I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about Humira so I thought I would try to address some of the concerns with injecting.
For my review/experience with Humira, checkout my previous post: Humira – A Miracle Drug?
Order the syringes not the pens
I’ve talked to several Humira users who have used both the auto-injector pen and the syringe. Although more intimidating if you do not fare well with needles, the syringe is significantly less painful. Next time you order your Humira from your provider, request the syringes rather than the pens. The syringe has a very small tip and you can slow the speed the medication is injected at making it less painful.
Let the medication warm to room temperature before injecting
The cold medication increases the painful burning when injecting. The medication can be taken out of the fridge and allowed to warm to room temperature without ruining the biologics. The medication can be taken out of the fridge and kept at room temperature up to 14 days. Once the medication has reached room temperature you cannot put it back in the refrigerator and it must be used within 14 days.
Injecting into the upper thigh is less painful
There are several areas Humira can be injected into as shown by the Humira reminder app. I’ve found the upper thigh to be much less painful than injecting in the lower abdomen. I have heard that absorption may be increased in the abdominal area but that is something to bring up with your doctor. Do not forget to rotate injection sites as well.
Suck it up
No one likes needles but the relief you get from injecting Humira will far surpass the temporary pain you get for 30 seconds. I will take 30 seconds of minor uncomfortable pain over the extreme acute pain I get from bowel obstructions or constant aching intestines anyday of the week. Grin and bear it, you’ll be fine.
FlaredupFitness 
Hi, just came across your site – great work! I have crohn’s and am going to be switched onto Humira in a month or two (I’m currently on Infliximab but unfortunately have developed antibodies to it). This seems like really useful advice.
I was diagnosed just eighteen months ago and although I have responded really well to Infliximab and currently have low inflammation markers and greatly reduced symptoms, I am still experiencing terrible fatigue. I was previously very active but can often barely leave the house at the moment. Have you been in a similar place yourself, and would you write an article about fatigue? I notice there’s some new research into immune disorders and mitochondria which could be relevant.
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Hey AR!
Always love hearing feedback from others with Crohn’s! Sorry to hear that you’ve developed antibodies, Infliximab certainly doesn’t always work for everyone.
Fatigue is my kryptonite. It is one of the major symptoms I still face on a regular basis even when my Crohn’s is in check. I am almost always suffering from some degree of fatigue so unfortunately I don’t have the solution but I have found several things that when used together can make a significant difference. I recently got another question on chronic fatigue and I will address it in an upcoming post! I always appreciate hearing what others are interested in and would like to read more about.
In the mean time, get a blood test and check your iron and B12 levels. I am anemic and low on B12 so I take iron supplements and get montly injections of vitamin B12 and that has really helped battle fatigue along with eating a healthy diet rich in micro nutrients.
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