Just as I thought I’d got away with marks… The one from last week,only my second jab marked and is still there 
what can I do to avoid this? It was on my belly. Thought with the jelly belly or mummy belly as I call it would have stopped that. Now tonight I’ve done my left love handle/bum area which I really struggled with as I struggled to reach. I’m a titch and consequently don’t have long arms. Struggled holding it securely with my left but struggled to reach with my right. And it therefore hurt and still hurts nearly an hour after. Any tips welcome? Can I do it more in my side love handle as I can reach that or does it have to be towards the butt area. Also what do I use hot or cold pack for? My side is really hurting now. Wish I’d took ibuprofen now… Bloody braved it. Poo. Thanks in advance guys xxxx
I had a couple of weeks where every injection seemed to bruise, which I was getting worried about as summer approached (I hope!) as it looked dreadful, and whilst noone ever gets to see my tummy (hard to see beyond the stretchmarks anyway!), my arms and legs might get an airing if it gets warm enough!
What helped was to make sure I held it at as near to 90 degrees angle to me as possible so it went in really straight (hurts less, too). Also I increased the needle speed to fast (it’s in the RebiSmart comfort settings). I get some faint red marks now but they’re not lasting so long and are not so visible as the bruising was.
I sometimes get my husband to hold it for injections in my back as it’s awkward and I tend to not get it so straight. Not sure about sites round there exactly but I go with the image on the device which seems to show quite a large area from below waist, up to near the side. I have enough fat around there and it seems to have been ok.
The one injection site I have now abandoned is my legs, as it is the least fatty part of me and I tended to find it more painful generally so I’m left with 6 general areas, although I move it around in those areas as far as I can remember.
Hiya, I have been on Rebif for exactly 5 weeks tomorrow and I use the rebismart. I have a blotch no matter where on my body I jab. I only use my stomach and bum. I tried my hips/love handles and OUCH! never again and they throbbed for days like I had hit a muscle. I use 3 areas either side if my stomach and one each side of my bottom so get around 3 weeks rotation. I can’t complain really as I get no side effects at all. Hang in there, you are not alone I think its just down to luck and the individual. Take care x
I don’t reach all the way round to my bum as I’m not that bendy either (despite the yoga) so I tend to do it more over the hip area and it seems to work. As long as it’s a bit of flesh and not the bony bit I have been getting away with it. I still rotate 4 injection sites on each hip, 4 either side of my stomach and 12 on each thigh as the red site marks last longer on my thighs so it gives them longer to clear up.
I tried the hot/cold pack but it never made a difference. I tried using it warm before injection and cold after then I tried the opposite but it didn’t help. Like zedsee I set the Rebismart to fast needle speed but slow injection. I have the needle depth at 10mm (anything less and it doesn’t always go into my stomach as the needle can get lost in the stretch marks lol, anything deeper and it hurts more and has more chance of bleeding). All you can do is play around with the settings and see what suits your skin the best.
You’re doing really well, Lisa, keep at it. These are just little niggles compared to relapses eh?
Take care
Tracey x
Lisa, I’ve been on the Rebif for about 6 weeks and I get massive red marks everywhere I inject, about 3/4/ inches across and they fade to a yukky purple eventually but I would say they take nearly a fortnight to go. Mind you the ones on my arms are still there from 4 weeks ago. I keep altering the speed of things and use the ice packs but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. I am on a 10mm depth as I was told that the machine wouldn’t let it go any deeper. I am lucky though as I’ve really not suffered any significant flu effects since my 2nd injection. I was told that the rebif needles are thinner than any other DMD needles. I don’t agree with this as I found Copaxone needles very much thinner and they didn’t hurt at all unlike Rebif…I can really feel the needle going in and it bl**dy hurts. Like you, I find that the left hip area is very difficult to do and I can’t reach round to press the button and I find the Rebismart so heavy to hold sometimes. I’m going through a relapse at the moment and I was trying to do the left hip on Sunday night and I really messed the injection up and the medication just ran down my skin instead of in it!!! I just started crying but my mood is very low at present so I totally overreacted I think. I hope that you continue to do well on Rebif. Anne-Marie
Thanks Tracey. I got the impression the rebi smart is set by the company at an ideal setting. The changes of settings have not been explained to me. I might ask the m,s nurse next time I see her. Thanks for that. Will it say in it what it’s currently set at…I might have a look or will that risk me confusing the unit as its not my injection night. Do you mean you split your thigh like into six areas on each side? I didn’t know you were allowed to do that. And your stomach not four etc? Xxx
Hi, the Rebif nurse told me the Rebismart needle speed is best set on slow and to the deepest setting as it keeps the medication away from your skin and is less likely to get a reaction at the site. It’s also meant to hurt less at these settings. I haven’t played around with the settings yet but I will be soon because I feel the needle going in at most injections and I always get a bruise! I think it must depend on the person and what works for you. Sorry not to be any more helpful x
If you work down the menu on the Rebismart you can go into each one and see what it does without changing anything. You just press back to exit. It’s worth spending a bit of time playing with it and getting to know it. It won’t mess anything up. If you accidentally try to start an injection it will soon tell you that it’s too early for your next injection and give you the option to cancel it. It’s a very clever machine! (In fact, I’m jealous as I think it has more brain cells than me on a brain fog day ;-))
The company set the machine up at the most common settings but we are all unique so we can play around with it. I forget what the options are for needle depth but I think it was 8mm, 10 and 12. It depends on what needles they have provided you with as well so you have to get your box of needles out as well to see what they are. Anyway it is worth looking in all the options to see what you can play around with. If you are happier waiting until your nurse comes and you can do it together then that is fine. My ‘local’ nurse was less techno savvy than me and I ended up helping her which is why I chose to go it alone after she had left ha ha ha! (I say local because I’m in a rural area and she is 26 miles away and it takes her a week to find time for me.)
As for my thighs, I use 6 sites on the fronts of my thighs and 6 sites on the sides so I get 12 sites out of each thigh, this means I’m not using the same site before the red mark has cleared up. As the thighs sting a bit more as well it gives them longer to recover. I also find my thighs get very itchy now so I’m having to moisturise a lot on non-injection days. I would just use the sides if I could because the fronts of my thighs are the most painful when I inject. I have to steel myself to press the button. I wish I could put some weight on because it hurts a lot less when they are a bit chunkier 
Anyway, hope it is all still going well for you. How’s Charlie doing. Is he still coming out with funny things. Jamie will be 20 in October and then I’m going to feel absolutely ancient . Where did those years go? Seriously, you blink and it flashes by … Anyway he still makes me laugh. He tells me not to worry about what will happen if I get to the point where I need 24/7 care as he has already looked at some nice care homes lol!!! I think he’s joking …
Tracey xx
Hey
I have found that if I leave the hot/cold pack in the freezer and take it out half hour before doing my injections, then leave it on the chosen site for around 3 minutes, I feel absolutely nothing - result!!!
My thighs are the most painful area too and yesterday it was the turn of my right thigh. Left the pack on my thigh for 3 minutes while I prepared the Rebismart and pressed the button without hesitating so much either. I was so pleased that there wasn’t the stinging sensation or pain as the medication was being administered so that’s what I’m going to do from now on. The only thing it doesn’t do is reduce the redness but I guess I can live with that - I rub E45 cream on my injection sites after having daily showers so I’m trying to keep them moisturised to help reduce them.
Give it a try - hope it works for you - like dottydoo I also have had no side effects so the red marks I can live with.
Take care
Pen xx
Thanks for that advice Tracy. I’ve had a little play tonight, not much as I’m whacked from the gym. Then came home and jabbed myself. Funny how you do I feel get used to it quite quick. I really thought I’d be laying down still but sat up and just did it. It stung though in my belly again and have a feeling its going to bruise like the opposite side. This seems to be the only site so far that marks although I have only done five. Charlie is doing fine hun, starts school September, I’m getting very nervous and emotional about it. He’s only four in July so still my baby and one of the younger ones too. I felt quite emotional at the school induction meeting. It certainly flys by. He is always coming out with daft things but has me in hysterics. Funny people say it must be made harder by having Charlie. I say actually completely the opposite, he makes things easier and keeps me positive and makes me forget. The best medicine in the world aren’t they? Even older ones imagine with your Jamie’s comment? Hope your keeping well hun. Hi Pen, thanks for that advice. I am going to try that with the pack on my tummy first I think. I will be chuffed if I don’t get any side effects and like you and dottydoo can def cope with the site marks. Give me them anyday.mi am still on 8 dose so not getting my hopes up yet but keep our fingers crossed for me. Thanks for he advice again. Love this forum for all the advice we get and the chat and the lovely people and just everything 
x
Ooh and thanks to the others that have replied. X
Aww, they grow up so fast. I do think four is so young to be starting school though and they do full days straightaway now don’t they. I was lucky as Jamie was born in October so was always one of the oldest in his year and it showed ha ha!! He’s a bit of a control freak (wonder where he gets that from). You’ll have such a lump in your throat on his first few days at school. I bet he loves it though … I’m gonna look forward to some real gems of stories then ha ha!
Jamie’s still trying to get into journalism as he opted out of university (didn’t get the right grades for the uni he wanted due to losing my mum and knock-on health problems which meant he missed a lot of lessons due to hospital appointments). If all else fails he may end up at university later in life if it’s the only way he can get into journalism but all the journalists he follows on Twitter don’t have degrees so he thinks that means it’s not essential. At the moment he’s pestering local press and radio stations with ‘gi’ssa job’ type letters.
I might give the cool pack another go, I never actually froze mine - I just kept it in the fridge. The trouble is it never actually came with any instructions. I need an idiot guide with everything. Hopefully if it’s frozen it will help the stinging much more. You see, you’re never too old to learn new tricks. Thanks for that, Pen
Tracey xx
Hello
Tracey - I found most of the kit didn’t come with many instructions, for example how to dispose of the empty cartridges after your weeks injections are up? I had to ask my Rebif nurse who said they go in the sharps bin.
Tonight’s injection was in my stomach on the left side - slight bit of blood but again, didn’t feel a thing - I’ll certainly get my use out that cool pack (also you can contact MySupport and they will send you another one so you can keep one in the freezer and one in the bag if you want to heat it up in the microwave - they’ll send a second pack out for free of course).
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!!
Take care
Pen xx