Humira injections aren't as bad as people make them sound.  The whole
thing takes only a few seconds and you might get a stinging for 2
seconds or so but not always.  Just think of the pain you are
experiencing now and it is much, much less than that.  It will be
worth it of it works.
Thumper

Welcome to ASA.  Pull up a chair and join the crowd.  Sorry you have to be
here, but glad you found us.

Do have to issue one warning:   HIDE YOUR CHOCOLATES!   Some residents of
ASA are notorious chocolate thieves.  They'll attempt to sweet-talk you into
trusting them to "safeguard" your stash, then eat it themself.  <g>

I wish you knew more about the type of arthritis you were diagnosed with,
out the more than 100 recognized by the Arthritis Foundation.

The nosy side of me makes me ask, "Are you on the Atlantic or Pacific side?
Perhaps along the Great Lakes or the Gulf?"

You're not alone in your age group.  11-12 years ago at an Arthritis
Foundation "Total Joint Replacement" seminar,  I met a 29-year-old lady with
THREE joint replacements - shoulders and hips.

I've been taking Embrel of 18 months (started December 2005).  My wife does
the injections.  Yesterday she was backing away before I realized she had
started and completed the chore.  I felt nothing, absolutely nothing.

Could your husband learn to do the injections for you?

Also, one hint from a nurse:  lightly slap the area BEFORE an injection.
You'll be thinking about the "slap" and not feel anything from the
injection.

... A good catchword can obscure analysis for fifty years.

How the shots feel to you really can't be known until you try. Some Gimps
ice first. I also use the slap method and my son loves slapping Mom and then
my hubby shoots me.

   I never thought I could look forward to my shots but I feel so lousy the
day before my shots that I don't want to do without them.

   It's a highly individual thing. I couldn't do the Humira but I can do
the Enbrel. I have nerve damage and the Humira set that off. There's more
than one kind of anti-TNF for us Gimps to resort to.

  Don't be too afraid of the shots -- be afraid of the disease damage and
pain caused by the disease when you don't have them. For real.

Hugs from Rosie

Hi Kristen,,   IMO,,,, what really hurts is when you can not pick a child up
because some of your joints hurt so bad that you just can not do it.   We
have had some pretty good success stories with Humira.   Please do not worry
too much about the pain of a shot.   The real pain is when you can not even
get out of bed in the morning or you have to have help to take a bath.  Give
it a try and get started with controlling your inflam.arth.  If it does not
work well, try another DMARD.
Harv

Kristen,
You have had good advice here on the med but I am going to throw in one more
piece of information.  If you are thinking of getting pregnant right away
you might like to hold off on the humira with your doctor's approval.  Some
women go into remission for their pregnancy and don't need dmards again
until the baby is born.  If you haven't told your doctor when you want to
get pregnant this might be an option.  You would still need something right
after but sometimes during pregnancy you will need nothing but the aleve.
Worth checking.

The symptoms on the right side only are indicative of something other than
rheumatoid however the length of symptoms and the sed rate shows something
inflammatory - how good of your doctor to suggest treatment right away!  You
must have a good rd or rheumatologist.  Ask his opinion but don't be afraid
of the shots.  It is a tiny needle and most of us give our own shots.
Amazing how routine it gets.  Although humira has not been one of my meds
enbrel was and the twice a week shot was not an issue at all (before RA i
had trouble looking at needles so it is not that it was easy at first.)

Good luck - keep coming around for hints.  We have some moms with little
ones here who have hints (when they have time to drop around) and who are
doing well on the new biological meds (of which humira is one).

welcome.

kelly

Hello, Kristen - welcome to the group!  Everyone has given you some
pretty good advice.  I am 31, and I take Humira and naproxen for my
Psoriatic Arthritis (PA).  The Humira injections themselves don't hurt
a bit, but sometimes the medicine burns a little going in.  Letting
the medicine warm up to room temp & icing the area before the
injection really helps.  I am a big wuss when it comes to giving
myself the injection, so my hubby does it for me.  I tried the
methotrexate, but it didn't have any effect on my PA, which is just as
well, since we want to have a baby someday.  I couldn't try the other
standard non-biologicals, since I am allergic to sulfa drugs, so I got
to go right on to the Humira.  It has been wonderful for me.  The
progression of the arthritis has stopped.  I still have a little
morning stiffness, but the naproxen knocks that right out, and I know
that the Humira is preventing any permanent damage from being done.

Be sure to talk to your doc about the potential side effects & let him/
her know that you want to have a child, so he/she can monitor you and
make sure you are totally informed about all the different options you
have.  Don't let the arthritis win - fight it now, before too much
damage has been done.

Shannon (Plantmistress)

UPDATED to say that I had my 1st Humira shot yesterday, I didnt use
the pen, but rather the regular injection needle. My Sister-in-law is
an RN so she came over and did it for me. I let it warm up first for
about 25 minutes. I iced the area a little and she injected it into
the top of my thigh. She things the tummy will be less painful. It
stung a little, but nothing major. And it didnt hurt afterwards
really. I did get a tiny bruise. Today I feel fine. I know it may take
awhile to work. I think it may be already working, but its hard to
tell because I occassionaly get 2-3 good days and then am followed
with a couple of days of more swelling/stiffness. So if this lasts for
5-7 days I guess I will figure that its working for me.