Some people are reluctant to start using self-injectables — which typically come in a prefilled syringe or penlike injector — because they have a fear of needles, says Shubha Bhat, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist at Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease & Surgery Institute.
With Crohn’s injections, “You might feel a little pinch, but it’s not superpainful at all,” she says. In fact, many of Bhat’s patients say they feel surprisingly little pain after using the self-injectable.
“They say, ‘Wow, I only felt a pinch’ or ‘I don’t think I got the medication, because that didn’t hurt,’” Bhat says.
Plus, with the penlike injectors, the needles are hidden, says Andrew Dupont, MD, a gastroenterologist and the director of the inflammatory bowel disease program at The University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston. “If you don’t see the needle, that can help with anxiety,” he says.
The hesitancy to start a self-injectable can also arise from what Bhat says is fear of the unknown. “I think there’s a lot of anxiety about what to expect with the process,” she says.
For example, people often wonder how they’ll react to a new medication, how long they’ll have to use it, and how it will affect their lifestyle, says Bhat. “I don’t think there’s great education provided up front when we’re talking about medications in general,” she says.
Hayden can attest to that. “When [you] start a biologic, there’s no telling if the medication is going to help manage your inflammatory bowel disease or if you’re going to have a negative response,” she says.
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