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Started Humira and have question; new to this board

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 2/21/2013 10:04 PM (GMT 0)

Hello all.
I am 33-years-old and was diagnosed with RA 6 months ago (after spending 9 months trying to figure out what was wrong with me). I have 3 young kids and it's been hard to wrap my mind around this and having it the rest of my life. 

After 5 months of trying different meds, my pain was getting progressively worse and my doc put me on Humira. It took weeks to get insurance to agree to it and here I am. I did my first injection with the pen 2 weeks ago and today was supposed to be my second injection and I think I screwed up. I just spoke to my mail-away pharmacy and they said I will have another pen here on Saturday.

I never got training from my doctor's office since my daughter has diabetes and I am used to giving her shots and using her insulin pen. They told me I was fine doing it the first time on my own.

So, here is my question about the Humira Pen...when you have it pushed up against your skin and you push the maroon button, you here a loud click. Are you supposed to push the pen against your skin hard enough to have the white needle cover pushed up inside the pen? And do you need to keep pushing the button for the entire 10 seconds, even though it doesn't feel like it is doing anything?
Thanks for your help on this question (and probably future issues)

Posted 2/21/2013 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tracy,

Well you are brave doing it alone. I went into my drs and got the nurse to supervise me the first couple of times. My memory was once you've pushed the button it snaps like a small dart into your skin. Its on a spring so no you don't need to keep holding it. It should be flush against your skin when you push that button.

I've swapped to using injections as it gives me more control plus I couldn't get the ends off the injector pens on my own.

But you should feel a sudden sharp injection going into your skin and then you hold it there until you can see the liquid is all gone. Aren't there instructions with it?

I remember one time managing to squirt it all over my bed instead of into me!!!

Bring in your replacement to your local nurse and get her/him to oversee you. There is much more liquid than a diabetic pen so it is a different action. It also used to leave me with a round red mark which would get itchy. The injections don't do this. Good luck, tongue

Best wishes, go

Posted 2/22/2013 6:41 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Tracy and Welcome to HealingWell,
First thing when giving yourself the Humira take it our of the fridge
30 mins before giving your injection to bring to room temp. Then
clean the area with alcolol swap. Then push the pen against you skin after you hear the click from the pen.make sure the med is done then you are finished.
Posted 2/23/2013 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
If you go to Humira's website, there is an instructional video that explains how to self inject. I got taught by my Dr's Nurse, and she said to press it firmly against the skin, press the button and listen for the click then hold it and count to 20 (as some people count to 10 faster than others she recommends counting to 20), to make sure all the liquid has been injected.

Best of luck.
Posted 2/24/2013 6:03 AM (GMT 0)
Hi and again welcolme to the site

i got an instruction video with my first pack

and yes giving it by myself the first time was scary

virtualerror is right you Hold the Button down while you count

one other thing Before you give the injection put an ice pack on the site for a while

i used my thigh - easy to reach

by using the ice Before injecting it lessons any sting

by holding button down for the full 10 second count ensures you get the proper dose

When you say you think you screwed up the injection - why what happened

and you have to be careful don't go giving yourself another injection just incase you actually didnt muck it up

i'd phone my rhumy and check just what you should do, it may be safer to wait till next one is due

try not to get overwhelmed try to get hold of the instruction video go to the web site and watch it

Good Luck

Posted 2/25/2013 9:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hey, I have also heard a lot regarding Humira that have been one of the effective treatments for Arthritis.
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