my 4th enbrel injection: going well

[Guest guest]

Glad to report to any new enbrel users that I have done 4 injections now, this

last had no side effects: no headache (Yay) and no soreness after or the next

day which was great as I was driving for 2 hours and I didnt want the pressure

of the seat belt pressing on my stomach if it was sore.

I tried the hard candy trick and iced this time before and after. Do you guys

put the ice in a plastic bag? For me the worst bit in the injection is waiting

for the alcohol on the wipe to dry, thats when I feel a bit nervous before I

stab. Anyway the plunger moved much better (thanks Mark, maybe I was pushing on

the side a bit), no stinging. But when I finished, I realised that the hard

candy had all been eaten, I sort of crushed it while I was injecting, is it

better to suck on the candy??

Now a funny story, 10 minutes later I opened a door and got a splinter in my

thumb from the door frame!!!!!! Talk about painful, I was speechless for what

seemed a LONG time till I found my glasses and could remove it. I had to laugh

as the injections don't hurt at all really, like Mark said, its the thought of

the needle that takes getting used to, but boy did that splinter hurt!!

Thanks again for the encouragement, things still improving, touch wood, can

squat down without agony and can get up, much better getting in and out of cars

and out of low chairs, and the fatigue hasn't returned. This has all made my

life so much better, I feel like doing things instead of dragging myself around.

Originally I thought when I added Arava to MTX that the Arava was causing the

fatigue (as it is a side effect). But now I think that it was already there

(worsening of symptoms, therefore I needed a second drug in combo with MTX).

This is backed up by the fact that the fatigue didn't go away when I stopped

Arava, but stopped the day after my first injection. So it was the fatigue not a

medication side effect.

Now I just need my hair to grow back post Arava!!!!

regards

max