WOW that burns! | Arthritis Information

Holy smokes...Husband just gave me my second Enbrel shot and man does that burn! What is in it that makes it sting so freakin bad?! jeesh! sometimes it burns... sometimes it doesn't...

within three months.. i felt better... in a year... I felt great.

I've been taking enbrel for two years and I am teetering on the edge of "clinical remission"

I've never changed my weekly 50mg dose unless I had an infection and was taking an antibiotic

Enbrel always burned for me if I did not let it warm up enough before injecting. Also If I tried to inject in the same area more than once a month, it would burn.

It will take a least 6 months before a doc will say if a med is not working. I noticed the Enbrel working 3 months after starting.

I had to go from 50 mg a week to 100 mg a week in the months before switching to simponi after the Enbrel quit working for me, although I did take Enbrel for almost 10 years before that happened.

I used the multi use syringes and as I long as I let it warm up and then make sure all the alcohol had evaporated on my skin it won't burn at all. I tried the Sureclick and that burned like a SOB.This is what I always post to new injectable users.

Even though Hubster does the shot these hints will help.

Even though the Enbrel, and the Humira pooped out on me I am so proud that I became adept at self injecting..

It is such a non issue now. I used to faint at finger tip blood tests..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 rest the syringe across the top of my coffee mug. 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 t shirt, 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. The sting is mostly from wet alcohol on your skin.

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

great lesson, Kathy!!

I completely forgot that is how I use to do it...

I just don't like doing it... and I just shoot it in..... it's over in seconds and I dont wait for it to warm. Perhaps it's coincidence but when I started injecting right from the refrigerator, it started working better? go figure???

Though I use to put it over my tea cup for about 10 minutes while the tea steeped and ice my leg or stomach.

I thought you weren't supposed to "warm" it past room temperature? Learn something new every day.

I found improvement after just a few shots, but I don't think that's normal for most. I also find that it stings less if I inject it when it's still a little cool - that's usually about 20 minutes after I remove it from the refrigerator. I don't find it that painful when injecting in the stomach as long as it's not too close to the belly-button. I injected a couple of times in my leg but it was WAY TOO painful there.

I've been on the 50 mg shots for a couple of years. I've never tried going down to 25 mg.

Well,

The only time that enbrel burned or "stung" was if i injected too fast. I only did that couple of times. I always injected myself and so could do it when and how I wanted. Usually took upwards of a half hour. Seems everyone and their mother volunteered to give my injections and many were disappointed when I said "no". I guess everyone likes playing nurse or doctor. Oh, believe it or no, one time I got a box of "unsharp" needles. That hurts, called enbrel, they said they would exchange and "yes, that does happen". One more thing, I think that i felt good relief with the enbrel in about 4 weeks.

LEV

Thanks everyone! Great tips that I will try with my next shot :) I've always used the SureClick, but I've heard using regular needles are less painful. I'm just not sure if I could jab the needle into my own body. I'm a whimp! when I first stasrted my NP warmed the syringe by leaving it out for my whole appointment and then rolling in her palms. she pointed out it hits 98.2 sbout a micro second after you inject so warming it (and using it right away) sure wouldnt hurt.[QUOTE=kweenb]I've always used the SureClick, but I've heard using regular needles are less painful. I'm just not sure if I could jab the needle into my own body. I'm a whimp! [/QUOTE]

Yes, the regular needles are less painful because you control how fast the medication goes in. The SureClick has one speed (FAST) and that can be very painful. After a few times you get over the sticking a needle into your body creepiness and just do it because you know you will feel better if you do. Kelly, so glad to read that you decided to give it a try! Question for you: are you using the syringe or the Sure Click pen?

Here are some thoughts, as people have written some great info already:

I prefer the Sure Click pen to the 50 mg. premixed syringes. Those syringes burned like bloody hell. I do not find the pen burns at all.

Let the alcohol dry thoroughly.

The directions say to inject within 15 minutes of being out of the fridge. By 20 minutes it starts to spoil. I don't recommend warming it.

The alternative is to use the 25 mg. injections twice per week. Those, you have to mix but once you've done it once or twice it's a snap to do it, easier than scrambing an egg. Those never burned me, but when I switched to the 50 mg. injections they burned and also left me with egg-sized welts at the injection site.

I began to feel a little better in 3 weeks and by 6 weeks I felt cured! Good luck to you!

Kelly, back in my Enbrel using days, I used the 25mg inj. Tara spoke of for this very reason! I found the premixed syringes, (50mg. size) burned horribly and I couldn't wait until I had used them all up so I could switch back to the 25mg. The sure click was some better, but still stingy. I called the Enbrel talk-to-a-nurse hotline and she told me it was the preservative they used. Tara: I use the syringes, 50mg. I think I might try the sure click. My poor husband has to give me my methotrexate and Enbrel shots now...I just cant get myself to push the needle in, I have this idea that I"ll jump making things worse! LOL

Well shoot, I should've read the directions...you think you would for a ,000.00 medication! I set my Enbrel out for about 25 min maybe longer trying to get it room temp like I kept hearing you should do...

2 more shots to go , then I'll try the sure click or the 25mg. Do you recommend thigh or stomache...I'm thinking stomache since it's so cushioned!

Waddie: How is the Cimzia working for you? Are you feeling better?
so if you use a 25 mg sure click, you have to do it twice?

I don't believe the 25 mg. comes in Sure-click pen form. When I did those mix it yourself syringes I would alternate between my thigh and lower abdomen and sometimes the hip where I could turn and squeeze up some fat.

My husband also injected into my tricep fat which was usually pain free! There seem to be much less nerves back there.

As for the Sure-click - you don't even see the needle. You don't pinch up fat with that, you spread the flesh out flat. A nurse walked me through it on the phone the first time, and I read up on it at enbrel.com, within 3 shots I was a pro. Personally I do not think the Sure-click hurts compared to other injects.

Those 50 mg. Enbrel syringes though - GODZILLA talk about burn, and egg-sized welts you could see through my pants, then the site would itch for three days. Hated those.

Kathy im glad that works for you,

its true you aren't supposed to warm it, as you know its a biologic, because it is, it has proteins in it-part of which makes it effective. warming them wll cause them to denature ie not work the way they are supposed to

If the burn bothers you guys dont use the sureclick. the premixed meds have an additive in them, thats what makes them burn. if you use a syringe and mix it your self it will just feel more like a needle prick without all the horrible burning. They actually make reusable pens that you insert your own syringe in. So if you dont want the burn, but still want a way to inject it where you cant see the needle, that could work! The premixed Enbrel has a preservative in it. That could be what is causing the burn. It has also caused an allergic reaction in some people. When i used Enbrel I did the 25mg that you mixed yourself-no burn.
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