I dislike injecting my methotrexate (mtx). Someone on here suggested taking it in the morning as it can keep you awake at night. I can't seem to do it. I spend all day Saturday avoiding it. So here I am again putting it off as long as possible before bedtime. I think I will bribe myself with a slice of pie....
Is there anything you do to make taking medicine more palatable? Any tricks we can all benefit from?
Maybe I should treat myself to new shoes! That might make it worth it!
Studies have shown that having something sweet can help reduce pain from injections / blood draws / minor medical procedures.
When I injected Humira, it was very difficult for me. So I got some of my favorite hard candies and would pop one in my mouth right before my injection. It really did help.
Great idea Marietta! I use to give my patients juice before drawing bloods, etc. I thought the sugar made it less likely they would faint but maybe I was making it less painful too :-)
Now just wait a minute while I shove a pound cake in my mouth and take my mtx........
I take mine after dinner. My husband fills the needle and I give myself the injection. My nephews son was recently diagnosed with diabetes, he is four :-( I figured if he had to have injections daily then great auntie Tara will put on her big girl pants and do my weekly injection. I have to admit I get a little anxious at injection time, however when it's done I know I'm good for another week :-) I did my first injection with the local nurse at our clinic and she said if I can't do it then I could go in weekly. She said the majority of people come in for injections. My co-worker is on MTX and he went in weekly.
I am a nurse so I shouldn't be such a wuss. I like sticking other people better than myself. But I did it a minute ago. I am good for another week and enjoying an oreo!
I always inject my MTX on a Saturday evening when I get home from work, that way I don’t keep thinking about it all day as I’m so busy. Also I have one patient who always gives me a humbug (mint sweetie) every time I see him so I save them to have after my injection,as I find they helps with my psychological nausea ( as soon as the needle goes in I feel queasy) lol
If you inject weekly, that’s A LOT OF SHOES!!
See if you can get a smaller gauge needle. My pharmacist changed my needle gauge and it has made a huge difference. Just one size down, and I can’t feel it at all. I’ll have to look at it and let you know what size they are.
I don't know if any of the nurses here can explain it, but sometimes I find needles painful, and sometimes not, and it doesn't seem to depend on the gauge. I'm currently taking Cimzia and the needle is pretty big, but for some reason it's not painful at all (going in, not the med). I had smaller needles with Enbrel, and I always felt those (neither was autoinjector).
Is there something else with needles besides gauge, like how sharp they are or the angle of the tip or something?
GrumpyCat said:
See if you can get a smaller gauge needle. My pharmacist changed my needle gauge and it has made a huge difference. Just one size down, and I can't feel it at all. I'll have to look at it and let you know what size they are.
I’m not sure. The Humira auto injector that I used hurt like the dickens. When I switched to pre-filled, the needle was the same gauge, but hurt much less. But, that’s not what you mean, I know.
I find that I have spots that are more tender than others. I can inject one week with no ouch, then have the needle hurt the next week. If I accidentally inject near a stretch mark, forget it! I go through th roof! I now have sharpie circles on my belly, so I know where I won’t feel it.
I do get what you mean about the sharpness of the needle. When I have IV inserted, I’d rather have a large bore needle than a small one. The small ones hurt more for me and I think it’s because they are so danged sharp! Or I’m weird.
Usually, I tend to be more bothered by meds that burn than by the needle size.
I also avoid it as long as I can (mtx). Just thinking about it, i get nausea. I take a pain pill and let it take effect before I inject. Have nausea one to two days after. Have nausea riding in car, can’t stand the sun anymore. Fun, fun. But still, I’d rather deal with the nausea than the pain and damage getting worse. Thanks for listening.
I just take 5 seconds to remember what it was like without meds at all, thank my lucky stars, and plunge in! But now I’m really starting to wonder if I’m robbing myself a bit and shouldn’t have some chocolate mousse lined up (proper French style!)
What size do you use. I would like to change needle sizes but do not know what to ask for.
GrumpyCat said:
If you inject weekly, that's A LOT OF SHOES!!
See if you can get a smaller gauge needle. My pharmacist changed my needle gauge and it has made a huge difference. Just one size down, and I can't feel it at all. I'll have to look at it and let you know what size they are.
I really don’t like the Enbrel burn, but this is my trick too. I think about the enormous relief this this 10 second sting gives me, and somehow it’s not so bad any more. But the prospect of chocolate might further enhance the mind game. LOL
Jen said:
I just take 5 seconds to remember what it was like without meds at all, thank my lucky stars, and plunge in! But now I’m really starting to wonder if I’m robbing myself a bit and shouldn’t have some chocolate mousse lined up (proper French style!)
I checked my needles. I have both 25 gauge needles and 27 gauge. The 27 are noticeably smaller than the 25. I noticed recently that if I draw the mtx into the syringe and then change to a new needle it hurts less. I think going through the rubber topper of the vail creates a little burr which then hurts when I poke it through the skin. If you are going to try this you have to be very careful not to touch the needle or the end of the syringe so as not to contaminate with germs.
Grumpy I have noticed when they use tiny IVs for my Remicade they are going for the tiny veins in my hand or wrist and it hurts more. When they use a bigger IV they are aiming for the larger veins from wrist to elbow. I think it is the smaller veins hurt more as they are delicate. But that is just m idea.
I just injected methotrexate for the first time and used a 30 gauge needle. The higher the number, the finer the needle.