Guest guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Joanna I will be going on HUMIRA. I am scared to death to think of that. I don't know if I can give my self shots!! So my insurance will only pay 75% of it and the next option is ENBREL. What do you know about these drugs? Thanks to all Tammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Joanna its no big deal about the shots, Ive been doing them for years due to diabetes so Im used to them. Dont worry after a few you'll be a pro!!! " Bill " <middleton.bill@...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Humira was a life saver for me. I hope that it will continue that way. Are you getting the pen or the regular shots? There are instruction videos on line. I found that after the first time it wasn't to bad. The first time I had a nurse I knew present when I injected and that helped my confidence. I haven't had any problems injecting and have alot of hand involvement. I don't like it, but can do and I am sure you are the same way. After the first inject I felt like I had the flu after the second one I started feeling much better and now I can do things I could not do for years. Carol Frick Bel1950@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Tammy, I gave myself a shot of Enbrel every week for eight months, make sure you have no infections because that will make you very sick. You have to stop Enbrel if you get an infection, and make sure the doctor will give you a low dose of antibiotics for at least four weeks. I really mean it. My Dr. didn't do it and between the Enbrel and infection I went downhill fast. I finally stopped Enbrel, Prednisone and another medication I had to use because I became so weak. Watch for the symptoms of weakness, they may come on slow or fast as they did with me. I am now on antibiotic and can walk for miles a day again, before if I did one mile a day that was high. I was always tired and slept a lot. Giving the shot is really no big deal if you have the automatic pen injection. Eat something before the shot or you may get nauseous. clean the area well get everything ready, the cotton, the cleansing item and the band aid. put it on tight so you will not bruise. make sure you change thighs. If you need more info send me an e-mail. Good luck, stay well. Eva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 Tammy, You will be fine. I can say with honesty I felt the same, but now I love my Humira. I would not trade what it has done for me for everything in the world. You too will feel like this, nne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Tammy - I don't know about Humira, but the Enbrel shots were a piece of cake. My rheumy at the time simply called in the RX but gave me no instructions or advice as to how I should inject myself. So I started out injecting in the thigh region (as illustrated in the package insert). I got terrible injection site reactions - gigantic, dark red bruise-like circles that lasted for weeks. My rheumy said he'd never seen a reaction like it. So I switched to the stomach area. It sounds and looks icky, but there are very few nerve endings in that part of the skin. Also, most people have a bit of subcutaneous fat there, which seems to " cushion " the injection. I never had any problems or pain with the stomach site, and pretty soon, it became routine. My only regret now is that I can no longer take Enbrel - too many sinus infections. But for 5 years, I felt MUCH better! Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 How does anyone without ins. affort this? I am 62 and live on SS, I can't affort a doctors Visit. How can you do it? " Bernard Hyland " <berniehyland@...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Here is the site for the humira injection video. http://www.humira.com/Global/AdministeringHumira/Default.aspx?p=pen Carol Frick Bel1950@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 I've been on Enbrel and mtx once a week for about 5 months and it helped at first but now I find that I am really stiff and sore in the mornings and hurt pretty much all day. I tried to tell my rhuemy about the pain and he said go to your pcp for pain meds. I don't think he believed me. Anyway I'm going to go to him on Monday and try one more time. If he doesn't do something I will change rhuemy. I feel like I am right back where I started except that the plaque is gone and that is wonderful. " shirley_s_2002 " <shirley_s_2002@...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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