving around, hence the visit to the loo beforehand. I don't work so you may not have the time to do all this in the morning but you will find your own routine, hope this is helpful. Take care xx

[Neverwell]

I had mine delivered on the weds then had a call form nurse

To say she would come on the following Monday she is coming every other week

The weeks she's not here she will phone I also have her mobile number

I was not looking forward to the pen but I would said its a doddle

and that's from someone who hates needles

good luck Karen x

[_andy_]

so pleased its finally arrived ,,vicky .. :))))))))) .. let your rheumy team know youve got them , before doing anything ... someone will either come round and show you what to do or make appointment for you to pop in .. good luck ..

[Nantucket]

Hi I am Humari when it came I was going away on holiday and had no contact from nurse at Healthcare so I rang my Rheumy nurse and I took it to her and she showed me, the Healthcare have been on since to see if I need a nurse, I said no be because it is really easy, good luck Carole

[Paula-C]

I was told to let my hospital know when I was going to start. Sure you are aware that the clock starts ticking once we start......thinking of NICE guidelines here. Also my appointments were made for my follow up assesments.

I think I've learn't a valuable lesson here after reading Georje reply. I keep telling people that I pinch the area to be injected before I do it to numb it a little. I now realise I must be sure that they are injecting with a needle and not the pen.

Paula