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Is humira injection PAINFUL???

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Posted 6/14/2010 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
For me the first 6-10 times did not hurt at all.
But after that it started getting worse and worse, almost unbearable :S
I found out that the pain was not from the needle but from the medicine going into your body.

I got some good advice here on the forum about switching from pens to syringes.
I did that and have now done 3 syringes, and the difference is amazing.
I no longer want to stop Humira and I can control how fast the Humira is injected so as soon as it starts to sting I just take a short break.
Posted 6/14/2010 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Doc for posting this topic. Over the last couple of weeks it has been determined that the Remicade is not working for me anymore, so I am in the process of switching to Humira. Just finished the TB and chest x-ray and received the Humira kit to read and watch the video. I have a high tolerence for pain, but I have to tell you before I read the posts - I was freaking out! Thanks for all the great tips everyone! I always feel so much better after I am on this site.
Posted 6/17/2010 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
I've been doing the Humira pen injections since December.  I've tried putting a ice pack on the injections site, numbing cream, pretty much anything I can think of and it still hurts.  I think also the anticipation of knowing the injection is going to hurt doesn't help.  Like many people have said it's not the needle but the medication that hurts.  I've talked to my Dr. about this and he said that Cimizia doesn't hurt but thanks to my insurance I have to use Humira.  It does work so knowing that makes it worth it all worth.  I weigh about 108 so the nurse told me to only do the injections in my stomach because that is where I have the most fat.  She told me I could use my arms or thighs for the injections but she said that it would hurt more but it was my decesion.  I wish you luck and just remember that the 10 secs that you experience the pain for the shot is way better than the pain you experience with a relapse! 
Posted 6/17/2010 7:29 PM (GMT 0)

rebecca1987 said...
I've been doing the Humira pen injections since December. I've tried putting a ice pack on the injections site, numbing cream, pretty much anything I can think of and it still hurts. I think also the anticipation of knowing the injection is going to hurt doesn't help. Like many people have said it's not the needle but the medication that hurts. I've talked to my Dr. about this and he said that Cimizia doesn't hurt but thanks to my insurance I have to use Humira. It does work so knowing that makes it worth it all worth. I weigh about 108 so the nurse told me to only do the injections in my stomach because that is where I have the most fat. She told me I could use my arms or thighs for the injections but she said that it would hurt more but it was my decesion. I wish you luck and just remember that the 10 secs that you experience the pain for the shot is way better than the pain you experience with a relapse!

I would advise people who are in pain to try the syringe !!!

much less pain you feel and if it starts to burn you just take a 5 sec break and then continue.
Posted 5/16/2012 11:59 AM (GMT 0)
I started mine last night and I've got to say that this forum had me worried. I did my first four in the belly and it really wasn't that bad. I followed the advice of leaving it out for 30 minutes and waiting for the alcohol to fully dry. My personal experience is that a shot of Humira is less painful than having an IV. Clearly experiences with this drug are different for everyone. Good Luck to those considering it!
Posted 5/16/2012 12:44 PM (GMT 0)
I'm currently on Humira, I don't feel the needle at all, the only thing I feel is the medication being injected - I use the pen - its faster and you dont have to decide how fast or slow to inject the med. I've used my stomach and thigh, and almost find the stomach burns more, lasting 5-20 mins, my thigh burnt for all of about 3 mins, as long as its injected sub cue, the way directed, it's not that bad, certainly worse things in life. I switched to my thigh last time solely to give my stomach a rest - permanent ileostomy so only have 1 side available. Once injected, dont apply pressure, it stings a little more, but don't worry about the needle at all, you'll do just fine if you go on humira:-) I was on Remicade prior to starting humira and the iv hurt more than the injections do - as least to me personally. Leave the med out to sit for 20-30 mins before injection, the colder it is, the more it stings. Good luck!
Posted 10/19/2014 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,
I was diagnosed with pustular psoriasis in august. It was all over my palms and feet and legs. I am a 36 yr old female and just started a new job teaching pre-k so i have to use my hands all the time. For my first treatment the dr prescribed 2 oral antibiotics. After a month no improvement and i was miserable and always in pain. She decided the next step for me was humira. After reading all the scary stories on side effects and hoe incredibly painful the injections were i was freaking out. It took me 2 weeks to get up the courage for the nurse to give me my 1st 2 injections with the humira pen. I read to leave the pen out for 30 min so the med wouldnt sting so bad. I decided to do injections in my stomach because i have no fat on my legs. I took a pain pill and was ready. She did both and it didnt hurt nearly as bad as i had feared. I felt stupid being so worked up about it. Both my Dr and nurse take humira and love it. I gave myself my 1st injection thursday in my stomach and it wasnt bad at all. It stings a little, but i dont think the pain is that bad. My hands and feet seem a little better and im hoping for good results over the next couple months. If anyone is scared of injections, feel free to ask me questions. I left the pen out 30 min. Pinch the fattest area (stomach wasnt painful for me, i have a nice fat roll there...lol) and push the top and hold until the window shows yellow. It usually doesnt take a whole 10 seconds, maybe 6-8 counting normally. Then your done! Dont pysch yourself out to much and let it scare you. If you get resulrs its worth it! Good luck to eveyone!
Posted 10/19/2014 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
Also my Dr said sometimes icing the area could make it hurt more. I dont know, i never iced it and it doesnt hurt me that bad at all except a little sting. And yes, make sure the alcohol has dried bc if its not dry and the needle goes in, the alcohol will definitely make it sting. I guess everyone is different, luckily its not too painful for me. I do it in my stomach, a have a fat roll around my midsection, and it doesnt hurt very bad at all. I have heard the leg hurts worse. I guess it depends on where you have the most fat. My legs have very little fat, the stomach is best for me. Good luck eveyone!
Posted 10/21/2014 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
Personally I just find it's a very sharp sting.

I know this is silly, but personally I like to visualise it like those injector pen things they use in the Nick Cage/Sean Connery film "The Rock" for the nerve gas antidote. It helps me forget about the temporary pain. Which is far less pain than I get with the disease the injection controls.

But I realise I'm fairly lucky in that I tolerate Humira well. So I haven't had the tissue problems and other side effects some people do get.
Posted 10/29/2014 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
I've been taking Humira since 2008. Just leave it out of fridge till not cold. Sometimes it hurts but not usually. It'll be ok I promise
Posted 10/29/2014 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
I've been taking Humira since 2008. Just leave it out of fridge till not cold. Sometimes it hurts but not usually. It'll be ok I promise
Posted 10/30/2014 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
I did the Humira pen for about half a year. I never did get use to it. The anticipation, the anxiety were not fun. Sometimes I felt pain, sometimes I didn't. I never did understand why one shot hurt and the next time didn't. To be honest, I think it was the fear of the pain that got me, because when I actually compared the pain from the shot to the pain from Crohn's... the most painful Humira shot I experienced did not even come close to the consistent pain from my Crohn's. The burning sensation from the pen doesn't last long, so you have that on your side.
Posted 11/4/2014 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
I heard of this little toy thing that's supposed to help make getting shots easier by combining ice and vibrations on the site of the injection. You can just google it (I literally put in "bee thing that makes injections hurt less"). I saw it on the TV show "Shark Tank" and I was thinking about getting it for a relative.
Posted 4/14/2015 10:29 PM (GMT 0)
I read this site before I did the shot and some of you scared the hell out of me. I did my first one and it hurt. So I did some research. This is what I did. I took shot out and set everything up in the bathroom. Set timer for 40 minutes. During the wait time I kept telling myself this will work and I will experience no pain. After timer I took a shower. After shower I sat down pulled up enough fat on my leg and just gave it. No pain a little minor stinging but only for a second. It has to be room temp and you have to calm down. I chose to have the shower just to calm myself down and have my body warmed up.
Posted 4/14/2015 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
I did simponi injections and they didn't hurt at all. I would imagine Humira can't be too much worse.
Posted 4/16/2015 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
dovemilo, those posts are more then 6 years old now. It's a pretty old thread. But for what it's worth, I would leave mine out for no more then 20 minutes. Just to take the cold edge off. It never hurt in the stomach, but stung more in the leg. Still nothing to freak out about. Just a little sting.
Posted 4/17/2015 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
Anyone knows how much its cost?my insurance doesn't cover Humira
Posted 4/17/2015 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
It depends on where you live...I live in AB, Canada, and one box costs around 1700.00 for two pens, my insurance and Progress cover it for me, when I didn't have benefits through hubby's work then Alberta Blue cross insurance (for 118.00 fee a month) covers it along with Progress (free) now that hubby's benefits kicked in, they cover me for up to 10,000.00 in RX for a calendar year, once that runs out I'm back to getting it via ABC and Progress (which costs me 25.00 dispensing fee).

I think it's terrible that this med isn't covered all across North America and only in some states, far as I know, anywhere in Canada it's covered one way or another...as my GI said before I started it, your income has no bearing to getting approved for Humira or Remicade whether you can afford it or not it's available through Progress.
Posted 8/19/2015 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
Ok - I am a wienie when it comes to shots and needles - I did two injections (first time today) and it was NOTHING. I was all in an anxiety frenzy from reading other posts and was surprised how easy it was to inject. Scouts Honor - nothing to it
Posted 3/12/2016 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hey spoonies. I've been on Humira for 5 shots now (10 weeks) and my symptoms (flare wise) haven't changed or lessened at all yet. I called my pharmacist who transferred me to a Humira nurse and this is what she told me:

- the normal window for symptom relief is anywhere between 6-12 weeks, but that was only for about 40%. They don't tell you the percentage of success upfront.
- it usually takes (in up to 70% of patients) between 3-6 months to see the full effect, but even then it doesn't guarantee full remission.

I also blog about my journey with Crohn's on tumblr and I've spoken to many fellow Chronies who've said that it took them 3-6 months to feel any difference from the shots.

Currently I'm on Humira (40 mg syringe every 2 weeks), 6-MP (150 1x day), Lialda (2.5 grams 1x day), and Butrans (10mg patch for pain).

Feel free to talk to me on my blog: www.crohnsbae.tumblr.com

I hope this helps!! If you can, switch from the self injectable pen to the syringe. Seriously, it is way less painful. The medicine hurts quite a bit, but you're able to control the speed at which you push the medicine and the needle is smaller + it doesn't make you feel as if you're being stabbed. Always go for the tummy, as you can barely feel the needle there. They say icing helps but it only makes your skin more sensitive. Avoid the inner/upper thigh as you have more nerves + it's way more sensitive there.


Good luck, friends. :)
Posted 6/6/2016 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on Humira pens every other week for over a year now. The first dose (4 shots) hurt like hell. Now they still hurt somewhat but not nearly as bad as the first dose. I do leave it out for about 30 min. before I inject. I mostly use my stomach as it seems not to hurt as much as the legs. Good luck!
Posted 8/13/2017 12:41 PM (GMT 0)
Okay. This forum is old but it's what comes up when you search "is humira painful?". For that reason I'm posting in it. When I first found out I would have to get humira because relocate stopped being effective for me, I was so stressed out and I had a bit of a breakdown if I'm being honest. It felt like just one more thing. I'm a 16 year old girl and I was 14 when I started the injections. DO NOT WORRY. It's a needle, yes, it stings a bit but it's not a big deal. I do mine in the thigh and you just get used to it after a while. I freaked myself out reading about it online but there's no point stressing out about it. The pain of the injection is literally a joke compared to the pain of Crohn's disease. It helps a lot, at least in my case, and is worth the temporary pain. It only lasts about 30 seconds as the drugs go in and after that there's no pain at all. I reccomend letting it completely thaw from the fridge because the cold makes it feel worse in my opinion. It's really not so scary, and the needle is small. so don't stress yourself out like I did. You can do this!
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