Tremors and giving an injection.

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DougUte

DougUte

Joined
Jul 4, 2010
Messages
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I (hopefully) will be starting on Humira shortly. I think we have finally got through the insurance battle, but I am still waiting for the insurance company to finally say yes.

When I can finally order the med, I need to know if I should go with Pen or Syringe. Along with Crohn's I also have Essential Tremor (ET). ET is a neurodegenerative disorder that caused parts of my body to shaky whenever the muscles are active. (As opposed to Parkinson's, which shakes muscles that are in a state of rest.) My hands will shake uncontrollably when I try to work with my hands.

I would like some advice. Will the Pen be easier for me to handle than the syringe? Is the Pen thicker than the syringe? This is going to be a interesting time for me. ET is more common than Crohn's, but I doubt there are a lot of Chronies who also have ET.

What would you guys suggest?
 
I would be tempted to suggest the syringe simply because once you click the trigger on the pen, the medicine will be administered. With the syringe, you should have some level of control.
 
I self-inject methotrexate and it can be very difficult, if not impossible to do myself during a joint flare. I think I would recommend the pen-it seems easier and if you need someone else to do it for you it's easier for them as well-it's already dosed, no visible needle, etc.

You might also see if a nurse could do it for you, as well. Where I go in for Remicade infusions the nurses administer Methotrexate and Enbrel shots, too.
 
Don't really have any experience to help you choose. Other than perhaps recommend the pen if you have someone else around that could do the injection for you if you find you can't do it yourself.
 
Hi,

The pen is much larger diameter, so it may be easier to hold. However, when you press the button you need to be able hold it steady for ~10 seconds. As Beth said, id there anyone else who can help you?

Mark
 
I wonder if there is any way you could perhaps ask for two pens and two syringes for your loading dose to determine which works better for you.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I am going with the Pen because it is wider, and easier to hold. I will be getting the loading doses next Monday! I am excited for a med that might actually work for me!
 
Humira is a great med:) i chose the syringe because that was all i could choose from and i like it alot because i have control over how much medicine goes in at a time, best of luck to you and i hope this is your miracle medicine:)
 
I think the pen would be easier Doug. Some of the clients I work with are insulin dependent diabetics that have other medical issues that affect their dexterity, like strokes or Parkinson's disease and they find using a pen easier.

Dusty. xxx
 
Thanks Dusty!

Parkinson's is Essential Tremor's better known (but actually less common) twin. In fact, Dr. James Parkinson was the first to describe ET in a medical text, the very same text as Parkinson's Disease (he described the differences between the two disorders).

I am sure that if Parkinson's patients find using the pen's are easier, so will I .
 
So Happy for you Doug that you will finally get the meds you deserve !!
How sad is it that the insurance companies force people to celebrate such things !
:ybatty::ybatty:

hugs
 
I am having a problem with injecting my loading doses. I am using the pen. The first shot - I was nervous - I injected in my thigh because I have been told it was not as painful as in the abdomen, but it hurt like hell. I tried shot number 2 - when the click happened I jerked and spewed medicine everywhere. Same with number 3. I am needle phobic to begin with, and now my hands are shaking so bad. I don't know what to do. I have called the Humira Nurse support line and am waiting for a call back.


This is about an hour later and my wife gave me the 2nd injection. Since I have ruined the other 2 pens, do I wait until I can talk to Humira folks and see if they will send out 2 more pens before I take the other 2?
 
Last edited:
Doug, if you have enough to finish the loading dose, I would go ahead and have some help completing that, and sort out what to do about the rest later.

I'm a bit surprised they had you administer those on your own. When I started Humira in the US, I had to go to clinic where the nurse made me watch an instructional video, did the first injection for me, and made me do the remaining three.

Here in the UK, I couldn't start until I scheduled a home visit from the Healthcare at Home people. I explained that I had experience, and she just supervised to make sure that my technique was OK and that I really did know what I was doing.

Try not to panic too much; I'm sure you can get this sorted out easily enough.
 
Ouch Doug! I always inject into my abdomen as it doesn't usually hurt too bad.

I think I'd wait to talk to your Humira supplier before doing another two injections, and then get your wife to do them will be better for your nerves.
 
Carrie - I watched the instructional video (more than once), and because I have administered diabetes shots to our foster son for years they gave me the go ahead to do the shots. There is a major difference between giving somebody else injections and giving them to yourself.

Beth - The next 2 are going in the abdomen. I will talk to my pharmacy today and see if they will send out 2 more pens. I will have my wife give me the shots.
 
Ah, that makes sense. I don't think they warn you in the instructional video about the clicking the pen makes. That was one thing the first nurse pointed out to me when I did the shots in the US because she said there was more than one patient who got alarmed by it and had an accident when they were doing loading doses in clinic.

I hope you can get the remaining portion of your loading dose sorted out soon, and get yourself on the way to recovery!
 
Humira is sending me two new pens - no charge. I should have them in a few days, so I will be taking the other 2 pens tonight, in the abdomen, with my wife giving me the shots.
 
Oh hell Doug! I didn't realise you had a needle phobia as well...:(

Any problem with your wife always giving you the shots? If not I think it might be easier all round if she does.

Dusty. xxx
 
I've tried both. I have a bit of needle phobia so I started with the pen. In my opinion, it hurts worse... because it will stab you quickly and you have no control over the depth of the needle or how quickly it's injected. I used the pen for over a year and then switched to regular needle. It's been a challenge doing it myself because I'm not very good at sticking myself right the 1st time... but it's a lil more comfortable and it helps that I have more control over administering it. If I feel shaky (I have bad anxiety most of the time) I have a nurse do it.

Just another opinion. I hope it helps =)
 
DustyKat said:
Oh hell Doug! I didn't realise you had a needle phobia as well...:(

Any problem with your wife always giving you the shots? If not I think it might be easier all round if she does.

Dusty. xxx
Click to expand...

Dusty, I use to be a severe needle phobe! When I was a teenager I have a doctor jab a need right through my right bicep. It was to put me out for an oral surgery. It hurt like hell and I could not straighten out my arm for almost 2 months. After that experience I could not handle shots. The last couple years I had come a long long way in that regards, even giving shots to people. I just did not see it would be so different in giving shots to myself, and the Humira hurts.

Sandy is going to give me my shots for now on, unless of course for some reason she cannot be there to do so. It will be much better. The shots on Thursday night had a much better outcome.

Thanks for your comments Dusty, I really appreciate you.
 
Holy guacamole Doug! Kudos to you for getting back on the horse after an experience like that!

Good to hear all is going well now...:thumleft:

Much Love, :hug:
Dusty. xxxxxxxx
 
hey Doug...
great news u are getting 2 pens.
My first loading does was in Dr. office. he did first 2, I did last 2

I tried my belly, and thighs. and found out sometimes it hurts in the belly, sometimes not...I dont have much fat, so I pinch a inch of fat ,and press pen tightly against it, and press top button, all while holding it tight against my skin, waiting for the pen to turn yellow in the window..

The past few times, was on my thighs, I press it up right against the skin, keeping pressure on it.. then hit top button, still pressing it firmly. no problems yet or mis fires.

it hurts after a lil sometimes. like someone punched my thigh, a dull pain, but gone within no time. the pain of the injection is welll well worth it, if it helps Crohn's.
 
I would suggest using the auto pen. I would have someone else do the shot for me though. The pen would be easier for another person to do because all they have to do is hit the button and keep the shot held down against wherever they are injecting, I do mine in the legs. I havent tried anywhere else though because doing them in the leg doesnt bother me. Good luck!
 
How are things going now?

Hi Dough,

How are things going now? Are you getting it right yet? Are things getting easier now?
Am thinking of you, must be awful to start thinking about taking medication five hours beforehand because you are anxious. Isn't really helpful to do things right either.
Keep us informed on how you feel with all this. We're thinking about you.
:rosette1:
 
Catherina

My wife gave me the last 2 pens. Next Wednesday I will have 2 more injections and then I go to 1 injection every 2 weeks. I'll let you know how it goes, but I am sure it will be better than the first loading doses were. :smile:
 
Good

Happy for you. It's horrible to be suffering from something and end up dreading the therapy even more. Drop-outs on therapy are sometimes more than drop-outs in highscool (lol). Don't loose courage, you will get used to these pens eventually.
 
I can't afford to drop out. In the time my insurance company wasted in the fight to get Humira approved - 8 months after my surgery, I have had more inflammation in my gut. Colonoscopy yesterday found it.
 
Sorry to hear about that Doug

Let's hope Humira will do the trick for you and keep you in remission forever (and let's hope that your fobia will also subside and that you will get used to sticking the pen in yourself (or have someone elso do it for you). Keep your end up!
 
I had my 2nd round of the loading doses tonight. Sandy gave me the 2 injections. Things went so much better this time. It took about 15 minutes to get the injections done. It would have been shorter but I wanted to make sure the ice had numbed up the injection site enough. This time the anticipation of the shots was much worse than the actual event. Yes, there still was some pain, but not nearly what I had when I injected in the thigh last week. Much better experience.
 
I know the pharmacy where I live (Fred Meyer) will charge $5 to do an injection for you. Maybe worth looking in to just to have another resource?

Glad to hear it went better this time. :)
 
Fab news Dougie!

When you want a job done properly it's always best ask a woman...:rof:

Onward and Upward mate,
Dusty. xxxxxxxx
 
Tremor and crohns

Hi Doug,
I found your posting here when I googled tremor and crohns, probably for the hundredth time! I have essential tremor and probable crohns too and the combination is horrid! Have you found any relief of the tremor, or perhaps even some link between the two? At the moment I have a flare up and terrible shakes, there seems to be no cure for either. Although i have recently started taking valerian root which seems to help my shakes a bit. It's a herbal beta blocker (which is one of the first things your gp will offer you, probably), though many people take it to help them sleep, if I tale two when I wake in the morning things seem to be calmed quite alot. I have also started taking lemon balm which also seems to smooth out the tremor somewhat. For me my tremor is about disabling as crohns. It's so embarrassing too, I think some people look at me reach for a pen or anything physical and see my hand flap around and think I am really weird or a drug addict or alcoholic, I am neither but certainly do appear to be a freak....especially as I am rather slim at the moment too?!
So, was wondering if you have found anything useful? And also was also wondering if you might find some relief in valerian root or lemon balm, they don't cure it but they do make a considerable difference to my life.
Best wishes
Clare
 
Hi Clare, it is nice to know I am not the only ET / Crohn's sufferer. I take Propranalol for the Essential Tremor. I was taking 120 mg a day before my Crohn's surgery last October. My Neurologist thought my dosage was too high and wondered why I was not able to absorb the med, and vitamin B6, and folic acid, and vitamin B12, and..... The discovery of Crohn's answered that question. Anyway, after surgery, that level of Propranalol became to much and I had to reduce it to 80mg/day. My Crohn's has been more debilitating than my tremors, but the ET has been getting worse over time (actually, the Crohns was too, I just did not know about it yet).

Because the meds have worked for me I have not tried any alternative therapies for ET. I don't know what I would do without my beta blocker.

I know that look you get from people. When I shake I get looks also. People think you are drunk or on drugs. I am well familiar with that.

I have not found a link between Crohns and ET. However, I suspect Crohn's may have triggered my ET. I asked my neurologist if that was possible, could the tremors be due to lack of proper nutrition over a long period of time, because my gut was not absorbing vitamins, minerals, nutrients, etc.. like it should. She did not answer my question.

How long have you had Crohn's and ET? Which one came first?

Best wishes
 

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