INFO - Humira: What can I do to decrease or eliminate the discomfort associated with the injection?

October 18, 2006

What can I do to decrease or eliminate the discomfort associated with the

injection?

People may feel varying degrees of discomfort when taking their injections.

Although these suggestions may not work for everyone, here are some tips

that may be helpful:

Take your syringe out of the refrigerator and allow it

to sit at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before giving your

injection.

Apply a small ice pack to the insertion site for 2 to 3 minutes before

cleansing your skin with alcohol. This may decrease the sensation of the

needle insertion.

Allow the alcohol on your skin to dry thoroughly before giving the

injection.

When grasping your skin, be sure to grasp approximately a 2-inch fold

of skin between your thumb and index finger.

Be sure to insert the needle at a 45-degree angle. Inserting the needle

at less than a 45-degree angle may cause a bump at the injection site.

Quickly insert the needle all the way into the skin with one single

motion.

Inject the medicine slowly.

Remove the needle at the same angle you inserted it and hold gentle

pressure over the injection site for 10 or 15 seconds.

Be sure and rotate your injection sites from one area to another on

your thighs and abdomen. Rotating the injection sites keeps the skin

healthy. Do not inject in areas where the skin is tender, red, bruised or

hard or where you have scars or stretch marks.

If the skin around the area where you injected HUMIRA hurts or is

swollen, place a cold, damp towel or small ice pack on the injection site

for 10 or 15 minutes every 1 to 2 hours. If you use an ice pack, be sure and

place a light towel between the ice pack and your skin.

oot_205042_NavID_301.htm

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

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