injection site reactions | Arthritis Information

 

Hi I was just wondering what others do for site reactions. I was fine for the first 4 weeks i used enbrel but since then i have had a red raised itchy lump that pretty well stays there till the next shot. It is that itchy it drives me crazy. I have tried all sorts of creams , ice etc etc. Please help me.

Hi Allycat,

I don't have an answer for you, but looking forward to hearing others responses.  I just started humira and am having the same problem.  Hope you have a great evening.

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Have you tried taking Benedryl to see if that clears it up?  I don’t really have any other answer other than that since when I was on Humira I did not have an injection site reaction to it.  My daughter just had 3 vaccines and she had an injection site reaction to one of them and I gave her Benedryl and it cleared up pretty quickly.  Just make sure you can take Benedryl with any of the other meds that you might be on.  The pharmacist would know if you can or can not take it. 

 

I hope this clears up quickly!! 

Thaks for that. I will go to my pharmacist and find out if I can take benadryl.

 

You could also use the benedryl cream if you just wanted to target the site.  Make sure there is no solution on your needle when you do the shot.  Sometimes if you push the solution up, you can leave a little on the end of the needle.  Just flick the part that holds the fluid, once or twice with the other fingers to remove any residue.  That can give you the same reaction. 

Hi Shelly, I will see if we can get benedryl cream here in australia. Last week when having my monthly blood test done I asked the nurse about it and she said the same about the liquid on the needle so I made sure this time that there wasnt any, and it still happened.I have taken both Enbrel and Humira and have just a few reactions.  They went away after a day or two, so I didn't do anything.  I just used a different area the next time and tried to stay away from the part that had the reaction.  If this is happening with every shot, that would be difficult!!  Good luck!

Ally, I just took my 3rd shot yesterday. After the second one it got a little red and itchy after about 4  days. I tried to leave it alone and it was gone the next day. Very werid! I know it's hard, but maybe try not to scratch it?

Did you also find that it burns more each time you do the injection? This time was a B*^%$!! I actually yelled out loud! The first time didn't hurt at all.

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Yeah, Humira burns.  It is the citric acid preservative in it that makes it burn.  You can try to numb the area with ice before you do your injection so you don’t feel the burn as badly.  Also, you can ice any injection site reactions that become swollen.  When I was on Humira I would make the goofiest faces and yell “Feel the BUUUUUUURN!!!” when my daughter would inject me lol.  So, you are not alone in yelling lol.  I was so happy when they came out with the Quick Pens lol.  It just made the injection go that much faster and over with that much sooner lol. 

When i was on the Enbrel I would get the cortizone creme and i would do the injection at night right before bed put a nice layer of the cream o the spot and when i would wake up i didnt have any problems
Good Luck to you.My dr has me take benedryl about a half hour before injection. I used to take it for a couple days after because I was itchy all over but not I eon't have that problem. Hi , Saw my local family doctor yesterday and he said not to get the air out of enbrel pre-filled syringe first. he said the small ammount of air shouldnt be a problem and that it would prevent any of the liquid from touching the outer layers of skin. when I mentioned benadryl he looked at me funny. I guess we dont use it here in australia for allergy reactions. It is only sold over the counter at pharmacy as a cold medicine liquid.So I will try not getting the air out and see what happens.I had and still have injection site reactions and tried benadryl, hydrocortisone, claritan, ice, you name it. I found no difference if I left air in the syringe or not. It became such a bother that I stopped doing all that and just got used to it. Sometimes I get massive lumps, sometimes nothing at all. Often I will get a hive or two at previous injection sites. But there seems to be no rhyme or reason that I can discern from the varying reactions I get. It made it hard to tell if all those creams, allergy meds and ice really even worked. Over the year and half I have been on Enbrel I do seem to think the reactions have lessened in severity.I've had 6 injections of Enbrel and have only had one lengthy site
reaction....I injected it in the mid thigh area and had a tender, red,
bruised area for a week. I have since made sure to use an injection site a
little higher up in the fattier area of my thigh and haven't had any
problems. I will have slight itching for about 15 minutes after the
injection, regardless of the site but that is a small price to pay for how
great I feel on Enbrel.

I hope some of the suggestions help you. < =text/>_popupControl();

Allycat…Benedryl is sold over the counter here in the States as allergy relief and cold relief also.  The diphenhydramine in it is what helps the allergic reactions.  You still can use it if you can take it with your meds for allergic reactions like hives or the swelling at the injection site.   

 

Slowmovin…I love your idea about putting the cream on at night.

Thanks everbody for some great suggestions. If it happens again this friday I will be getting the benedryl. At the moment it isnt so bothersome as the pain of bursitis I have in my left hip.  My doc has booked me in for an ultrasound and cortisone injection into the bursa but I have to wait 2 weeks. boo hoo
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