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4848471 tn?1372238752

Tecfidera anxiety,30th birthday

Yesterday morning, I awoke to greet a new day with dread. The reason I say "dread", or perhaps outright horror, is the fact that I turned thirty.That new day was punctuated with a morning phone call.

"Hi Brittany!"
My stomach churned a bit. No one I knew sounded this overtly chipper in the morning. What the hell was going on?
I think I responded with some sort of garbled nonsense of a variety that seemed suited to wasting a night and early morning on a nostalgia filled Elder Scrolls gaming session.
"Urgh..mwmeahwh..it's my birthday..today..mmmmmmhhwh..I need to sleep.."
"I have a present for you! Your Tecfidera will be shipped to you."
I hesitated a moment and said,"I hear you guys ship really fast. I kind of didn't want to greet my birthday with puking and the Hershey squirts."
I really, really didn't want to think about MS on my birthday. I just wanted one day where it didn't intrude. I'll be honest, I was pissed off.
****. So here I am, finally - the drug I wanted to be on, my first DMD.I'm still terrified of taking it, what with hearing so many horrendous reports.I have a feeling I will end up having a staring match at the bottle for hours.
I feel a bit like that Edward Norton painting, The Scream. Oh wait, Edward Norton was in Fight Club, wasn't he? I can't remember. Wow, I feel older than thirty, maybe ninety - screw you, cog fog!
So i'm going through this weird kaleidoscope of emotions - wondering about the Tecfidera, and feeling old, old old. I wonder about how 30 is going to change me. Will I have to give up everything I love and start acting "adult"?I'm sort of the antithesis of a straight-laced accountant, or what have you proper image.
18 Responses
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352007 tn?1372857881
Happy 30th Birthday to you and I love your dry sense of humor, my kind of gal.

From my experience, anticipating or hypothesizing will increase anxiety and fear.  I know its easier said than done, but start out when you open that new tecfidera bottle that it has no side effects. Mind over matter quite frankly and go from there.  

Just think, if you happen to experience an unwanted side effect, you can work with your Neurologist with medications that can help with some that you can "live" with, ie: nausea.  

What your doctor is concerned with is your compliance and/or adherence in taking the medication.  A drug not taken is not going to work.  If you go without side effects, wouldn't that be wonderful?  I think you'll be great!

Again, I hope your birthday was special!


Lisa

Helpful - 0
5485096 tn?1375574235
Happy birthday hibbles!

Think of it this way ms has many side effects (symptoms) all in itself... This will take those side effects and delay them or even better yet diminish them possibly to less than what they could have been!

I will take med side effects to delay ms side effects :D

30 is great! I am now 33! It's all good! :)
Helpful - 0
4461995 tn?1357955108
I take my Tec w/ the largest swallow of water I can possibly manage - but still feels like it is sticking in my throat.  Not a pleasant sensation.  

That gel cap is sticky!

Any suggestions from anyone out there?

Thanks muchly.

~~~~~Marcia
Helpful - 0
4461995 tn?1357955108
Happiest of Birthdays to you - and your Tecfidera.  I started on Tec about 3 weeks ago and have had practically NO side effects!!!  Some stomach pain - but that is it.  I was so nervous about nausea - everything makes me nauseous.  But not Tec.  I was shocked. Not original dose - not 240mg......

And SO SO SO happy to not have any more needles - after 14 years of 1' 1/4" Avonex needles and then the awful Tysabri experience.  Even after 14  1/2 years on Avonex, I still had side effects and couldn't do the pre-mixed solution or the "pen" because the side effects were WORSE.  So I am very very thankful.

Gratitude lists help - a add few things each day you are thankful for - it's amazing how fast they add up.  Your boyfriend, a pet, a beautiful sky, a great cup of coffee, a few hours to relax and do whatever you want, friends.....AND having some kind of meds that will help w/ MS.  When I got MS 30 years ago there was nuttin'.  

So hope you are feeling well - and had a happy birthday.  And yes, it is your birthday MONTH.  So since you didn't consider it to be your birthday month all of June you can now extend out another 30 days from your bday to celebrate!  What are you going to do?

Obviously, you watch your gluten.  I was just told to do so - any easy suggestions?

Enjoy your day!

~~~Marcia

Helpful - 0
5538989 tn?1514398453
Happy Birthday! I will be 33 next month and think of aging as a privilege that not everyone is able to enjoy :)  Hope you are having the day you deserve.

Cubbiesfan
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Happy Birthday, wow you are just a babe in the woods at thirty!  
Helpful - 0
1637739 tn?1371688706
Happy Birthday!  I just had my 40th this month....a couple weeks after starting Tecfidera....I wish I just turned 30! Lol.  I agree with Kyle.  I was so prepared for all the side effects and pleasantly surprised it hasn't been nearly as bad as I had put in my head.  I would think of it like a great Bday gift because it beats taking the shots :)

Jeny
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I turn 37 tomorrow.

I'm undx.

Sometimes I think someone telling me what is wrong with me would be a fantastic birthday present. Other times I think oblivion is the way to go.

Maybe just having someone in a position to help me actually taking me seriously would make my day...I don't know.

But I hear you. Knowing why or not knowing why, either way the future can be scary.

Sorry your day started out so crappily. I hope you were able to have a happy birthday in spite of it all! Hang in there!

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Happy 30th Birthday! I loved thirty. Now I've been 35 for almost 15 years. My motto, 35 forever baby!  Enjoy! Barb
Helpful - 0
4848471 tn?1372238752
I was considering eating a huge potato flour donut with candles stuck in it, but my wonderful boyfriend made a gluten free pineapple upside down cake with one candle in it. I have to consider the wonderful things and people in my life as well, which he is definitely one of.
Helpful - 0
1040373 tn?1273687488
Hey, don't believe all of the horror stories you read online :)

I'm on week 4 of Tecfidera and I've had probably 2 days where I had watery diarrhea. I also had some stomach pain but nothing was so bad that I had to leave work.

You'll do great - happy birthday!
Helpful - 0
739070 tn?1338603402
Happy Birthday Hibbles!!!! Thirty is nothing compared to fifty!!!:-))) I've had MS , albeit undiagnosed for many, many years  for at least 30 years and I do NOT have a drool cup,lol.

30 is just a number so just chose a number you like, say 25 , and use that as your age. Yesterday you were 29 and you weren't  any different than you are today except today you get to eat cake or whatever your favorite dessert is and claim that you don't have to do anything you don't want to because it IS your day and you can do ANYTHING  you want. That includes claiming the rest of the week your "birthday week" and celebrate it with your favorite things!!

As for the Tecifedera, not everyone gets every side effect just as Kyle pointed out so try to stay positive and hope for the best.

So, what kind of cake is your favorite? Have a slice for me!

Birthday Hugs!!!
Ren
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, Hibbles.

Happy Birthday! 30 isn't so bad.

I have been on Tecifidera for a week today. Besides some minor gastro issues day 2 no major problems to report. I don't know if this is even possible seeing it's only been a week but I feel like I have more energy and the brain fog is gone.

I start the 240 dose tomorrow which has me a bit concerned. Hopefully, any side effects will be as mild as when I started the 120 dose.

Eric
Helpful - 0
4848471 tn?1372238752
:HIGHFIVE:
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Turning 30 for me was also pretty traumatic. Starting my DMD 5 years later was less so. Now I get to fast the big 40 in less that 3 years and I have decided that from now on I will just keep turning 25.

Happy Birthday!
Helpful - 0
4848471 tn?1372238752
Thank you for your kind words. I really hope to be in as good shape as you are with this crap. I never had anything as dramatic as optic neuritis or total paralysis, but ive had at least two relapses in a year and a half. The first one went completely away, and this latest one (MS hug) started in April. It's gotten a little better but isn't totally gone. Then the intermittent leg pain and tingles started. I guess i'm really hoping this doesn't add up to drool cup.
Helpful - 0
1831849 tn?1383228392
MS will not turn you into a character from an Evard Munch painting, even if you are 30 :-)

It sounds to me as if turning 30 has you more upset than having MS. Take it from me, neither one will kill you. I'm 53 and I've had MS for about 22 years. The first 20 years went without diagnosi and without treatment, I get up every morning and go to work like "normal" folk. I exercise, I ride my bike, I travel...So MS does not mean you spend the rest of your days sitting in a wheelchair with a drool cup.

I am in the process of transitioning from Tysabri to Tecfidera. Every med I've taken, and every LP I've had, has an associated list of horrible side effects. I experienced none of them. I really think that you can talk yourself into side effects. I'm not saying that they don't exist, but the less I know about them the less likely I am to look for them in every shadow.

Happy Birthday Hibbles :-)

Kyle
Helpful - 0
667078 tn?1316000935
I used to think MS was the scariest thing I had to face. It is scary but it is doable.

You will not get every side effect they mention. Tecfidera has been used for other things it is new to MS, so they have worked out many of the side effects.

The best thing to do with fear is know it is there and move on.

What I felt when I started a DMD was this is real. I really have MS.

Alex
Helpful - 0
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