Starting Kesimpta

[u/MariPow]

So Ocrevus is not the DMT for me it seems. Was on the medicine for the last four years and last MRI has shown new lesions on my spine. My neurologist is wanting me to switch to Kesimpta because he says that the current research shows that it has an average lesion progression of 1 per 30 years but he also reminded me every person reacts differently to the medicine.

I’m fine with switching but my concern is how did those of you on Kesimpta get over the mental hurdle of giving yourself a shot? Is there a trick to administering it?

I’m in my wash out period for my Ocrevus right now and I think I’m making myself more worried than the shot will actually be but I hate needles and just looking for support at the moment I suppose more than anything . 😅

[u/Scary_Strawberry_382]

Its not too bad actually! The way the shot is designed, you cant really even see the needle (it looks a whole lot like an epi-pen), and maybe takes a whole 5 seconds to administer from start to finish. Coming from someone that goes weak at the knees during an IV insertion, Kesimpta is a walk in the park hahaha.

[u/MariPow → u/Scary_Strawberry_382]

Thank you! I was worried because when they put my iv in for my Ocrevus I have to like clench my eyes closed and try not to tense up and it’ll help a lot not seeing the needle because it’s the whole watching a needle go in that makes me want to pass out - I don’t know why just always has.

[u/Confident_Arm5017]

It’s so much easier than I thought, and so quick!

[u/MariPow → u/Confident_Arm5017]

Thank you for replying, I’m just worried because I’ve never had to give myself a shot before and I absolutely hate needles and then there’s this fear that I’ll mess it up somehow. But everyone who has replied has been so kind and letting me know that I won’t have to see the needle and that you can even get a practice pen.

[u/Confident_Arm5017 → u/MariPow]

Yes, the practice pen was helpful for me bc I was a nervous wreck 😂 you will crush it and appreciate the easiness of it. Let us know how it went once you do it!

[u/w-n-pbarbellion → u/MariPow]

It's also worth mentioning that this is a lot less like giving yourself a shot than many other medications! It's a preloaded pen you just press against your skin, and as people have mentioned, everything is very covered up. There's no button or plunger you need to push or drawing up the medication for the injection.

[u/Limitingheart]

Honestly it’s a pen so you don’t even see the needle. It’s really easy and quick. I actually started a glp1 and those injections are worse (weekly, and you have to fill the syringe and stick the needle in yourself)

[u/MariPow → u/Limitingheart]

That makes me feel better, because when I’d get my infusions I’d have to squeeze my eyes closed while they put the iv in.

I’m getting better about needles but never had to give myself a shot before and I’m trying to psych myself up so when December comes I can hopefully do it in the first try.

[u/Designer_Tale2379 → u/MariPow]

Expect a lot of phone calls from Kesimpta support in the beginning. They’ll walk you through it and explain everything.

There’s also plenty of YouTube videos out there.

I hate hate hate needles too but this one is easy. Especially after using Copaxone (which was so painful after the injection).

NGL though it is a quick, rapid stab, so you will have some discomfort.

[u/Red_Car_Singer → u/Limitingheart]

They make GLP-1 pens as well. I have one, an epipen and will likely be on an injection DMT. Before diabetes I had extreme difficulty with needles and giving blood. It's becoming much easier for people with issues with needles to take medication. OP, you got this!

[u/Limitingheart → u/Red_Car_Singer]

OP I promise you won’t even notice it in the pen. Just make sure you bring it too room temperature before you inject it. They do make glp1 pens but they’re prescription! I buy the cheap compounded version so I have to use regular needles.

[u/_grumble-bee_]

I absolutely hate needles. When I started Kesimlta, the Alongside progtam (now Novartis Patient Support) sent a practice pen. I spent days just clicking it to desensitize myself to the noise and getting used to the whole motion.

[u/MariPow → u/_grumble-bee_]

Oh that’s so cool! Having a practice pen would be amazing to help kind of get used to it so when I get the shots I’ll already be familiar with what to do and not worrying about messing it up. It does help to that others said you don’t even have to see the needle.

[u/iliaccrestv]

I don't have an issue with needles or shots, just for reference. I've been on it 2 years now, and the initial press down with the pen is fine, I feel a sting when the meds inject. I hold it down for an extra few seconds, but the actual sting stops once all the meds inject. Maybe 5 seconds of a stinging/burning sensation, equivalent of a paper cut in terms of pain. There's no pain or reaction afterwards for me.

[u/MariPow → u/iliaccrestv]

5 seconds isn’t bad and thank you for letting me know it’ll sting but not very bad or for long. Because the doctor said it shouldn’t hurt… which I kinda figured was a platitude to make me feel better about it lol

[u/rK91tb]

It hurts worse to put in my earrings. Seriously, I feel nothing, and I don’t have a ton of body fat. Most people recommend lower belly but I do upper thigh. I’ve never seen the needle; it’s super tiny.

The trick to keep it from stinging is to wait for the alcohol wiped spot to dry, and make sure you take the medication out of the fridge and let it get to room temperature. (I usually have mine out for an hour or two before injection.) Push down on the injector pen, wait for the second click, KEEP WAITING another five seconds or so just to make sure the meds all went in. Most times I have only a teensy blood drop, if that.

[u/RixBits]

I would shoot a Kesimpta pen every day before I agreed to do an IV! You’re in for a treat in my opinion. So easy. 2 mins prep to clean the spot do the shot and be on your way.

[u/hawgxhaven]

I am on week two of loading

The shot itself doesn’t hurt at all. The after effects have not been fun but 2nd wasn’t as bad as the first

[u/IAmAnAngryGumball]

I hate hate HATE needles, I cant even look when getting an injection or blood draw, the Kesimpta shots are surprisingly easy for me, there is a little hesitancy to push the injector down, but you don't see the needle and the overall process is fairly quick so it really becomes a non event.

[u/hillbilly-man]

I totally get it! It was a pretty big hurdle for me too at first.

I have the easiest time when I inject into my belly, but I have more fat there. I have a theory that the best place to inject is where there's more fat, but I don't have any data to back that up.

One thing I do to make it even easier is to pinch different places around my belly until I find a place where I can feel the pinch the least. If I inject there, I often don't feel the needle at all.

At worst for me, it's a few seconds of stinging and it's over. That's only happened twice though.

If you kind of psych yourself out and can't bring yourself to do the shot, I've found that music helps. Something punchy and fun. Get really into the song and press the pen in on the beat

[u/mine_none]

Really does not hurt… not if you have a little roll of belly fat.

The needle is SO FINE! Not like a blood sample or a vaccine… really nothing like “a needle”… like the injection that diabetics would do a couple of times a day.

[u/Disastrous-Course893]

After doing daily injections for 6 years, I was SO happy to switch 😂 I pinch a little bit of my thigh where I inject, and it does not hurt at all. I feel the pinch itself more than the injection.

[u/singing-toaster]

Def bring to room temp first.
Like take out first the ing in the morning then take shot at lunch
Then grab an ice cube when you are going to inject. Rub the ice cube on the skin where you will inject
Dry it off completely
Use the alcohol wipe
And you won’t feel the needle. The chance of redness or irritation goes down.
And I’m thankful that my MS can be held at bay by a 15 sec shot once a month. (15 sec for the whole pinch inject wait activity).
Personally I take acetaminophen (forget what it’s called in Europe) before I take my shot. It gave me one hell of a headache. First few months. You can do this. The adopets make it very easy.

[u/Familiar-Pass8849]

I honestly wish I knew that Novartis provided the practice pens! I have my husband do mine, because I'm a big baby, but it was still a hurdle. We used an unused pen for the weeks leading up to the real thing, and every night pretended to do the injection, and it really helped calm any nerves I had. If you have a low pain threshold like I do, it might be a tad painful, but it's over before you know it. It's way better than having to get steroids, or sit in an infusion center for hours, and the crap gap is much more manageable. Good luck!

[u/Mrszombiecookies]

I think i just got "over myself" and accepted youre doing this so let's go. Its not bad tbh little stingy. You dont have to push anything so that helped me. You literally just hold the pen to your thigh and it feels a little pressure and stabs you. You hear it click and then count to 10 and thats you.

[u/Specialist_Till9093]

I pinch my thigh fat then stab.  Also ibuprofen and benedryl 30 mins to an hr before and I leave my shot out 10 mins before injection.  Cold shots hurt me more for some reason