DMDs experiences please

[Zacksmomi]

Hi all,
My Neuro prescribed Rebif yesterday and they are setting all that up for me.
The truth is, I know Nothing about these DMD's I think there are Betaseron, Rebif, Copaxone and Avonex are there more?

What I know from reading my rebif packet, Rebif can cause liver problems more than the others and is 3 times a week.
Copaxone is every day but a short needle similar side effects to Rebif but less liver and nausea issues
Avonex the needle looks scary but it is only once a week though the flu like symptoms are bad
The Betaseron sounds difficult with all the mixing and having a small child I need it to be easy.

Am I way off on my thoughts, and could you share your opinion of how your DMD's work for you Please!

Thanks
D

[Lulu54]

Welcome to this side of the mountain .... you are right about the main DMD's being offered.  Copaxone is a separate class of drug from the other three, which are all interferons.  

I am on copax, so can't help much with the Rebif questions.  There are many people here who can answer your questions and give you additional guidance.  Did your doctor recommend REBIF or was that your choice?  Just wondering.

I am thankful you are starting a DMD now - early trreatment is key to controlling MS.

My best to you,
Laura

[sllowe]

Hey D,

I'm on Rebif.  We have has so many discussions on this that I think you would enjoy. I'll try to bump a few up for you.  The Betaseron does come pre-filled too, so no worries there.

From what I've learned you can not go wrong w/your choice.  I drove myself nuts trying to figure our what med did what, worried about making the wrong choice, etc.  In the end, I went w/my Drs recommendation of Rebif.  

I couldn't figure out why some Drs said that you should really think about the dosing schedule and what you thought would be best for you. I was more worried about what the med was and how it was going to affect me and if one was better than the other.  I now know why they said this - - it's because they are all equally effective in the end.  

All the needles are very thin and sharp and the nurses are very good at teaching techniques.

I'll add more - just wanted to respond briefly while I was on
ttys,
Shell

[Zacksmomi]

Can you please tell me what you know about Copaxone.  My doc said it is his last choice and I told him I was not educated about the DMD's and what he prescribed will be great to start with until I know more.

Thanks
D

[doublevision1]

I initially chose Rebif due to the dosing schedule.  After 8 weeks I had to discontinue as my liver enzymes were very elevated on it.  They returned to normal when I went off the drug.  I only ever got up to the half-dose (22mcg) and wasnt on it long enough for it to do me any good.  This liver reaction is apparently not that common, maybe 3% of pts according to the Serono's literature, and doesn't bother the majority of patients who take Rebif.  But because it is a risk with serious implications, patients' liver enzymes are monitored via regular bloodwork, which is how the problem was discovered with me.

I started Copaxone last June and am tolerating it well.  I have had one episode of ON since going on it but otherwise my residual symptoms from previous relapses either improved or remained stable; I am not doing any worse on it, clinicially-speaking.  My 6 month MRI follow up showed no changes (for the good or the bad) to the lesions on my brain and spinal cord.

Copaxone injections initally hurt more than Rebif.  I had no painful injections or site reactions from Rebif.  I never got the flu-like symptoms, but again, never did experience the full dose.

Over time the sting and site reactions from the Copaxone injections have improved greatly for me.  I thought having to do a daily injection would be a lot more hassle than the 3x/wk with Rebif, but this is not the case.  It's just one quick step in the course of my bedtime routine.  I do my own injections with the exception of arms, which my husband does for me.

My regular neuro has no preference for one med over the other, and prescribes any of the four (ABCR) to his pts with RRMS.  A neuro I consulted last summer on a one-time basis at B&G hospital in Boston told me that if it was him or any of his family or friends, he would want them on Copaxone.  He felt it was overall as effective as the interferons and favoured it because of the lesser side effects.

As Shelly said, you really can't go wrong in your choice.  It is quite possible that whatever you choose you will tolerate well, and worst case scenario if you can't, there are other options.  One suggestion I would make though is to ask your doc why Copaxone is his last choice, so you can make an informed decision with the appropriate input.

db

[Zacksmomi]

We must have been posting at the same time lol!
Thanks for the bumps.  
How you posted about your Rebif experiences on your Profile? I would love to hear more

D

[cuttersmom]

My Neuro gave me all four options, not pushing me towards any of them, but pointed out all of the pros & cons.

Because the interferons can effect your organs, you do need to have regular bloodwork (not sure how often though..every 6 months maybe?).  I personally did not want to deal with the flu-like side effects, or do an IM injection, even though that's once a week.  I chose the Copaxone because it was sub-q, and had the least amount of side effects.

Since I'm only on day 2 of the Copaxone injections, can't really say yet if it is the right choice for me.  I've had a couple of headaches and some nausea (don't know if those were from the shot or not), as well as pain at the injection site.  I'm told that does get better over time though.  The injection itself, using the Autoject, is so-o easy to do, so the everyday thing, so far :), is no big deal.

You won't be wrong in whatever DMD you choose, although as db said, I would find out why your Neuro is pushing you to one over another.

Good luck - Kristen