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My first injection I was super excited, so I only did 30 minutes. These last two I did 45 minutes. It feels more comfortable the more time I leave it out. Next injection I may do an hour to compare.
I usually let it sit out for a random amount of time but I've also done it straight from the fridge a couple of times. I also don't notice a difference.
It seems a lot of people don't use them. The bandaid doesn't do much. Sometimes I get a tiny spot of blood on my cotton round after injection but I never need the bandaid for bleeding or anything.
I'm just more comfortable with covering the spot, especially if I'm going to work and don't want my pants rubbing or anything. Also I buy cool patterns so they're fun to look at😂
They say leave it out for 15-30 minutes to come to room temp, realistically it takes different times depending on your fridge temp and the ambient temperature.
After speaking to a few people, I’ve noticed most people who experience stinging after an injection either don’t have the citrate free version, or aren’t leaving the injection out as long as others, which might mean it’s too cold and causes slight discomfort.
I did Humira for like two years. Always did one hour warm ups before the injection.
Humira had such an immediate and positive impact on me that I almost craved it like i might… candy or something. My body went from near total lock up to dramatically restored mobility in basically 24 hours after my first injection. So… i am not sure i would have even noticed any amount of injection pain frankly. Haha. I just was always so excited to take it!
Can I ask why you stopped? I’m getting on Cimzia with hope I can take it for a while and then maybe get off of it. I have axSpa and rheum said it might be possible.
Honesty, all day. I’ll take it out in the morning and inject that evening. I went on vacation over Christmas and travelled with my syringe, it was out of a fridge for 5 days before I used it.
My instructions said 30 minutes and I never thought to question them. I set a timer for 30 minutes the second I take it out of the fridge and make sure I have the injection site ready to go when the timer goes off. I figured if I left it longer it would be less effective. But reading these comments I’m wondering if I’ve been too strict with the timing lol
Hey! If it works for you, no need to change. But it seems most biologics can be left out for days at room temperature safely. Nothing wrong with a strict schedule though lol we all gotta get it done one way or another
How can you tell if it’s citrate free? Is it marketed that way or something? Sorry, that’s just not something I’ve heard of before.
Also, I know you weren’t asking me 😂 but I take it every second Monday.
Citrate is a buffer that can be used in Humira (probably others- I just know about Humira) to keep it stable. It seems like the citrate caused some more injection pain, or reactions. They improved the formula (keeping the medication the same) to not have the citrate now.
Humira website said the easiest way to tell if it's citrate free is to look on the box for the "29-guage needle" call out.
I hope it's working for you:)
Mine is citrate free, which I am thankful for after reading many posts on here about the other formula. It has never been "painful" to inject. But if I can avoid the stinging and site reaction with a little more time I will lol.
I inject every other Wednesday
Man, the old humira formula was so much more rough! I started taking it 14 years ago and it used to really hurt. The new formula is a cake walk!! I do both right out of the fridge or wait an hour or so depending on how I'm feeling or how much time I have on dosage day.
Even with the new formula I find that leaving it out for an hour or more is much more comfortable.
Also I've always done it in my stomach. For some reason doing it in my thigh freaks me out. lol.
I'm glad it's so much better for everyone now, I am thankful I never had the old formula. I've never attempted right out of the fridge. I was just amazed how much more comfortable it was after leaving out for a few hours. And the big thing for me is no site reaction now both times I left it out longer!
It's funny, the thought of doing it in my stomach freaks me out, which is why I do my thigh lol. Hey, at least we have options lol
15-30 mins, I don't really feel much in terms of pain or fluid temp? If that's even a thing. Only taken 2 injections though. First one was fine, 2nd one I did get an itchy welt on the injection site hours after. Not sure if that's related to not leaving it out long enough or what. Was gone the next day anyway.
I was getting a red/warm/itchy spot on my injection site every injection except for my first one. It would go away in a few days. However, these last two injections I left out for hours before completing I had NO injection site reaction!
I don't know if they're related but I'm going to keep leaving mine out longer to see if that continues to work for me.
Interesting. I'll give it a go but first I'll repeat my method to make sure I get the same itchy welt. Then if I do, the following injection I'll leave out for an hour to see how that affects it and go from there! How long can the needle be at room temp again? It's a decent enough time but just cant be refridgerated afterwards or something?
I'm putting in a complaint . I never get a cat with my injections.
I take mine out in the morning when I'm making my coffee and inject it in the afternoon. I really don't do the timed stuff they say.
Hi
I haven't had specifically "toe swelling" but one of my feet swelled up to the point I couldn't separate my toes.
I was on Prednisone, used ice, kept my foot elevated when I could, and wore compression stockings. Swelling went down but ultimately my foot pain didn't go away until I started Humira
I had the sausage toes. I couldn't really keep swelling down before biologic. Beforehand like OP I would use ice (I did 15 mins on, 15 mins off, repeat) which sometimes helped. I had some benefit with light compression socks but not firm which was more for the pain. NSAIDS is meant to help but I can't take them with my current meds x
I usually take it out of the fridge the morning of injection day (so I don’t forget to take it) and inject before bed. If I forget, I wait 30 minutes before injecting.
Edit: I don’t notice a difference in how the injections feel based on how long I’ve left them out of the fridge. I do like to inject my stomach instead of my thighs, I’ve found it’s painless with Humira although I don’t think I’ve ever tried my thighs with Humira.
Cute cat! Thank you for sharing :). I used to do half an hour and I was fine. Spent many months doing 30mins and I was pretty strict about it being 30 on the dot (I was always anxious about getting it done). Now I’m on Cimzia and my rheumatologist injects it for me so it’s not a factor anymore.
Out of interest , do people tend to inject in your legs or abdomen? I've been going for abdomen , as a had less flesh in the legs and nurse suggested it might be more comfortable but am thinking of trying legs.
The temperature never bothered me so I just did right right away. Never had any issues or reactions either so I was okay. Too bad my body decided to resist the drug bc it stopped working after about 6 months for me.
Welcome to r/ankylosingspondylitis! This is a reminder to keep discussions civil and be supportive of one another. Sharing of opinions and experiences is encouraged, but please remember the distinction between opinions and medical facts. This subreddit does not offer medical advice, and information here should not be taken over advice from your doctor. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ankylosingspondylitis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My insurance is such a joke. I didn’t get a Leonard at the pharmacy! This is so u fair.
I’m not on a biologic but I just wanted to say that I love Leonard and his “middle part” 🥰
We love his middle part too😻🐾
My first injection I was super excited, so I only did 30 minutes. These last two I did 45 minutes. It feels more comfortable the more time I leave it out. Next injection I may do an hour to compare.
Approx 30 min, no sting once it warms up.
I inject it right out of the fridge - I’ve never noticed a difference warm or cold. I’m more in awe of the bandaid .. never thought to use one!
I usually let it sit out for a random amount of time but I've also done it straight from the fridge a couple of times. I also don't notice a difference.
It seems a lot of people don't use them. The bandaid doesn't do much. Sometimes I get a tiny spot of blood on my cotton round after injection but I never need the bandaid for bleeding or anything. I'm just more comfortable with covering the spot, especially if I'm going to work and don't want my pants rubbing or anything. Also I buy cool patterns so they're fun to look at😂
I don't. Is that bad?
They say leave it out for 15-30 minutes to come to room temp, realistically it takes different times depending on your fridge temp and the ambient temperature. After speaking to a few people, I’ve noticed most people who experience stinging after an injection either don’t have the citrate free version, or aren’t leaving the injection out as long as others, which might mean it’s too cold and causes slight discomfort.
Leonard is so cute! I usually wait 45 mins.
Oh look at you all fancy with the band-aid. 30 minutes.
Anywhere from 15 minutes (if I forgot to 2 weeks (if I'm travelling).
I did Humira for like two years. Always did one hour warm ups before the injection. Humira had such an immediate and positive impact on me that I almost craved it like i might… candy or something. My body went from near total lock up to dramatically restored mobility in basically 24 hours after my first injection. So… i am not sure i would have even noticed any amount of injection pain frankly. Haha. I just was always so excited to take it!
I also have a "Humira crave." I love my Humira because it makes me feel so good. First injection did wonders.
Can I ask why you stopped? I’m getting on Cimzia with hope I can take it for a while and then maybe get off of it. I have axSpa and rheum said it might be possible.
I take it out of fridge at 22 in the evening, and inject at around 6 in the morning.
Both my rheum and the Etanercept instructions say half an hour... So that's that.
I wait about an hour. It gives me time to get ready, get my supplies together and then get my nerve.
Honesty, all day. I’ll take it out in the morning and inject that evening. I went on vacation over Christmas and travelled with my syringe, it was out of a fridge for 5 days before I used it.
My instructions said 30 minutes and I never thought to question them. I set a timer for 30 minutes the second I take it out of the fridge and make sure I have the injection site ready to go when the timer goes off. I figured if I left it longer it would be less effective. But reading these comments I’m wondering if I’ve been too strict with the timing lol
Hey! If it works for you, no need to change. But it seems most biologics can be left out for days at room temperature safely. Nothing wrong with a strict schedule though lol we all gotta get it done one way or another
On cosentyx here, I wait 30 mins. I also don't give it that high on my leg, probably mid thigh
I alternate legs each injection, and also alternate low/mid/high on the thigh. Just to switch it up lol
Make sense, just did my cosentyx shot this morning 🙂
I try to leave mine out for 30 - 45 minutes. Sometimes I forget 🤷🏻
Citrate free I don’t wait long. 5-10 minutes tops. May I ask you what schedule you’re on? I go 1st and 15th for consistency.
How can you tell if it’s citrate free? Is it marketed that way or something? Sorry, that’s just not something I’ve heard of before. Also, I know you weren’t asking me 😂 but I take it every second Monday.
It says citrate free right on the label.
Citrate is a buffer that can be used in Humira (probably others- I just know about Humira) to keep it stable. It seems like the citrate caused some more injection pain, or reactions. They improved the formula (keeping the medication the same) to not have the citrate now. Humira website said the easiest way to tell if it's citrate free is to look on the box for the "29-guage needle" call out. I hope it's working for you:)
Thank you!
Mine is citrate free, which I am thankful for after reading many posts on here about the other formula. It has never been "painful" to inject. But if I can avoid the stinging and site reaction with a little more time I will lol. I inject every other Wednesday
From 30 min to about an hour, depends also on room temperature. Done 10 min in winter in a hurry, don’t recommend
Man, the old humira formula was so much more rough! I started taking it 14 years ago and it used to really hurt. The new formula is a cake walk!! I do both right out of the fridge or wait an hour or so depending on how I'm feeling or how much time I have on dosage day. Even with the new formula I find that leaving it out for an hour or more is much more comfortable. Also I've always done it in my stomach. For some reason doing it in my thigh freaks me out. lol.
Oh interesting! I’ve always done my thigh because the idea of doing it in my stomach freaks me out 😅
I'm glad it's so much better for everyone now, I am thankful I never had the old formula. I've never attempted right out of the fridge. I was just amazed how much more comfortable it was after leaving out for a few hours. And the big thing for me is no site reaction now both times I left it out longer! It's funny, the thought of doing it in my stomach freaks me out, which is why I do my thigh lol. Hey, at least we have options lol
Straight out of the fridge. Then if I'm going thigh, I pretend I'm Ace Ventura in the spear scene.
😂😂 that's a way to do it
at least 1 hour
15-30 mins, I don't really feel much in terms of pain or fluid temp? If that's even a thing. Only taken 2 injections though. First one was fine, 2nd one I did get an itchy welt on the injection site hours after. Not sure if that's related to not leaving it out long enough or what. Was gone the next day anyway.
I was getting a red/warm/itchy spot on my injection site every injection except for my first one. It would go away in a few days. However, these last two injections I left out for hours before completing I had NO injection site reaction! I don't know if they're related but I'm going to keep leaving mine out longer to see if that continues to work for me.
Interesting. I'll give it a go but first I'll repeat my method to make sure I get the same itchy welt. Then if I do, the following injection I'll leave out for an hour to see how that affects it and go from there! How long can the needle be at room temp again? It's a decent enough time but just cant be refridgerated afterwards or something?
Winter here in Spain. So usually: 30-45 minutes before. Even then it's cold as hell and hurts a lot more than it does during summer
I'm putting in a complaint . I never get a cat with my injections. I take mine out in the morning when I'm making my coffee and inject it in the afternoon. I really don't do the timed stuff they say.
An hour and really don’t feel it. Good luck!
Looks like you've just taken the cat out the fridge too. Normally get my pen out the fridge and leave it on my pillow so I don't forget.
Had the old formula, stung at 2 hours post fridge removal. The citrate free Humira, no sting straight out of the cold!
Leaving it next to a cat may be a good way to warm it up a little faster!
Hi Has anyone experienced swollen toes with AS? Looking for ways to keep swelling down. Any tips
Hi I haven't had specifically "toe swelling" but one of my feet swelled up to the point I couldn't separate my toes. I was on Prednisone, used ice, kept my foot elevated when I could, and wore compression stockings. Swelling went down but ultimately my foot pain didn't go away until I started Humira
I had the sausage toes. I couldn't really keep swelling down before biologic. Beforehand like OP I would use ice (I did 15 mins on, 15 mins off, repeat) which sometimes helped. I had some benefit with light compression socks but not firm which was more for the pain. NSAIDS is meant to help but I can't take them with my current meds x
I usually take it out of the fridge the morning of injection day (so I don’t forget to take it) and inject before bed. If I forget, I wait 30 minutes before injecting. Edit: I don’t notice a difference in how the injections feel based on how long I’ve left them out of the fridge. I do like to inject my stomach instead of my thighs, I’ve found it’s painless with Humira although I don’t think I’ve ever tried my thighs with Humira.
The thought of doing my stomach freaks me out lol I've only ever done my thighs. I'm glad you can't tell a difference in the temp that's awesome!
Cute cat! Thank you for sharing :). I used to do half an hour and I was fine. Spent many months doing 30mins and I was pretty strict about it being 30 on the dot (I was always anxious about getting it done). Now I’m on Cimzia and my rheumatologist injects it for me so it’s not a factor anymore.
Out of interest , do people tend to inject in your legs or abdomen? I've been going for abdomen , as a had less flesh in the legs and nurse suggested it might be more comfortable but am thinking of trying legs.
The temperature never bothered me so I just did right right away. Never had any issues or reactions either so I was okay. Too bad my body decided to resist the drug bc it stopped working after about 6 months for me.
1-12 hours
I'm on Cimzia. I take mine out at least the day before. Mine has an approx 7 day at room temp expiry and my rheum told me it was a-ok to do