Rituxan (Rituximab) Shot?

Lym999
Lym999 Member Posts: 43 Member
in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1

I'm curious if anyone else had their Rituxin by shot form? In my first three treatments I had it by the oral bag but then was offered the opportunity to get the shot instead. It saved nearly two and a half hours off my Chemo treatment so I said yes within seconds. The thing I didn't know is that it took nearly four or five minutes to give me the shot and in the stomach and it stung as they gave it to me.

Comments

  • ShadyGuy
    ShadyGuy Member Posts: 922 Member
    edited August 2020 #2
    I had it once ..

    but didn't like it and went back to the IV. My stomach was sore for several days. Otherwise no ill effects.

  • PBL
    PBL Member Posts: 366 Member
    #3
    Had all twelve maintenance doses as shots

    No particular side effects as compared to the six IV doses I had while in chemotherapy.  Subcutaneous shots do cause some bruising, but are proven to be just as efficient, and take a lot less time. Of note: the longer the nurse takes injecting, the less bruising and discomfort - also, depending on how nervous  the nurse is, s/he may tend to pinch hard for the whole duration, which is not useful... Better ask them to relax their pinch once the needle is in, as that directly impacts the amount of bruising and the subsequent discomfort. One more detail: I was handed Emla patches (local anesthetic) to stick onto my lower abdomen one to two hours prior to the injection. That might attenuate the stinging sensation as well.

    Added benefit of subcutaneous injection, I suspect, is a lower severe infection risk than with intravenous infusion - although that should be pretty rare, given the training of hematology ward nurses.

    Oral bags? Never heard of those...

    [Primary Bone Follicular Lymphoma - Dx 01/2016 - 6xR-CHOP21 03-06/2016 - Maintenance Ritux 08/2016-04-2018 (every 8 weeks)]

  • Lym999
    Lym999 Member Posts: 43 Member
    #4
    Rituxan Shot

    I meant IV bag. They never offered me a patch and on one of the occasions the vial bottle had come off from the syringe while giving the shot. I heard her say, "Oh no!" I looked down and just seen the needle sticking out from my stomach. She didn't know what to do at first and I told her to remove the needle. They then gave me the shot again. I would have done almost anything to get out in half the time so in all, i survived.

  • PBL
    PBL Member Posts: 366 Member
    edited August 2020 #5
    Freak accident

    ... I guess she may have been pushing on that syringe with all her might! The stuff is pretty thick, so it makes it difficult for them to push it out. Accidents do happen. Once, at the end of my chemo infusion day, as the nurse "unplugged" my port, out gushed blood - a lot of it. She got really nervous trying to stop the continuous flow for about ten to fifteen minutes. I remember opening a bottle of water for her to take a sip while she was pressing around my port and adding more compresses... Fun times!

    Regarding the patches, why not ask them next time?

  • Lym999
    Lym999 Member Posts: 43 Member
    #6
    Rituxan Shot

    Hopefully, I won't ever need Rituxan anymore. The medicine itself is what stung, but I made it through it. I hadn't had any major stories regarding my port. I can't wait to rid myself of it. Well, maybe soon!

  • ShadyGuy
    ShadyGuy Member Posts: 922 Member
    edited August 2020 #7
    Port

    It is interesting to me how some people can't wait to get that port out and at the same time others get a sense of security from their port and want to keep it. Like you I was very anxious to be rid of the thing. As for R shot in stomach - I do not have much flesh in that area - no belly fat to speak of - so when they injected me With that thick gooey stuff I was a bit unnerved by the popping and cracking sounds. And it did stay sore for several days. Thats why I went back to IV. I got to where I found the 2.5 - 3 hours in the chair relaxing.

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    edited August 2020 #8
    ShadyGuy said:

    Port

    It is interesting to me how some people can't wait to get that port out and at the same time others get a sense of security from their port and want to keep it. Like you I was very anxious to be rid of the thing. As for R shot in stomach - I do not have much flesh in that area - no belly fat to speak of - so when they injected me With that thick gooey stuff I was a bit unnerved by the popping and cracking sounds. And it did stay sore for several days. Thats why I went back to IV. I got to where I found the 2.5 - 3 hours in the chair relaxing.

    Port

    Shady, I shared your view of the port, thinking it would be a security blanket of sorts.  But my onc ordered it removed straight away, without ever even discussing it with me.  He knew that although NLPHL is 15% prone to relapse, it usually occures only years later.  And oncs develop a 'feel'  for how likely a patient is to relapse, based on things like how fast the first-line meds worked, various blood panel results, etc.   An art on their part, not science.

    I never had Rituxan via injection.  When first approved via injection I think there were some clinical particulars in which IV only was recommended, but that may have well changed since.   The Rituxan.com site is excellent, and massively detailed.

    max

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