Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 Hi April, hope it worked out with the injection! Can't you get smaller needles if this one is too big for you? I also have a question about mtx, I take 7.5mag/week (oral). At first I had a blood test every two weeks, then every month and now every 3 months. If there is no bad side effect in the beginning, the doctor said, it is not necessary to have more blood tests. Now this is in the Netherlands, but reading this list I get the idea that this is not done in the USA? Eliane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 --- aka <aka@...> wrote: > Does everyone who gets injectable MTX have to dose > themselves or is it a state regulation thing that I stick myself 3 times a week -- twice w/ Enbrel and once with MTX. I generally get a pinching sensation when the needle goes in but no pain when the meds do. I never get bruised. The Enbrel is pre-measured, but the MTX just requires going back to the " 5 " to get my full 50 mg. I use what the doctor calls a " tubucular " syringe and inject it sub-q, not intramuscular. I recall being very nervous, as you seem to be, when the process began, but everything evened out in the end. I'm confident you'll do just fine! ===== , NJ Highlands raharris@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 April, I've been on injectable MTX since February. A nurse at the hospital taught me. There was no practicing - just do it. I'f I'd known it was a long needle and an intramuscular shot, I probably wouldn't have gone! Smile! I had to go back a second week to show her that I remembered how to do it. Were you given written instructions? I still get that out each week just in case I'm having a " forgetful moment " . I'd be happy to send you a copy of mine if you don't have any? I have to alternate thighs each week too, and I keep a record of that. Did you use pressure on the site where you injected, using an alcohol wipe? If you do the pressure thing for 2 minutes you should not have a problem with soreness and bruising. Also, inject the liquid very slowly - if you feel it going in then you are injecting it too fast. I still don't like doing it, but once you get over the nervousness, then it's not so bad. You can do it!!! Hope this helps. Marsha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 Elaine, I am currently on Mtx and take 15 mag per week orally, i live in the Uk and have never heard of mtx via injections perhaps it is our American friends who just do this. I have blood tests every two weeks and it does appear that you should be at least having tests every month( I think that I will be monthly once we can ascertain the correct dose).If you have any doubts you must seek a second opinion, I had an excellent dermatologist in France when I lived there but on returning to the UK I had lots of problems, I am on my third at the moment and I have resorted to going private as I cannot get a good one on the NHS, I was on a 6 month waiting list!!!!!!! Take care >From: Eliane Segers <E.Segers@...> >Reply- onelist > onelist >Subject: Re: [ ] Injecting MTX >Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 16:19:43 +0200 > >From: Eliane Segers <E.Segers@...> > >Hi April, >hope it worked out with the injection! Can't you get smaller needles if >this one is too big for you? > >I also have a question about mtx, I take 7.5mag/week (oral). At first I had >a blood test every two weeks, then every month and now every 3 months. If >there is no bad side effect in the beginning, the doctor said, it is not >necessary to have more blood tests. Now this is in the Netherlands, but >reading this list I get the idea that this is not done in the USA? >Eliane > >>Please visit our new web page at: >http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/pa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 Eliane Segers wrote: > > From: Eliane Segers <E.Segers@...> > > Hi April, > hope it worked out with the injection! Can't you get smaller needles if > this one is too big for you? > > I also have a question about mtx, I take 7.5mag/week (oral). At first I had > a blood test every two weeks, then every month and now every 3 months. If > there is no bad side effect in the beginning, the doctor said, it is not > necessary to have more blood tests. Now this is in the Netherlands, but > reading this list I get the idea that this is not done in the USA? Eliane, My doctor orders blood tests for me every 6 weeks to 3 months. Usually it's 3 months unless there's a high reading on my liver enzymes. Then next time I'll have to go sooner for blood work. Marsha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 I use what the doctor calls a " tubucular " > syringe and inject it sub-q, not intramuscular. , I'm not familiar with " tubucular " and " sub-q " . Am wondering if you can explain. I wasn't given a choice - just told I'd have to inject intromuscular. Like you, I get a pinching feeling when I put the needle in, but really it's not bad at all -- especially not compared to PA pain. Marsha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 [This message contained attachments] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 --- opaoma <opaoma@...> wrote: >, >I'm not familiar with " tubucular " and " sub-q " . Am >wondering if you can explain. The first word is probably mis-spelled and refers to tuberculosis -- probably also mis-spelled. It is a name for a type of syringe that TB patients use. " Sub-q " is short for " subcutaneous, " or " under the skin. " My understanding is that there are three different kinds of injections: Inter-muscular, Inter-veinous, and subcutaneous. The first two go in the muscles and the veins, respectively, and the third goes in the layer of fat beneath the skin. Enbrel is delivered " sub-q, " and my RD told me to do with the MTX what I did with the Enbrel. I have heard others use MTX IM -- in the muscle. ===== , NJ Highlands raharris@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 In a message dated 9/28/99 7:04:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time, aka@... writes: << By the time you all read this I will have had to deal somehow. What a wimp. >> April...you are NOT a wimp...just human. I thought I was going to faint in the doctors office when the nurse made me give myself the first Enbrel shot. I'm pretty tough...but it is just human nature to resist doing even the smallest harm to our bodies..even a needle puncture. After the first few shots though...I became comfortable with it and hardly notice it anymore. The MTX needle is longer because it is Intra Muscular instead of Sub Cutaneous like the Enbrel. For me...neither shot actually hurts..it is just a small sting. You will soon become comfortable with the shots and they will be little more than an inconvenience. Good luck and tell us how it goes... Annette )) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 In a message dated 9/28/99 10:01:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time, E.Segers@... writes: << Can't you get smaller needles if this one is too big for you? >> The MTX injection has to be Intra Muscular instead of Sub Cutaneous so the needle has to be longer. Even the gauge opening (27, 29, 30, etc.) can sometimes effect the molecular properties and has to be larger than we would prefer. This is just what I was told. Annette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 1999 Report Share Posted September 28, 1999 In a message dated 9/28/99 10:02:34 AM Pacific Daylight Time, raharris@... writes: << I use what the doctor calls a " tubucular " syringe and inject it sub-q, not intramuscular. >> ...I am very interested in that Sub Q MTX shot...I will ask the doctor about it tomorrow. This IM needle does look a little intimidating. I, too, do the Enbrel twice a week and the MTX once. Good Luck and thanks for the info... Annette )) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 1999 Report Share Posted October 2, 1999 Marsha, I go to Stanford, and though my pharmacist argued with my doctors about what kind of needle to use, the Stanford docs said sub-q. It is the same kind of needle that diabetics use for insulin. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 1999 Report Share Posted October 21, 1999 I just started self injecting MTX 4 weeks ago, intramuscullarly. I still am NO pro at it; it takes me a bit of time to work my self up each week. This is what I do- but I do not do sub-cutaneously so it may not apply- and please, anyone, correct my technique if needed because I am a newbie at this. Get out all my stuff - needle, bottle of MTX, alcohol wipes, and special plastic container for discarding needles ( I got this from my pharmacist for about $4.00 ) Sit where there is good light and leg can be in an unstrained position. (Supposedly there is less bruising or painful injection sites if muscle is relaxed when you inject) Use alcohol wipe on top of MTX bottle and on thigh. Uncap needle, pull it back to proper level, poke it into bottle, push needle all the way in and back out, sucking in the med. Keep the tip of the needle in the liquid, so tip bottle to keep it like that; can be upside down. Tap needle and play with it to get out the bubbles and get the proper amount of medicine. Withdraw from bottle. Make sure you get the amount of med right; mine was a little confusing mathematically. My needle holds 5 cc; my medicine is 25 mg per cc, my dose is supposed to be 20 mg, so I fill my needle to 8/10s of 1 cc, which is not very much of the syringe. Use one hand to take a large pinch of leg/fat on the thigh, keeping underlying leg relaxed while doing it. Other hand holds needle and poke it into the skin and push it into the thigh muscle area. It is good to get it down into the muscle, not just under the skin. Once you have it down as far as you should ( My needle is 1 1/2 inches and I pretty much get it almost all the way in - maybe 1 1/4 inches in), unpinch the fat and then pull back on needle slightly until you see some slight movement in the liquid in the syringe chamber from pulling air in. If you see blood coming in, this means you are in a blood vessel and need to reposition the needle. Once you are sure of no blood coming back in needle, then depress plunger all the way, injecting the medicine in. Other than hitting a blood vessel, I guess you can also hit a bone, which is supposed to hurt. I've never done either, but I've only done it four times. Pull the needle out. Applying some pressure with hand afterwards is supposed to be good. Congratulate yourself for doing something difficult. Hope this is helpful, although much may not apply because of IM versus SUB-Q -April >The nurses in his office will teach me how to self-inject, subcutaneously, on >Monday. So, any tips from the trenches? I'm very clueless about what is >involved with this, but I don't expect to feel squeamish at all, if that's >any help LOL. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2005 Report Share Posted June 24, 2005 had to go from the MTX pills to the injections because the pills stopped working. Vera Central Fla. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.0/27 - Release Date: 6/23/2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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