Dave44 - I actually had to have rabies shots about three years ago. They truly are (to me, at least) no big deal. They didn’t hurt any more than a flu shot. I had seven shots the first day, as they give you the vaccine, and then inject gamma globulin into each bite (stupid outdoor cat I was trying to trap bit me six times…long story). Then I had to go back a couple of weeks later for just a booster shot of the rabies vaccine. All in all, I would say that on occasion my finger sticks hurt worse than the rabies shots!
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Then they must have changed. Years ago they were super painful.
I read the reviews on the Buzzy gadget and they looked pretty positive, so I’ve gone ahead and ordered one to be sent to her for tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion!
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There are two types of rabies shot. The pre-exposure vaccine is an inactivated virus and is indeed similar to a flu shot.
Post-exposure rabies shots (in addition to the vaccine) include a human IgG antibody shot. This is more painful largely because it’s quite a large volume for an intra-muscular injection. I got bitten by a rabid dog in India in '96, and from memory the IgG shot was 6mL, half into the muscle near the bite (calf), and half into the glute. The injection into the calf was quite uncomfortable.
Yep, they definitely have changed.
They got the Buzzy today (yay Amazon Prime), just in time for her weekly injection tonight. Turns out they already had one of the small ones that Children’s Hospital had given them, but it didn’t have all the instructional materials, and hadn’t been much of a help. The instructions have all this information about nerve paths in various injection locations, so that’s huge, and they hadn’t really been using freezings, which are also critical to the thing working the way it’s supposed to. I sent the larger XL one, which is designed for longer procedures like IV insertions, blood drawing and the like, which my granddaughter also has to go through. I thought it was the right one because the Humira injection is prolonged and the pain from the medication lasts for a while after the shot. Anyway, seems to have been the right choice. My daughter is thrilled, and we’re all hoping it works.
Gotta say the tech support guys at the company that makes Buzzy are also great. They were very helpful and compassionate. Thanks again for the suggestion. I’ll drop back in and let you know how it goes.
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Try EMLA cream, it’s topical anesthetic, on prescription it might cost less. Apply 20 minutes before injection it numbs the skin.
I am so sorry to hear of your granddaughter’s diagnosis. Unlike others who understand the pain of Humira injections, I understand her pain from the condition itself. I was diagnosed 7 years ago with Dermatomyositis – an auto-immune condition where the immune system attacks the muscles. That was the worst pain I have experienced in my entire life. You also might want to reach of to the Myositis Association since many people with some of the forms of myositis also have daily injections. Personally, I am lucky that I just needed pills for my condition – Prednisone and Azathioprine. In the end, the suggestions that you received here seem to be logical and worth a try.
My heart goes out to her. I was 12 when I was diagnosed with diabetes (and I believe that you were a child, too, upon diagnosis), so I also suggest that everyone be available to support her and to listen to her when she needs to talk to someone she can trust. She may seem like Bella the Brave, but she needs emotional support as well as medical help at this tender time of her life. Give her a hug from all of us, Grandpa!
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Make 10,000% certain it is NOT cold when she injects it.
Identical problem to when insulin is injected cold. (It should not be cold) 
Is SHE your grand daughter doing the injection(s)? Control can make a serious difference to the emotional piece(s). Once you/I control our own injection(s), it is often less uncomfortable.
That said, a grown up must watch her do them, so there is no “…oooopsey, I forgot…” Pinocchio’s.
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