This sounds dumb, I know, but I couldn't find the phone number for the Enbrel nurse, so I'm gonna bring it up here.
Several hours after I gave my Enbrel shot with the sureclick injector into my stomach (yesterday morning) I started getting really weird cramps right beneath the injection site in the evening. It was so uncomfortable and was lasting for a couple hours before I finally put a heating pad on it and fell asleep. I was fine today until about an hour ago and now I'm having cramps again. This sounds crazy, but I'm worried the shot went into my intestinal wall! Can that happen? My stomach has some fat, but maybe it's not enough.
I haven't had cramps like this for a long time, although I used to have trouble with IBS, but it's not like that. The only other thing I think could be happening is I ate some pepperjack cheese shortly before the cramps started today, and I ate some yesterday, too. But, I never got cramps from cheese before.
I googled the problem, but didn't find any answers there.
Thanks sybil. I had texted my nurse daughter, but she hasn't responded yet.... Pretty sure her response will be, "mom, haha there's no way the shot would go into your intestines!" And then she'd add about 6 of those little emoticons laughing so hard they have tears running down both sides of their faces! Both my nurse daughters think I worry way too much. But, ya never know until you ask a dumb question!!!
The cramps went away now.... It must have been the cheese! :-)
sybil said:
Grandma J I know so little about this, but just one thing occurs to me that might be of some comfort. A nurse came round to show me how to do the Humira injection last week, I also chose to inject my stomach. She explained things in great detail and I was intent on knowing what would happen if the needle hit any organs. She said the subcutaneous layer is much thicker than you might think and there was no risk of that happening, she was very definite about that. Obviously contact your primary care doc (or whoever's available) if you're worried though. But just my two penny's worth while you wait for someone more knowledgeable to come along.
I have had this occur a few times on each of the biologics that I have taken. Make sure you let your biologic is approximately room temperature before you take the shot. I’m sure if you are pinching or not, but if you do it wrong it makes it worse. Make sure to be completely hydrate before your injection. If it continues to be a problem, change injection sites.
I don’t like the pens; I like to get the air out myself. It makes for a cleaner injection.
No Grandma you can't hit the intestines with the needle. I am an old nurse but do ask your doctor, or the Enbrel nurse, as I don not give out medical advise here. I t has to be the pepperjack cheese. I have noticed sometimes if I inject a cold solution I can get a muscle cramp where I inject it but not an intestinal cramp. Though I can get intestinal cramps out of the clear blue sky :-)
I think we are right, Michael, it was the cheese. My daughter finally texted me back and didn't even laugh at me, but said the same thing you did. She thinks I should give it in my thigh, but I didn't like the bruising and bleeding there.
I used to get intestinal cramps often for no reason, but not as much lately.
Mataribot, what do you mean about getting the air out yourself and a cleaner injection?