Is humira injection PAINFUL???

I am glad to know I am not the only one out there that experiences pain during the injection. When I first consulted my RA and GI, they had never heard of it being painful. So I call the Humira hotline and they were of no help. I have been taking injections for over two years with the pen and now am up to once a week. You are right...it is mind over matter. I can't fathom receiving the injetion in my belly. My husband has to give me the shots every time in alternating thighs. He distracts me with kisses, then sticks me. Everytime I scream (he has to wear ear plugs now) and cry. ( and I am not a screamer) Had to warn my neighbors about it when it became hot enough to open the windows. But, the stinging does now only last about a couple of minutes compared to when I first started. During those few minutes, I cannot even rest a cottonball on the site as it feels like an elephant just sat down on my leg. Some nights are better than others. But I always have anxiety everytime I remember that tonight is the night I need the shot. I take it right before I go to bed, so I can lay down and fall asleep to disctract from the pain (now that the sheets can finally rest on the skin). I tried icing it and it didn't work. I do take out the drug a couple of hours prior to the injection which seems to help. And, I know it isn't the needle but the drug since I have been on other injectable meds in the past. It also beats sitting in the Remicaid chair for hours especially since I developed a reaction to Remicaid. The Humira is the last drug that has worked unless I go to a clinical trial.
I know my rant (and thanks for letting me rant) won't help you with the abstract thought of the pain. But, I feel the same as others do, honesty is always the better option. So is taking the drug if it creates a better life for you.
As I see it has been a couple of months since you posted this. I hope all is going well with you.

straydog,

You leave your medication out for that long? I would have thought it would go bad by then. I guess I don't know exactly how long it takes for the medication to go bad, but it just seems like a long time. You haven't had any problems? And it's working for you?

I usually leave it out for only 15 minutes. I'd rather it hurt than take a chance getting a less effective dose.

yea totally agree with leaving out the injection for a fair bit before hand - defo easier

humira injections are quite painful i found the pen more painful and asked for injection form which i find alot less painful but it does the trick so worth it :)

I just had my first startup shots today. I have to say that my fears about these shots were far worse than the reality. The nurse gave me my first shot in the abdomen and I gave myself the other three. about the only thing I did in prep was to warm up the shots to room temperature. I tried pinching my skin for the first shot, but it ended up not making any difference. I didn't feel the needle at all. The Humira itself burns like he'll going in (about like a bad bee sting). Once the injection was over I felt totally fine.

It certainly, for me, was no big deal and certainly not worth getting worked up about. I'm a wimp when it comes to needles, but this really was no big deal.

As an avid cyclist, I refused to give myself shots in the upper legs as it's almost solid muscle right under the skin. As scary as it seemed to get a shot in the stomach, the reality is there are less nerve endings there. Also the needle is actually very small and shallow. I really recommend at least TRYING the abdomen. You might discover it's far less painful than in the legs.

Post Edited (Pcwace) : 8/8/2009 10:22:04 AM (GMT-6)

Mine hurt alot tonight but I just had surgery. I also did not use the ice pack. That always helped me!

Thank you all for these tips...I have been using the pen for about 2 months now, and I dread shot day! It is so incredibly painful, I tried having someone else admin them, tried distraction..but I was only told I could do them in buttocks and thigh areas. Both are equally painful! I have 3 tattoos, none of which hurt near as bad as a single shot of Humira! Tonight is shot night, I was actually looking online for the refill line number, but Google brought me here, and I figured I would read what others have experienced with the medicine. I hate the pain, but I saw significant results before my 2nd dose! I am not a Crohn's carrier, but I have psoriasis, and it has cause some RA type symptoms to show up, especially right around shot day. Joint pain and swelling..it causes me to lose a night of sleep before I take my shots, but my psoriasis is almost completely invisible..I have to say it's worth it! Thanks again, and best of luck to you all!

If you let Humira or Cimzia really come to room temperatures - which takes about 20-25 min - not the 10 min. it says in the instructions they both sting far less. The eppi pens used to inject that Humira are VERY easy to use. I've always injected using the outside thighs - I have it in my head that the abdomen isn't a place I want to try - especially with all of the scars I have.

I started taking Humira a few weeks back - so far I have had my 1st loading dose of 4 injections and my second loading dose of 2 injections.  I am due for my 3rd injection this coming weekend.  Humira injections hurt but they don't hurt half as bad as the condition for which you are taking them.  The pain only lasts about 10 seconds while the medication goes in and then for me, the spot is tender for a little while.  After I take the injection, I lie down and rest for about  30 minutes and for part of that time, I put a small ice pack on the injection site.  I also make sure I let the alcohol dry before I inject, I take the pen out of the fridge for about 45-60 minutes prior and I ice it for a minute before.  I have injected myself in the stomach and I have also had my Partner inject me in the hips - my nurse said that is a great place that not many people use since the video only talks about stomach or thigh.  I have not tried the thigh, mine are muscular and I imagine it would hurt a lot more but the stomach and the back of my hip are OK.

The bottom line is that everyone has a different tolerance and you have to remember why you are taking the injection in the first place.  I think once you do it once or twice you will be fine, I have been and I was completely freaked out before the first round, I almost didn't go through with it.

Good luck, you will do fine!

Deb

It does not hurt me much!
I was so scared of the first injection after reading the comments here...I took the pen out an hour before, made sure the alcohol I used to clean the area was completely dried and it was fine.
Don't worry too much.

I use the syringes instead of the pen ..yes the pen goes in faster so the pain goes away faster but the pain is more intense and I cannot stop the burning as i can with the syringe

I am NOT looking forward to this. I have 13 tattoos but I hate needles. That's a completely different type of needle. I hate injections of anything. I quit doing the Sandostatin and asked for infusions because I hated the injections so much :(