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Well, the insurance in their infanate wisdom saw fit to approve the enbrel for me and so I went to pick my first month of injections. After co-pay the cost was not to bad. So it's off to RD tomorrow to see how to inject myself. I am certainly not a needle person but I guess since I really need this medicine  I am stuck. Wow I wasn't intending to make a punn of my plight but I will be sticking myself soon enough.  Do any of you who have done it have any tips to make it less scarry and painful. I have heard enbral can be painful when injected.  Thanks in advance for any advice. Hi Momto3,

Oh Cammie please let me know how you do injecting yourself. This is something my doctor wants to discuss later this month too and I am so apprehensive. Hey M23, I found the 50mg premixed Enbrel to be the stingy-est (its the preservative in it) so I opted for 2 25mg shots a week that I mix.  Seems silly but at the time 2 injections won out over stingy shot!  I practiced on an orange with a tb needle and syringe just to get the hang of pushing the needle through.  I never felt the needle, just sometimes, when actually pushing the meds through, a tiny sting, other times nothing at all.  I also was taking 1 MTX injection a week.  Now I am on Humira sure click pen and it is a snap, though the Humira is stingy. 

You can do it no problem.  I think it is just the idea of it all.  Good luck!
Good Luck!I am right there with you, once the insurance powers that be have consented, I will start Humira, although I have a prescription for the pen.  I have a video to watch and all sorts of instructions but of course I'm still nervous.  I did MTX injections which were a breeze but they didn't hurt at all. :)i use the ice cube on the spot (I prefer my tummy fat) til it's red and I can't feel the cube..  I have already "heated" the needle by laying it across a hot cup of tea that I'm going to sit and enjoy after I do the needle...  it gets little sweat beads on it.. I know it's closer to body temp so that it doesn't burn going in.....  [QUOTE=wanttobeRAfree]Oh Cammie please let me know how you do injecting yourself. This is something my doctor wants to discuss later this month too and I am so apprehensive.

I hope the medicine works for you. You all are very brave to inject yourselves. Here I am worried about swallowing Methotrexate and you have to learn to inject yourself. I hope all goes well for you and that the meds are painless and work quickly. I think babs said she felt better right away after her last injection. That would be great if that works for you the same. let us know how it goes, I'll check back with you.

Tink

I take enbrel sure click and have found it is easier and less painful in my tummy. I take mine out of refrig for about a half hour then I hold it in my hand to warm it to body temp. It's a breeze. Every time I do it, I say a little chant "This will make me feel better" and boy has it! It's amazing how much more energy I have and how much my pain has diminished. Ok everyone. Thanks for all the tips and advice about enbrel. I gotta also say I just love my RD she made me feel so at ease and like it was going to be a peice of cake which it was. It went easier than I expected. Wasn't to painful at all, just a little stingy as someone  had mentioned but not so awful.  My fingers are crossed that this will work for me and that the second time I can do this on my own. Thanks again everyone for your help. That's wonderful Cammie and glad to know it wasn't so awful! Now heres hoping it works well for you!
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