scared

[waitingbubbles]

well at 11am today will be my first shot of avonex..... i am scared...... not so much with the needle ..... just the possible side affects .... i am supposed to go camping lol..... and just in general..... anyone have stories of there first injection with avonex?????

[Erin0313]

Heather,

  That's great news!!! I'm glad that the Avonex is going well and that you had a fun camping trip :)

Stay well - we will be thinking of you and sending happy thoughts

Hugs,
Erin :)

[waitingbubbles]

it went well!!! my DR made so i do my 1st 2 weeks at 1/4 dose then 2 weeks at 1/2 then 3/4 then full so i had nothing but a bruise! but it will take a bit of getting used too with the needle ... thank goodness i am in healthcare and have lots of nurse friends to help me out ;)

i really hope that avonex works for me and puts things at bay ..... i enjoyed my camping trip this weekend i didnt wan to leave !

thank you all for thinking about me and i will keep you posted on my next one too :)

heather

[Quixotic1]

I was on Avonex for two years.  I found the shots very easy to give.  The first month I was sore and achey and stiff for the entire day after the shot.  But, THIS WAS NOTHING LIKE THE FLU.  I have had the flu and this just was not that bad.  Over the first 4 months the side effects got better and better - well, actually shorter and shorter, until I had pretty much slept through them overnight.  If I got up to pee in the night I could tell my muscles were a little achey.

I had to use Tylenol (acetominophen) because I am allergic to meds in the Ibuprofen/Naproxen category.  If you can use those they are much better.  They directly block the pathway by which the interferons cause pain.  Tylenol just deals with the pain generally and is not nearly as effective - theoretically.

How did your shot go?

The majority of people do just fine on Avonex.  We don't hear from them because they are off living their pretty normal lives.  ACtually, I think we have a skewed population of MS sufferers because we are so badly affected by our disease.

Quix

[Needtoknow613]

Hi. I want to know how you did with your first shot too.  I will be starting mine in the next week or so.  I am really scared of the side effects.  I just graduating with my master's degree and was really eager to get back to work and now this.  Will I be able to function on a new job and taking his medication?  Maybe I should wait, but I'm afraid of having another attack.

Any suggestions?

Michelle

[Sparkysarah]

Hi and how are you doing? I am wondering how you got on with your first shot and really hope that it went well for you. As a needle hater, I have run away from DMD's at the moment and am trying to get on an oral drug trial instead...but it may be that I have to consider that option in the future.

Let us know how you got on.

Love Sarah x

[Erin0313]

  I'm dying to know how it went and very glad that I didn't see this before work. I am not a positive person when it comes to that darn Avonex except to say it seems to be holding my MS in it's place and thats a great thing. I hate the huge needle and the flu stinks.

  Tell me good news like it was just a pin ***** and you really had no side effects.

  Seriously, let us know how it went and we are here for you and can probably give you some tips that have helped us for you to try.

Hugs,
Erin :)

[AMO]

thinkiiiing about you today,how did it go?

[sllowe]

Hi there!

We are right here with you! Only a little time left to go!

You'll be good and you go camping! Take yourself some tylenol, or advil if you can and just go for it!

Nurse coming out?

-shell

[AMO]

i had my first avonex injection hit like a train:(
i told my dr and he had me do tapper up, 1/4 dose to start...1/2... then 3/4...SO much better
i forgotover time how longhow long
iii did them at night with tylenol
rememerb   not everyone has side effects
be well, amo

[figuerpa]

I am not on any DMD's but my sister uses avonex. She takes hers in the evening so she can sleep off the flu like symptoms that follow the shot. Not sure if this helped but thought I would share what she does.


Good luck

Paula