Do you require any injections?

[mikeyarmo]

Sometimes due to our IBD we are low on certain vitamins or other essential things our bodies need. This can often be corrected by taking supplements, but that is not alwasys the case. I was curious if anyone requires any regular injections, and if so how often and for what?

I currently do not require any, but I may soon need to take a b-12 injection. That depends on what my blood tests show and what my surgeon says when I see him in 5 weeks. While it would not be the worst thing to happen, I would prefer not to have it done. For now I cannot do anything about that though so I will just wait and see.

 

[jyarmo]

I get B-12 injections once every 6 weeks. It's no big deal and I find that the next morning (after the injection), regardless of the amount of sleep I get, I'm full of energy.

 

[ReeRee]

I take B12 injections every 2 weeks and once every 6 months or so, I have to go into the hospital for a day to get an iron injection. I do the B12 shots myself at home. The iron shots you have to do at hospital because you can go into shock from them and they have to watch you for 6 to 8 hours afterwards.

I also take Methotrexate injections once a week. I also do these myself. I didn't think I'd be able to, but once I learned how and got used to it, it's really no big thing. At first I would give myself my injections while I was laying down...you know, in case I passed out. That way I'd already be laying down and wouldn't fall and bump my head..lol. I do that enough on my own. I'm a huge clutz.

 

[Rob17870]

I also have to give myself methotrexate, its no big deal to me but what does suck is giving myself my hurmira injections because the ph of that stuff makes it sting real bad.

 

[Casper]

I think I would be too shakey to give myself an injection. I do not need to take any now, but usually am okay with those things at the doctor. But giving myself the injection? I do not know if I could handle that!

 

[Rob17870]

At first it was hard to give myself the injections. Right as I was about to put in the needle i would shake or just doubt myself but once you get the first one out of the way its simple. Also if you get your needles from the hospital they will usually give you pretty big needles, if thats the case just ask for the smallest they have for your injection.

 

[ReeRee]

I always get insulin needles. They hurt much less! As for actually putting the needle in, what works best for me is kinda throwing it like a dart.

You really do get used to it pretty quickly. I used to watch my grandmother give herself her insulin injections and think I could never do that. But it's amazing what you find you can do when you have to.

 

[PIMA]

for those of you taking methotrexate... i'm on a really low dose but i read that you gradually start losing your hair... have any of you experienced this? and have you experienced any other side effects from this drug? i just started my injections this week... the first day i felt like crap... bad crap... but by day 3 i was bad to normal.. i'm also on prednisone... my doc is lowering my dose of that by 5mg a week so i should be off of it the second week of may... THANK GOD!!! anywho, i'd like any info you can give me about the methotrexate... thanks... Erica

 

[ReeRee]

I've only been on Methotrexate for like a year, so I'm relatively new to it still. It does make me sickly the first day of the injection and the 2nd day I usually have a hang-over-type-icky feeling. The thing I hate worse is it is making me gain so much weight! You wouldn't believe how fat I am right now. But after being way too thin for over 20 years, it's a refreshing change to be a little chunky and have some meat on my bones. It also helps me not to be cold all the time. It makes me have some horrible heat flashes too.

My hair hasn't fallen out as bad with this as it has at other times. Once I was almost completely bald from malnutrition. Broke my heart because I had hair down almost to my knees and it all fell out. But hey, it's hair, it grows back.

 

[mikeyarmo]

But hey, it's hair, it grows back.

You sure have found ways to find a positive in everything in your life Ree! I think that is a great quality and I am sure it makes it much easier to deal with everything.

 

[Rob17870]

My docs said taking folic acid can lessen the side effects of the methotrexate and i find its true. When i take the folic I feel fine after my injections.

 

[shaspons]

Humira

I also have to give myself methotrexate, its no big deal to me but what does suck is giving myself my hurmira injections because the ph of that stuff makes it sting real bad.

You use hurmira how is that working for you? Are you in a study? Why no Remicaide?

 

[Rob17870]

You use hurmira how is that working for you? Are you in a study? Why no Remicaide?

I did the remicade for about 6months, at the start it worked a little but no wonders so i stayed on it for a little bit, after the first 6 infusions it started to lose its kick and at about the halfway point to getting the next infusion i would start to feel like crap. At that point my doc uped the dosage which worked out ok for the first infushion but after that it just started to lose more of its affect on me. My doc said my body built anti-bodys to it since it was remicade which is rat potien and not a human form. As for the humira im only on my second injection and it seems to be working pretty good so far. oh and no im not in a study.

 

[ReeRee]

Rob, the same thing happened to me on Remicade. After my 4th one they just stopped working and instead would make me even sicker. That's when we switched to Methotrexate.

You sure have found ways to find a positive in everything in your life Ree! I think that is a great quality and I am sure it makes it much easier to deal with everything.

It really does make a huge difference. Somebody told me once that if I can find one thing to laugh about in every experience no matter how bad, that it makes it all so much easier to deal with. They were right. If you can find one, just one, positive spin it makes it so much easier to get thru it. Sometimes it's mighty hard to do, but if you keep looking, there's always something.

 

[Dominiquemcdean]

i have to have vit b-12 every 3 months

 

[Tami Lynn]

I give myself B-12 injections monthly.

I don't notice a big difference in my energy levels right away, but I DO notice when I accidentally skip a month! LOL

I don't know if I'll ever really get used to giving myself a shot--I tend to pull back RIGHT before I get the needle about 1/4 inch away from my skin; when that happens, I have to do it like 2 or 3 times until I get it right <argh>

Using the needle like a dart is a good advice--and it works better too! Anyone consider getting a tatoo of a bullseye on their thigh/arm/butt (wherever you get your shot)? ROTFL

I used to get intramuscular iron injections--talk about OUCH! Now those needles really DO look like darts and the iron solution was super THICK so they had to inject it s-l-o-w-l-y! After I moved to Florida and started seeing a new doctor, I found out that intramuscular iron injections have been linked to causing cancer at the injection site!

Anywhoooo...I don't get the iron injections anymore and my hemoglobin was fine on my last CBC.

 

[mikeyarmo]

Bulls-eye!

Anyone consider getting a tatoo of a bullseye on their thigh/arm/butt (wherever you get your shot)?

Now that sounds like a good idea . Who said injections cannot be fun? It would probably become a game you look forward to playing every month .

And I am glad to hear Tami that the hemoglobin is doing well now.

 

[ReeRee]

Anyone consider getting a tatoo of a bullseye on their thigh/arm/butt (wherever you get your shot)?

Cool idea! Thanks. Going right out to get one. Not really, but I am sitting here wondering "why didn't I think of that?"

 

[Kate]

I get b-12 once a year and thats it but if i had to have them more often i would do them myself

 

[samantha]

I have vit b12 jabs every 12 weeks and find no differnce whats so ever!! maybe i need them more often?

 

[mikeyarmo]

I have vit b12 jabs every 12 weeks and find no differnce whats so ever!! maybe i need them more often?

I guess you can talk to your doctor about this, but if your B-12 level is normal on your blood tests, you really are good with your current rate of injections.

 

[ncgirl]

I used to give myself methotrexate injections a long time ago. Now I just give myself B-12 once a month. ReeRee's right, the insulin needles do hurt a lot less.

 

[cagfire]

B12 levels take between 5-9 years to physically deplete from your system. Because it is absorbed via a section of the small intestine you don't need the injections unless you have had that section removed and your levels regularly tested in your normal blood screens. Once your B12 is depleted you cannot absorb it in any form at all except via injections.

It took about 8 years for mine to deplete and if B12 depletion goes undetected it can lead to psychosis, nerve damage and a whole lot of nasty stuff. Combine it with a dose of prednisolone where I went schizoid then you can imagine I had a fun time.

I get an injection for B12 when I start to get fatigued to the point where I cannot cope. I used to get them every month, but lately I've been getting them when I feel the need. If you are B12 deficient you certainly do notice a difference in your energy levels after a few days.

You can't OD on B12 and some doctors put their crohns patients on B12 whether they are deficient or not as a precautionary tactic.

I go to the local clinic to get my injections. The thought of doing it myself makes my skin crawl...eeewwww