RE: Injection Site Reaction

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I had the same thing happen to me when I injected Enbrel. Mine happened on the

5th injection. I called my Dr and he said the reaction would deminish with each

injection. They really iched and I used benedryl and Iced the site reaction.

It would be almost gone by the time I was ready for another shot. I didn't have

any site reaction after about a month.

Margaret

[ ] Injection Site Reaction

I'd like to thank all those who responded to my query. I have tried

taking benedryl before the injection -- from what I could tell, it

didn't help. I'm hoping that future reactions aren't as severe. If

there get much worse, I'm afraid I'll have to stop. I did contact

my doctor's office and was told that it wasn't unusual and to

continue the injections -- to apply ice and take benedryl. The

injections do seem to have some benefit -- my symptoms haven't been

nearly as severe for the PA, howver, my psoriasis doesn't seem to be

getting any better. After the injection, the PA symptoms seem to

lessen and then by the end of the week, they symptoms get a bit more

severe. I've only had 4 injections thus far, so I'm hoping that I

keep improving. I also started seeing a homeopath/accupuncturist

recently and I'm hoping that he'll be able to get me back to

more " natural " therapies. Taking these drugs (MTX and Enbrel)

scares me a bit but I also realize I couldn't function with the pain

and stiffness I was experiencing daily. I never had really good

days, just some days better than others and then some really bad

days. Right now I'm having some better days.

[Guest guest]

Sandi,

Sis you contact Dr Vogler? I would contact him again if you did or as she can get ahold of him during the day. If he can't be reached. If you can take a picture of it. Benadryl is good but as you mentioned it will knock the child out. We keep Benadryl here on hand. Please let me know how Hunter is doing.

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[Guest guest]

benedryl cream on the area after the injection???IssadoraOn 8/19/07, deerhuntert6@... <

deerhuntert6@...> wrote:

Hi you all - need advice quick - Hunter has taken Enbrel for 4 weeks now - last week had reaction at the injection site - doctors said give her Benedryl - Did this today - does anyone have any other suggestions. The benedryl just knocks her out. Sandi Ken Hunter (Systemic 9_

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[Guest guest]

Curious as to what dosage of Benadryl she is taking. It knocks me for a loop too so I take the children's dosage of 12.5; perhaps you can do a smaller dose to see if that works without putting her out. Or taking the Benadryl and the injection at bedtime so she will be heading to bed anyways. Other than that, I don't really know. Hope that works. Is the Enbrel helping with athritis? e, mom to joe 20 poly +deerhuntert6@... wrote: Hi you all - need advice quick - Hunter has taken Enbrel for 4 weeks now - last week had reaction at the injection site - doctors said give her Benedryl - Did this today - does anyone have any other suggestions. The benedryl just knocks her out. Sandi Ken Hunter (Systemic 9_ Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

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[Guest guest]

Sandi.

I think it can be typical to get injection site reactions 1-2 months into enbrel. did for about a month ( at about the 2 month mark) and it stopped as quickly as it started. I didn't do anything for it, it usually went away after awhile. I remember posting to the list and heard that this had also happened to quite a few others on enbrel.

Hope this helps

Hugs Helen and (10, systemic)

From: deerhuntert6@...Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:19:50 -0400Subject: Injection site reaction

Hi you all - need advice quick - Hunter has taken Enbrel for 4 weeks now - last week had reaction at the injection site - doctors said give her Benedryl - Did this today - does anyone have any other suggestions. The benedryl just knocks her out. Sandi Ken Hunter (Systemic 9_

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[Guest guest]

SandiI used to get quarter-sized raised, itchy spots when I was on Enbrel. I would put hydrocortisone cream on them, or even use ice to get rid of the itchiness, They typically went away in 24 hours or so. You can also call 1800 4Enbrel to report reactions and they will give you some tips. Of course, always watch for more serious symptoms such as facial swelling, throat itchiness or swelling, or difficulty breathing, which would indicate a more serious reaction.

and Rob 18 Spondy

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Expect the reactions to last a couple months then dissapear.It's not an allergic reaction but it is itchy and kind of hot.We never gave anything because by the next morning it didn't bother him anymore.

Hugs

Becki and 9 systemic

[Guest guest]

The prefills have a perservative in it. If the enbrel seems to be helping the

RA you might try the ones you mix yourself as they do not have a perservative in

them and that could be what is causing the reaction. linda

________________________________

From: Patti Yuswak <WhtBC10@...>

Sent: Thu, March 10, 2011 3:24:36 PM

Subject: [ ] Injection Site Reaction

Hi Everyone,

I am injecting Enbrel 1x a week using a pre-filled syringe. I alternate

between my thighs. I gave myself injections for 3 weeks then got sick and

had to go off for about a month. I started up again and gave myself 2

injections with no problem (except the usual nerves) and on the third one I

had an injection site reaction. Site swelled up, turned red, and really

itched! I called my rheumy who asked me a few questions, decided it was a

site reaction and told me to put cold compresses on it and a cream like

benadryl or cortaid. I did that and it did get bigger for a few days then

it went down and finally went away within a week. I then gave myself another

injection this past Tuesday on the other leg and again had a reaction. This

time it seems a bit bigger but I've been putting the cream on it and

hopefully it'll go away soon.

I will say that I'm not very good at giving shots as my hands do tend to

move when they want to and not only when I direct them to. When I pull the

needle out I don't seem to be able to do it very straight and the last

couple of times have bled. I put a cotton pad on it for the 10 seconds it

says to and press lightly, this past Tuesday I got a bruise as the blood

must have collected under the skin.

My question is, will I always have these reactions now? Has anyone else had

this problem? Will I have to stop taking Enbrel? I do have an appt with my

rheumy on Monday which is before my next injection, and I will talk to him

about it but before then I thought I'd get some information from people who

have actually experienced it.

Thank you all so much for this wonderful group - I read every email avidly

and really wish I could be of some help. Knowing everyone here is going

through the same thing is such an incredible feeling, nobody else really

'gets it'.

Thank you,

PJ

[Guest guest]

Hi PJ, between your thighs? Yowza, that gives me the heebie jeebies! And

doesn't the seem of your pants rub against the hive? Ouch!! I do top of the

thigh, stomach or flap of my upper arm. And truthfully, I'm a big wuss and have

someone else inject me. I did get pretty significant hives after injecting

Enbrel after I'd been on therapy about 6 weeks. However the hives decreased

with time and now I hardly notice them. When they were scorching, here's what I

did - the night before injection day, I took a benadryl. The morning of

injection day I took a Tagamet, took a benadryl that night and basically rinsed

and repeated as necessary. I used the topical creams too, but they didn't seem

to do much, the meds helped more. I hope you get great results from Enbrel,

Kate F

________________________________

From: Boyd <lindagb52@...>

Sent: Thu, March 10, 2011 8:53:08 PM

Subject: Re: [ ] Injection Site Reaction

The prefills have a perservative in it. If the enbrel seems to be helping the

RA you might try the ones you mix yourself as they do not have a perservative in

them and that could be what is causing the reaction. linda

________________________________

From: Patti Yuswak <WhtBC10@...>

Sent: Thu, March 10, 2011 3:24:36 PM

Subject: [ ] Injection Site Reaction

Hi Everyone,

I am injecting Enbrel 1x a week using a pre-filled syringe. I alternate

between my thighs. I gave myself injections for 3 weeks then got sick and

had to go off for about a month. I started up again and gave myself 2

injections with no problem (except the usual nerves) and on the third one I

had an injection site reaction. Site swelled up, turned red, and really

itched! I called my rheumy who asked me a few questions, decided it was a

site reaction and told me to put cold compresses on it and a cream like

benadryl or cortaid. I did that and it did get bigger for a few days then

it went down and finally went away within a week. I then gave myself another

injection this past Tuesday on the other leg and again had a reaction. This

time it seems a bit bigger but I've been putting the cream on it and

hopefully it'll go away soon.

I will say that I'm not very good at giving shots as my hands do tend to

move when they want to and not only when I direct them to. When I pull the

needle out I don't seem to be able to do it very straight and the last

couple of times have bled. I put a cotton pad on it for the 10 seconds it

says to and press lightly, this past Tuesday I got a bruise as the blood

must have collected under the skin.

My question is, will I always have these reactions now? Has anyone else had

this problem? Will I have to stop taking Enbrel? I do have an appt with my

rheumy on Monday which is before my next injection, and I will talk to him

about it but before then I thought I'd get some information from people who

have actually experienced it.

Thank you all so much for this wonderful group - I read every email avidly

and really wish I could be of some help. Knowing everyone here is going

through the same thing is such an incredible feeling, nobody else really

'gets it'.

Thank you,

PJ

[Guest guest]

I had the very same issue with my Enbrel shots. My Rheumy told me to use

the strongest streroid cream OTC that I could find instead of the Benadryl.

All the Benadryl cream did for me was to make it itch and burn worse. I use

Cortizone 10 Plus and it has helped alot. I also ice the area before I

inject to help with the site histamine reaction. Also make sure to wash the

area after the shot so that none of the medicine is on the skin then apply

the cream. I also ice the area after all that till the med absorbs well and

that has helped alot with the swelling part of it.

I hope this helps you as it has me. That itching and swelling about drove me

nuts as well. They told me that in time the reaction would probably go away

as my body got used to it.

Jeanette in Houston

-- [ ] Injection Site Reaction

Hi Everyone,

I am injecting Enbrel 1x a week using a pre-filled syringe. I alternate

between my thighs. I gave myself injections for 3 weeks then got sick and

had to go off for about a month. I started up again and gave myself 2

injections with no problem (except the usual nerves) and on the third one I

had an injection site reaction. Site swelled up, turned red, and really

itched! I called my rheumy who asked me a few questions, decided it was a

site reaction and told me to put cold compresses on it and a cream like

benadryl or cortaid. I did that and it did get bigger for a few days then

it went down and finally went away within a week. I then gave myself another

injection this past Tuesday on the other leg and again had a reaction. This

time it seems a bit bigger but I've been putting the cream on it and

hopefully it'll go away soon.

I will say that I'm not very good at giving shots as my hands do tend to

move when they want to and not only when I direct them to. When I pull the

needle out I don't seem to be able to do it very straight and the last

couple of times have bled. I put a cotton pad on it for the 10 seconds it

says to and press lightly, this past Tuesday I got a bruise as the blood

must have collected under the skin.

My question is, will I always have these reactions now? Has anyone else had

this problem? Will I have to stop taking Enbrel? I do have an appt with my

rheumy on Monday which is before my next injection, and I will talk to him

about it but before then I thought I'd get some information from people who

have actually experienced it.

Thank you all so much for this wonderful group - I read every email avidly

and really wish I could be of some help. Knowing everyone here is going

through the same thing is such an incredible feeling, nobody else really

'gets it'.

Thank you,

PJ

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure if Enbrel is helping or not. I think it may be helping my hands a

bit. I didn't even think about the preservative, thanks!

PJ

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf

Of Boyd

Subject: Re: [ ] Injection Site Reaction

The prefills have a perservative in it. If the enbrel seems to be helping the

RA you might try the ones you mix yourself as they do not have a perservative in

them and that could be what is causing the reaction. linda

[Guest guest]

Hi Kate,

Sorry, I didn't word that very well. I meant I alternate between my right

thigh and my left thigh, I inject in the top of the thighs. You're not a

wuss if you can get an injection in your stomach! :-) I'm not sure I could

do that. The benadryl cream only seems to help for a little bit but then,

as you said, my pants start rubbing on the hive and it aggravates it. I do

put an ice pack on it (with a towel under the ice pack) and that seems to

help. I gave the shot on Tuesday night and now it's not really swollen but

still red. It's an area bigger than my hand.

Thanks for letting me know the reaction did decrease, I'm really glad to

hear that!

PJ

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Fair

Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 9:12 PM

Subject: Re: [ ] Injection Site Reaction

Hi PJ, between your thighs? Yowza, that gives me the heebie jeebies! And

doesn't the seem of your pants rub against the hive? Ouch!! I do top of the

thigh, stomach or flap of my upper arm. And truthfully, I'm a big wuss and

have

someone else inject me. I did get pretty significant hives after injecting

Enbrel after I'd been on therapy about 6 weeks. However the hives decreased

with time and now I hardly notice them. When they were scorching, here's

what I

did - the night before injection day, I took a benadryl. The morning of

injection day I took a Tagamet, took a benadryl that night and basically

rinsed

and repeated as necessary. I used the topical creams too, but they didn't

seem

to do much, the meds helped more. I hope you get great results from Enbrel,

Kate F

[Guest guest]

Thanks Jeanette! I was wondering if using a stronger cream would be better,

it's on my list of things to ask my rheumy. I didn't think about icing the

area before the shot and washing after, and I know a little of the enbrel

spills out of the injection site, probably mostly because of how I pull out

the needle.

YES! It drives me crazy, I just want to scratch it soooo badly but I

realize that'll only make it worse. I think it's making me a bit crabby, my

dogs are staying out of my way. :-) Thank you very much for letting me

know how you handled it.

PJ

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Jeanette

Subject: Re: [ ] Injection Site Reaction

I had the very same issue with my Enbrel shots. My Rheumy told me to use

the strongest streroid cream OTC that I could find instead of the Benadryl.

All the Benadryl cream did for me was to make it itch and burn worse. I use

Cortizone 10 Plus and it has helped alot. I also ice the area before I

inject to help with the site histamine reaction. Also make sure to wash the

area after the shot so that none of the medicine is on the skin then apply

the cream. I also ice the area after all that till the med absorbs well and

that has helped alot with the swelling part of it.

I hope this helps you as it has me. That itching and swelling about drove me

nuts as well. They told me that in time the reaction would probably go away

as my body got used to it.

Jeanette in Houston

[Guest guest]

On the other hand, I don't think I could inject into the top of my

thighs. It would seem as though that would be very painful. But then I

have lots of room on my stomach, and there are supposed to be fewer

nerve endings there. I use the twice weekly 25mg Enbrel and mix it

myself. I occasionally have a very mild injection site reaction, but

nothing like what you described. Mine are about like mosquito bites.

After I inject, I rub some anti-itch cream on the site, and that helps

to prevent a reaction, I think. When you bleed, you've hit a small

blood vessel, and a bruise will result. I get that sometimes.

Sue

On Mar 11, 2011, at 8:00 AM, Patti Yuswak wrote:

> Hi Kate,

>

> Sorry, I didn't word that very well. I meant I alternate between my

> right

> thigh and my left thigh, I inject in the top of the thighs. You're

> not a

> wuss if you can get an injection in your stomach! :-) I'm not sure

> I could

> do that. The benadryl cream only seems to help for a little bit but

> then,

> as you said, my pants start rubbing on the hive and it aggravates

> it. I do

> put an ice pack on it (with a towel under the ice pack) and that

> seems to

> help. I gave the shot on Tuesday night and now it's not really

> swollen but

> still red. It's an area bigger than my hand.