Oh, The Loading Doses

2 days ago I started the loading doses on Humira.  For Crohn's it is 4 injections the first time, 2 injections 2 weeks later, and then 1 injection every 2 weeks for maintenance.  I decided to use the Humira Pen. 

I am what I thought was a "former" needle phobe. I have now found out the phobia is alive and well, in regards to giving myself shots. I can give shots to others and have no problems. But not the same when injecting myself. 

Because I had been trained on how to give shots my Dr. decided I could do this on my own. Well, the instructions say you can inject in the thighs and/or the abdomen. 

The first injection was in my left thigh. I was nervous, I was shaking, but I managed to give myself the injection. They said there would be a click, but to me it sounded more like a canon going off. The medicine came, and it hurt like hell! But I managed to be OK with this injection.  After this one went OK my wife and daughter left to go shopping. We thought that after the first time, I would be fine. 

Then I tried injection #2, in the right thigh. I prepped the site, got everything ready, and when I pressed the button on the pen I jerked when the cannon sound went off! Medicine flying everywhere.  I got very upset and decided to wait until my wife got home. Then I did something you are not suppose to do. I tried to put the caps back on pen #3. This caused that pen to inject while it was laying on the table. The instructions say not to put the caps back on the pen after they are taken off. 

I called the Humira Nurse support line and found I had to leave a message because it was after hours. To their credit, they tried to call back within a 1/2 hour as promised but I did not recognize the number on the caller id and we have been received a rash of calls from 800 numbers which we are ignoring. If it has said Humira or Abbot Labs  I would have answered.  The next day they called again an were more than helpful in arranging for 2 replacement pens - no additional charge, and in convincing my wife that she should administer my shots. She is a lot better at it than I am. 

We used the two pens from the starter pack for shots 3 and 4 of the initial dose on Thursday night. The second dose is in 2 weeks, so we will have the shots from Abbot Labs by then. On Thursday night my wife injected me in the abdomen, which was a lot less painful. 

As far as side effects,   I have had no site injection reactions, and  no other reactions as of yet. Despite the problems I had Wednesday night, it is nice to be on the med. Humira may actually work.