She said:
"Here is what works for me.
First thing give yourself time, this isn't a facial, but it is something you are doing for you. Treat it like a gift. fix a cup of coffee, go someplace quiet, play calming music.
Make sure the syringe is WARM. your body is 98.6... room temp will be a shock. I leave my Humira sitting out for 30 minutes as suggested. Then just before I inject I roll it between my palms.
Ice the area of your tummy you will inject. Get it REALLY cold. I have an ice pack in a light tshirt, and leave it there for a good long time. You want that area numb. Wipe your tummy with the alcohol pad and let it dry.. Completely.
Pinch up a roll of flab about the size of your thumb and finger together, check the syringe, and gently push the plunger in a little to get the air out of the syringe..
Hold the syringe like you are throwing a dart, and slide the point into the skin you have pinched up. The ice will have numbed it so much you won't feel the needle slide in.
Release the flab, and shift your fingers on the needle holding it between the index and middle finger, with the thumb on the plunger.
SLOWLY depress the plunger..I depress to a chant..."My toes won't hurt, my ankles won't hurt, my knees won't hurt, my hips won't hurt, my fingers won't hurt, my wrists won't hurt, my thumbs won't hurt, my elbows won't hurt, my shoulders won't hurt, my jaw won't hurt...this shot stings but far less than my body hurts."
You should be finished then, remove the syringe, place the ice pack back on for maybe 30 seconds, and dispose of the needle...now finish your coffee.
You can do it"
I love the way she put this and really appreciated the time she took to support others.
I'm doing my first Humira shot next week... The pre filled syringe kind. I will keep your post in mind when I'm ready. I guess as long as I do it super slow, I'll make it :) and nothing can be worse than the sting of the sure-click Enbrel. I had it in room temp for 30min, but the sting would make me see stars, it was so bad. I think it's because there's no control over the speed the med comes out. Hope Humira syringe isn't as bad. I have to add though, the powder (mix your own Enbrel) kit was a piece of cake! No pain or stinging at all :) thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI hope the Humira works well for you. I use the prefilled syringes also and when it starts to sting a bit I just slow down. When I checked back I realized that I've been using it for 6 years now. The sure-click types take away the control you have over the rate at which it goes in.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the post.
I have no idea what biologic drugs are - as I've never had any recommended to me, but it sounds like a really good strategy for injecting. I know this is true of vitamin B12 shots (if they come out of the fridge before they really hurt). Thanks for sharing... I will definitely keep this in mind if I have to inject anything.
ReplyDeleteI take Humira and it stings a bit going in. It's a lot easier to relax when you are injecting yourself with a medication after you have done it a few times. B12 sounds as though it helps some people with fatigue quite a bit. It's not something I tried yet.
ReplyDelete