Anxious over Humira

dear Caprie,

congratulations on starting Humira!  is this for RA?  hey, i get my re-fill of Humira on the 18th...so i am awaiting my shipment too.

first of all, let me just be a good cheerleader right now and say, "YOU CAN DO IT!!!"  and i truly feel you will be just fine.

i've been taking Humira since last august.  was on Enbrel for almost 2 years but i did not do well on it. (made no progress).

umh...i would suggest injecting your Humira in the abdomen.  i have found that to be the best place.  Enbrel 50mg STUNG REALLY BAD! holey moley...i was injecting into the thighs and hip area.  once i started Humira, i heard from a girlfriend of mine who has RA that Humira stings as well, but not as firey as the Enbrel 50's...she suggested the abdomen.  so in all, the "Stick" itself does not hurt...you'll find that the actual medication as it goes in has a little bite to it.  :)   but it is TOTALLY doable.  i would not lie to you for i was absolutely HORRIFIED to self inject (and i'm in nursing too!...so i've a lot of injections under my belt and still...ya do get the last minute jitters).

for the most part, frequent bloodwork and rheummy visits will keep all things in check regarding side effects of the systemic sort.  just pay attention to your body and you'll be fine.  you will have to be monitored for your white blood cell count, that's kinda the most important thing. 

if anything is to happen, a little injection site redness or a little itchiness might occur.  if you do not have any Latex allergies you should be OK.  if it makes you feel any better, have someone in the house with you the first time you have your shot.

i did fine the 1st time with both Enbrel and Humira.  if anything...i was super proud of the fact that i was able to do it myself!  there comes a big boost of confidence afterwards!

i'm very happy for you.  how is the arthritis you have?  just diagnosed? or is it advanced?

let's see....i started to have benefits from the Humira just recently.  so it took about 8 1/2 months for my case of RA to get to a point where it stopped getting worse.  then again, the RA was way out of control due to not being treated.  i take the Humira every 4 days now. started with every 2 weeks, then every 12 days, then 10 days, then weekly....so i'm at a point where i have the right combo of meds at the right dose.

everyone responds differently.  some will get quicker results and notice big changes pretty fast...say within 2 months.  some may take longer.  but do be patient.  waiting is the worst part i know.

what other medicines are you taking?

let this be cause for celebration!  hoorah!

you take care & write back soon.

erin

Craig...I love you man!  You really are super & everyone here I think totally loves that "you're our only guy!" LOL.

The burny/stingy thing...Caprie, it is the pH of the Humira and Enbrel 50's that makes it have a kick to the injection like Elcamino was saying.  All who have been on Enbrel 25mg will most likely all agree that THOSE were the nicest of all...no sting whatsoever. But it had a higher pH.  Now, the Enbrel 50mg and Humira 40mg have a more acidic pH for...I dunno...either to be a pain in the a** or for preservative purposes. LOL.

Oooooh, there was no demo for you about doing the shots?

                                 THIS CALLS FOR A SHOOTIN' UP PARTY!!!!!!!!!!! 

Seriously, if you want to be on chat while doing the injection I'll talk ya through it! Hey, I'm a professional! Got my credentials!

The pamphlet you will recieve gives a step by step "how to" and is self explanatory & easy to follow. Good thing is that the Humira is already pre-filled.  Have you given/watched injections before?  Basics are: just gettin' that little air bubble out if there is one (by giving a good flick to the syringe with your pointer finger), pushing the plunger slowly up to the 1st marked line you hit (the .80ml), letting the Humira get to almost room temperature (leave it in the room you'll be injecting in for like 20 minutes...one really never wants to inject something fridgid into the body), and basically just grabbin' a good inch of fatty tissue as your target!  You don't have to "stab" yourself or "dart" yourself either, lol.  The needle goes in smoothly as long as you go in at like a 45 degree angle. [Think of how RN's insert IVs when you're at the hospital...it's that sorta motion].

  **Oh yeah, you could always go to your Dr.'s office & do your 1st injection there with the nurse or medical assistant there with you. **

I agree with you.  Prednisone is good yes, for acute times and we all hate to say it but it is a lifesaver sometimes...but it doesn't really get to the problem. Humira and TNFs do get to the problem. 

Let us know what you plan of attack is!

Thank you for the kinds words, you too Craig.  Yeah, my RA is severe...but that just suits my personality.  Nothing was ever mediocre. LOL.

                                           HOORAY FOR CAPRIE!!!!!!

Go get em' tiger!

if anyone is extra terrific it's Craig.  in fact, last year i believe we coined him as our own personal "Lance Armstrong".  now don't shoot down our compliments man!  just blush & say "awe shucks" lol.

hey Caprie, you know what?  what you do trying to bike IS a BIG deal.  it's when we start "not trying" anymore, that's where the danger point is. 

you're doing the right thing.  i would absolutely advise patients to have their initial injection @ the M.D.s office if any reservations are present or in the slightest way unfamiliar with self injection.  but you'll see...A PIECE OF CAKE!  you'll be better at it than you think.

sincerely,

erin  VIEW IMAGE here's a present for ya! (just click on the view image)

and believe it or not...i had him shoot up a tomatoe with water & a needle and he near darn passed out.

end of story?

he never gave me the shots in the arm or butt! LOL.

 Hey Caprie, hey Curley:

Curley, where do you inject?  In the abdomen? I find that's the best place ever.  I wish I had been injecting there when I was on the Enbrel 50mg's because geez-louise those STUNG!  Humira stings less than the Enbrel 50mg's; but then again perhaps if it goes in the abs it hurts less?  I just find the tissue in itself of the abdomen makes for a much easier injection than the thighs & arms where they can be more "painful".

The ab injection? I don't even feel the stick; it's just the medication Caprie that kinda feels like a bit of heat.  Totally doable though!  You're gonna be GREAT!

Caprie,  best of luck to you with Humira.  My doctor gave me the choice of humira, enbrel, or remicade too (back in December).  I chose humira for much the same reasons as you.  It's not silly at all.  I have decided to save the IV transfusion drugs (remicade and a couple of other new ones that are out) for a very last resort.  Kinaret, which is the last injectable drug my rheumy wants me to try is every single day!!!!!!  Enbrel is only once a week, twice a week if my doc ups my dose.  Still doable, but humira is even more doable.  Humira didn't work for my joints, but calmed my GI system down pretty quickly.  It has worked for everyone else I've met who has taken it, though.

Elcamino

 Yea Caprie!!!!!!!! That is so wonderful, you made my day! It is indeed sometimes the case where a person will get extrememly quick benefits from the TNFs...whether it be just endoerphins & hope pumpin' through the blood, or could be that the inflammatory disease in your body is in an early state and thus will respond quite quickly to the meds. Either way...WHO CARES right? LOL.  Whatever works!  This is a fantastic thing.

And no it's not in your head.  After a year on Humira almost; the day I take my shot I have less swelling & pain by that nite & it conitnues the next few days...so I truly think it can get systemic witihin 24 hours (pharmacologically it says it takes 72 hours for it to disperse into the system).

How great.  And what a nice way to kick off the summer!

Did you do this one yourself?

{{{{{{{{{{ you go girl!}}}}}}}}}}}}}}   Erin