i was on enbrel for a bit and didn't think the syringes hurt at all, maybe a teensy bit. i injected in my nice, fluffy tummy. did you watch the video on the enbrel website? i found it quite helpful to see the angle and whatnot.

but that sounds about right. i left my injections out for 30-60 minutes; enbrel can be left out at room temp for up to 14 hours but cannot be re-refrigerated once it comes to room temp. be sure to clean your skin with alcohol. i held the syringe like a pencil and plunged very slowly.

i would inject in different spots. i was advised to switch spots and never inject too close to another recent injection spot - and never within 2" of the belly button. i was also told that if i wanted to have someone else do it, they could follow the same instructions and inject it on the back of my upper arm.

also, i didn't have any noticeable side effects aside from a bit of itchy redness around the injection site a day or two after. i used a topical benadryl thingy for it; my rheumy said it was normal. good luck!

I'll check out the video. Thx for the info! The enbrel reps told me numerous times it can be left out at room temp two wks. I suppose it's a new thing and they wanted to promote the fact. I didn't realize there was s video, Thx for that!

I'v done that and it sounds right to me. Hope it releives you. Lots of luck to you

I like the sure click once a week. I do it in my upper thigh. I found the higher up the thigh the less is stings. It stings because the sure click pen pushes it in fast. Room temperature makes it better. I like it because I don't see the needle at all. I just click and :15 sec later it's all done and I'm done for the week.

If you can, contact the pharmacy and ask if they could send out larger syringes with the same size needle. Nobody wants to do an injection twice just because the syringe was small.

Leah is correct, there is no reason on god's green earth or the goddess' green earth or buddha's green earth or whatever for you to be shooting up twice. did you tell the rheumie that this is the manner in which the pharmacy chose to fill this? please give a call. If the doc wrote the prescription one way then you are entitled to receive it that way.

I did enbrel at work in my office in between tasks. I just had a great fridge there and that's where my deliveries came to. you will end up with a couple hundred spare ice packs...i just kept 10 kicking around in a freezer at work and iced with those, maybe. a lot of times didn't.

i used my thighs. I'm at work, that was easiest for me. i felt nothing. OK not much, really. they don't hurt and they are very easy. yes you can do it without a patient education. the kit comes with duplicate pictures, directions, on and on. go to the website for enbrel, it will repeat all the same information.

if you really want to make yourself miserable (kidding really) then you tube people doing their injections. just pick a nice staid cheerful sensible person and not someone doing histrionics. As you have seen at home you have kids suffering pain - in comparison that would help me and I bet it does you.

you can also call an enbrel nurse and she/he will stay on the phone if you want.

back in the day I had a member on here offer to call me on the phone and walk me through it also for the very first stick! :)

so I am going to pay it forward. if you want to call me you can. just message me off list and I'll give you my cell.

Lion you do 5 million tasks at home with what you grow and parent and supervise and teach. THIS will be the easiest task of the day. :).

I live alone and you do not so you will have a sentry to "watch" you if you want also if your SO happens to be not traveling for work or working if not let the kids have a sleep over and stay up all night because you can't sleep from them (kidding again)

we are all behind you :)

Ros

Thx so much! Will bring up the wtf why two shots issue at my appt early may. I don't care enough to ask now. I need a crash course anyway, so twice a week will help. I have type 1 diabetics in my family that have been shooting insulin since toddlerhood. If they can, I can and won't complain. But yes, next appt I'll definitely bring it up. I couldn't upload the enbrel website video. No internet, only cell net, and it wouldn't play. I watched YouTube though. I'm good and Thx to all!

you all are so brave!!!!! I have been on Humira for a year now and have yet to give it to myself!
Just call me chicken!!!
My niece only lives 2 miles away and comes over and gives me my shot 1 time every 2 weeks. Works for me, hubby calls me a baby, He has type 1 diabetes, if he can do it so can I.... not call me baby, call me chicken, I just can't bring myself to do it!

Cindy

i live alone. If I did not shoot myself with it, no one would. I can't imagine asking my boss to do it...no, that wouldn't work. you think? :)i think our brains get wrapped around things sometimes when our back is up against the wall. but i say all good and blessings if you have friends and family who can do it.

Cindy just thinking (feel free to ignore :) - BUT just for the sake of severe emergency, where no folks are around - say they all get pressed into service elsewhere - you might want to ask the doc office if you could try shooting up an orange with water or whatever just to get the specs down. can't hurt (the orange anyway) :) - or you might want to watch someone self injecting on you tube. i can put one up where I am doing my taxes and injecting. (I suffer from multi tasking) that was a joke :)

hugs to all

I've taken enbrel sure click and humira. The humira scared the bejeesus out of me. It was like a pressure hose and made a really loud click before it jammed the needle down and one time I jerked back and shot the stuff way across the room. At first I sort of laughed at myself, and then I remembered the cost of the medication....I called the company and they sent me another dose or two, so I could recover from heart failure. (It's good to remember that option in case you ever have a similar problem...)

So in contrast, I love the enbrel sureclick (I have not tried the syringes). It is much less intimidating, but I still have my hubby do it because I'm a big chicken. I have (reluctantly) done it myself when he wasn't available. I have also called the nurses that they have on staff when I needed some moral support and it helps enormously to have someone walk you through the procedure. I seem to have a strong inhibition against stabbing myself, so it's helpful to have someone say "hit the button now!" If the syringes don't work out, I highly recommend the sureclick. Yes, it does sting, but like ILoveHuskies said, it is better if you let it warm up and if you do it in a part that's a little more padded. I do it on the upper thigh. I've never even been tempted to do it in my stomach, although it's one of the available places. Good luck, and I hope it works well for you!

You can fit both doses into one of the syringes :)

I hated the thought of injecting even though my husband has been on Insulin for several years. It turned out to be quite easy. First biologic was Enbrel with the sure click pen. When I changed to Orencia with a syringe, it didn't hurt at all. My Rheumy said one has more control over a syringe than the sure click pen.
I injected in the top of my thigh with both. Just make sure you alternate legs each week. I'm sure you'll be fine after the first couple of shots.
Good luck.

I also used sure click and self injection. Sure click was no worries and the syringe in upper thigh for me was easiest as well. I always worried about air bubbles in the syringe so I was happier with the sure click. I am so happy to know they can be left out at room temperature for a long time, because I was one of those that called the nurses after forgetting I had left it out too long, maybe three or four hours. they were never sure back then as I recall so I ended up throwing several out to be sure. Glad at least they have got that one down! Good luck! Always remember it's good stuff getting into your system that will help you feel even better! The sting is much less just appreciating that fact! :)

Air bubbles lol. I was tapping the syringe last night, and my husband said dont do that! You need every drop of medicine, don't tap and push! You're not putting it into your vein, just your fat. You dont have to worry about air in your blood. Lol, I wasn't thinking about it like that, and for once he made some sense haha!
I can't alternate legs weekly with having to do one injection per thigh once a week. I do feel a tad bruised. Hope I get better at it.

i used to use a left and right note on the fridge.

:)

they'll switch you to one syringe soon they just screwed up.

it's worth it to get going.