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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 1/15/2012 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Started Humira yesterday in the hospital and I must say...it hurts like a *insert bad choice of words here*!!! I'm deffinately not going to be able to give myself the injection considering I swung and almost punched the nurse but instead hit the button that closes up the hospital bed which bent my stomach even further into the Humira pen. Ouch! I have to admitt, looking back on it, it was funny  turn  

 I didn't really have a reaction so I got out of the hospital a day earlier than expected :-)  !! I did have some chest tightness and my throat felt like it was closing up but my GI and I are kind of in agreement that just the sting of the medication can cause that. Hopefully this will help bring me into remission! I'm anxious for my next injection tuesday! I'm hoping this drug will actually work since it seems like the Crohn's/Arthritis/Raynaud's is getting nasty. Praying for no reactions like the ones to Remicade! I'm going to stay optimistic!

  If you're reading this and take Humira/have taken-

Any ideas on how to numb the pain?

How often do you take it?

Do you take it with an immunosuppresant?

If Humira didn't work for you, why did it not & how long were you taking it when it loss its use?

How long did it take for you to get to remission w/ Humira?

 

Posted 1/15/2012 4:13 AM (GMT 0)
It's been so long since I was taking Humira I don't recall the specific dosage and such. Sorry. I do know that it worked for me for about a year. The first few months were great and I felt completely normal. No side effects noted from the shots and for me the only pain was a few seconds after doing the self injection. Never thought I'd find myself pushing a needle into my own gut. The pens that Humira uses to do the self injection were fairly easy to use and you don't even see when the needle goes in. For me it just left a red mark for the day and a few seconds of pain. Hopefully it will get better for you and last a very long time.
Posted 1/15/2012 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
I found icing the injection site before and after helped with the pain.

I was on it for about 6 months. I started developing joint pain, and had a lot of fatigue on it, so we stopped it. I think it was effective for my CD, but just didn't sit well with me otherwise.

Good luck!!
Posted 1/15/2012 4:52 AM (GMT 0)
I started Humira about 2 years ago it was my last option after trying many things and it has been a miracle drug for me (knock on wood). It took about 3 months for my stomach pains to vanish and I have been in remission ever since!
I too couldn't imagine injecting myself but in all of my experiences with pain I've come to the conclusion that doing things like this yourself actually hurts less than having someone else do it. Its just like being tickled when you tickle yourself it doesn't have the same effect as when someone else does it . That's how I look at it at least =) I was 18 when I started Humira and learned how to by practicing on an orange with an empty syringe with a nurse at my doctor's office looking on and giving me helpful hints.
I give myself an injection every other week. For me my thigh is the best spot for injection its an easy spot to work with when doing it yourself (easily visible while sitting upright in a chair and you can use both hands) and also was less painful than other areas of my body. I ice the area for a couple minutes take a deep breath in as I insert the needle into collected skin pinched in my left hand, and then exhale inject myself calmly and as quickly as I can handle, immediately after i remove the needle i put a small band-aid over the site and rub in a circular motion the pain lasts for about 5 seconds after this and then i have no residual effects. For some reason my left thigh hurts less than my right so I only use that leg now. Occasionally I have some bruising after the injection but it just looks like a small black and blue.

side notes: My body now recognizes when it is time for a dose and I sometimes have a mild stomach ache the day before injection day but this goes away as soon as I take the medicine. Also it is a good idea to have someone who is close to you and willing, to learn how to do the injection. I broke my wrist some time ago and needed help with the injection it was difficult to find someone while living in the dorms on a college campus =/

Good luck I hope Humira is as good to you as it has been to me and you feel well soon =)
Posted 1/15/2012 4:52 AM (GMT 0)
They may not have let it warm up enough before they injected you. The colder it is the more it hurts!! I've done 2 sets of injections, my next is next Friday.
Posted 1/15/2012 4:56 AM (GMT 0)
I also wanted to add that after being on humira for about a year and having no flare up my doctor reduced all of my medications now I am only on Humira an injection every other week and eight 500 mg capsules of pentassa everyday. I never thought my medication list would shrink so drastically but i'm thankful and hopeful this good health will last for long time.
Posted 1/15/2012 6:07 AM (GMT 0)
I'VE BEEN ON HUMIRA SINCE MAY 3 2011 IM STILL HAVING PAIN AND PAINS YET IT HAS BEEN THE ONLY THING TO GET ME BETTER I WAS DIAGNOSED IN 2005 AND HAVE BEEN HAVING A HORRIBLE TIME TILL I TOOK THE FIRST FOUR INJECTIONS THEY ACTUALLY DIDNT HURT AT ALL THE PAIN I WAS IN WAS GREATER THAN THE NEEDLES I DID THEM BACK TO BACK AND FELT NOTHING BUT GLORY YET STILL FEEL PAIN AND DISCOMFORT YET NOTHING COMPARED TO ANYTHING I FELT BEFORE SO YES THE HUMIRA WORKS AND WILL FROM WHAT I READ DO WONDERS IN THE LONG RUN ITS JUST A WAITING GAME BUT A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS COME INTO PLAY LIKE STRESS CAN CAUSE A FLAIR UP I THINK AND BELIEVE IM STILL GETTIN CONSTANT PAIN FROM THE STRESS I GO THROUGH BUT MY WORLD AND YOURS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT I MEAN WHO UNFORTUNATLY LOSES A CHILD TO AN EARLY DEMISE I WELL YES I HAVE AND ITS BEEN BY FAR SUPER HARD TO COPE WITH SO GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND HOPE YOU GUYS NEVER HAVE TO SUFFER ANY OTHER ORDEALS THEN HAVING CHRONS DISEASE BECAUSE THIS IS HARD ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH IVE TRIED NUMEROUS MEDS AND LIFESTYLES I DONT EAT MEAT AT ALL NEVER DID SO I KNOW MY FLAIR UPS ARENT FROM FOOD SO MAKE SURE YOUR STRESS LEVELS STAY DOWN AND THE HUMIRA SHOULD WORK GOOD AS FAR AS THE PAIN OF SELF INJECTING GOES I PERSONALLY RATHER FEEL THAT INJECTION FOR TEN SECONDS OF THE PAIN IT GIVES FOR RELIEVE OF THE NEXT TWO WEEKS THEN FEEL A SHARP DAGGER GO THROUGH ME NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE TIME SPAN OF ONE MILLI SECOND BUT EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND MY OPINION IS MINE I FOR ONE HAVE GONE THROUGH 29 YEARS OF FLAIR UPS DUE TO BEING POR I HAVE A NUMBER OF PREscriptIONS I COULD NEVER FILL DUE TO THE FACT THAT IM BROKE AND NOW EVEN MORE YOU DONT SOUND LIKE YOUVE GONE THROUGH RO MUCH I HOPE I HELPED BECAUSE I DESIRE YOU NOMORE PAIN FROM THIS ILLNESS WE SHARE NO WORRIES about ANYTHING AND AS FAR AS MY BABY GOES HES IN A BETTER PLACE EVEN THOUGH I WISH HIM IN MY ARMS 24/7 BUT IM NOT ON HERE FOR PITY JUST BROUGHT IT UP SO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR NOT ALONE AND TO REMIND YOU NOT TO STRESS IT FOR THERES OTHERS WHO ALSO HAVE IT BAD TAKE IT EASY GUYS AND GOD BLESS THE WHOLE LOT OF YA'LL
Posted 1/16/2012 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on Humira for over a year now. It controls my Crohn's pretty good but the shot is hard to do still. I have found that if you leave the pen out for about 10 minutes and let the med get a bit warm it doesn't hurt as much. Where are you taking it? In the hip or in the stomach? I found that the hip hurt MUCH MUCH worse than taking it in the fatty part of my stomach. Just remember to move it around each time put it on the left one time then the right the next time.

I am taking 40mg every 2 weeks. If I can shoot myself anybody can! I really hate needles. The pen helps with that you just put the pen to your skin and then mash the button and voila you are done.
Posted 1/16/2012 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
It's great to hear so many people on here have had a positive experiance with Humira! It's making me a lot more hopeful :)

@Tootise: I took it in the stomach friday and I don't think I'll try anywhere else either like you. My GI said I could take it in the back of the arms/stomach/somewhere in the thigh area. No way in heck am I doing it in the back of the arm! I'll do the thigh if I'm desperate smilewinkgrin

@IXHATEXCROHNS: I can't say I completely understand the situation your in and can't imagine! I do understand about constant flares though. They are draining and nasty. Sending many prayers your way! The actual needle bothers me none. The medication its self, I agree, is worth taking if it gets me out of the flare! Humira pain < Crohn's pain.

@Jason: That's probably it. As soon as the nurse got it from pharmacy she administered the drug.

@Ohev: Good advice! I'll try the ice thing tuesday and thanks for the side note! Knowing stomach pains can kind of start up around your next dosing time will save me some worry and phone calls to the GI.

@JAB: Thank you & I hope after Humira you found something that worked for you & brought you relief/is bringing you relief!

@Sparkplenty: It is true that sometimes the side effects outweight the benefits. I couldn't imagine more fatigue on top of the fatigue I have now. Thanks & hope your current treatments are bringing you your life back!

I get my next dose tuesday and am ready to get it over with (and feel the affects). I feel like these past few days I've gotten worse. Seeing lots of undigested  food in the toilet... Having faith in a few months I'lll be flare free!

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