The users guide
to prescription drugs
and supplements

Finding the right
medication is important
Let RateADrug help.

Evaluate your current medication
Compare conventional and alternative therapies
Get information without drug company bias

PreMed PREP FAQs About Us Contact Us

|Compare Treatments

|Evaluate Your Treatment

Search for a Treatment

Find Treatments by Condition

Browse by name:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ba-Bd | Be-Bh | Bi-Bo | Bp-Br | Bs-Bz

Da-Dd | De | Df-Di |Dj-Do | Dp-Dz

Ea-El | Em-Ep | Eq-Es | Et | Eu-Ez

Ha-He | Hf-Hz

Ia-Il | Im-In | Io-Ip | Iq-Iz

La-Ld | Le| Lf-Ln| Lo | Lp-Lz

Na | Nb-Nh | Ni | Nj-Nz

Oa-Op | Oq-Ow | Ox-Oz

Ra-Rd | Re | Rf-Rz

Avonex

Interferon beta-1a

View / Add User Comments (4)

User Ratings

Out of 10

Satisfaction

7.5

4 Effectiveness

6.8 Side Effects

3.5 Holistic Benefits

RateADrug users have reported 11 Avonex side effects and 2 Avonex benefits.

Be better informed. Are you taking Avonex?

Yes |No

Get Help

Evaluate Your Treatment

Treatment Information

Description | Uses & Side Effects | Warnings

The generic name of this medication is interferon beta-1a and brand names are Avonex, Avonex Prefilled Syringe, Rebif.

The active ingredient of this medication is interferon beta-1a.

Used in the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis and it functions by slowing down the accumulation of physical disability.

Common Uses:

Used in the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis and it functions by slowing down the accumulation of physical disability.

Off Label Uses:

None noted currently.

Side Effects:
Depressed mood, anxiety, trouble sleeping, restlessness, or thoughts of suicide or hurting oneself;
Easy bruising or bleeding, weakness;
Fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms.
Numbness or tingling in the upper and lower extremities;
Pain, swelling, or skin changes where the injection was given;
Seizure (convulsions);
Urinary discomfort.

Cautions / Warnings:

Not recommended in people with:
Allergic reactions to this medication or any of its ingredients;
Liver disorder;
Thyroid disorder;
Epilepsy or other seizure disorders;
Cardiovascular conditions, chest pain (angina), congestive heart failure, or heart rhythm disorders.

It is also not recommended in pregnant women; women that are planning on becoming pregnant and nursing mothers.

Drug Interactions:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol);
An ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), and others.
An antibiotic;
Arthritis medications such as auranofin (Ridaura);
Birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy;
Cancer medications;
Cholesterol medications such atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), and others;
HIV/AIDS medications;
Methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall);
Tuberculosis medications.

View / Add User Comments (4)

Avonex Comments

08 Jan 2012

It is great that Avonex is only once a week. But for me it has really been a challenge. It took my body 18 months instead of 8 months to adjust. The flu symptoms were bad as when I chilled my skin also was burning. Then I only had a short time frame where side effects were mild. I experience interaction with pre-medication and Avonex dropping body temp too low. I have to pre-medicate 3 hours ahead to keep it from happening. Now the side effects are getting worse and I had an allergic reaction to it. My face was red, hot and swollen. My hands were swollen also. I been using benadryl before injection and after injection to see if that helps. I also experience site reactions with rashes, bruising and knotting. I only have two sites left.. the side of my thighs. I am running out of room. If I have another allergic reaction, I will choose to go off Avonex and not go on any MS medications. I choose to go with an organic diet and meditation.

—Posted by Anonymous

03 Oct 2011

If i take it once a week on the same day and almost the same time I rarely get sick

—Posted by Anonymous

03 Aug 2010

I have been taking Avonex for about 15 years. I credit Avonex for my ability to keep walking and to continue living a fairly normal life, with a family and a 20-hour job. I think I would be in a wheelchair if I never took Avonex. The times I have tried to do without my weekly injection, I would start having spastic movements while walking that risked some very painful falls/sprains, and I would walk with a more pronounced limp which never fully recovered even when I began taking the drug again. So my husband and daughter always told me they thought I was better off taking the drug, and, though I very much dislike the unjection and side effects, I tend to agree it is better to keep on the Avonex. However, after so many years of Avonex, the side effects are still awful. For at least 24 hours after the shot I am totally out of it ~ sometimes not able to do much but lie down and watch tv. What may make it worse is that I get very bad heartburn ~ so I often have a sleepless night or two around the time of my injection because of the heartburn ~ and I hate wasting at least a day each week in this misery. Like going through childbirth, though, I tend to forget that miserable time period the rest of the week because I feel good, though I limp and do display M.S. I wish I could get rid of the heartburn (could it be the interaction with Tylenol that I've been told to take to keep the flu symptoms down?) and I also wish the Avonex needle would be smaller! Then I wouldn't dread my injection so much after all these years!

—Posted by Megan W. in California

View / Add User Comments (4)

Evaluate This Treatment

User Ratings

Comments(4)

More About This Treatment

How does your Treatment Compare?

Choose a Condition:

Show results for:

Brands	Effectiveness	Holistic Benefits	Side Effects	Number of Ratings
Tysabri	6.75	5.28	3.79	4
Rebif	5	4.74	6.08	10
Betaseron	4.5	3.74	4.94	2
Avonex	2.5	2.65	5.34	4
Copaxone	1.17	3.61	6.5	6

View All	About these Scores
	Choose a condition to compare treatments based on user feedback. You can sort by Effectiveness, Holistic Benefits or Side Effects RateADrug user scores, or the number of Ratings. Scores gain significance with the number of ratings, so please share your experiences - rate your drug! Close

Effectiveness of Avonex by Condition

Click on a condition to view RateADrug.com users ratings

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Effectiveness on "Multiple Sclerosis (MS)"

About these Results
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of how users rate the effectiveness of their medication. Click on the various conditions to see how the effectiveness ratings change. Close

Not at all

Mildly

Moderately

Very

Extremely

How effective is Avonex?

Reported Changes in Health and Well-Being

Since taking Avonex, RateADrug survey participants noticed these changes in their health:

Effect on:	Much Worse	Worse	No Change	Better	Much Better
Appetite	0%	12.5%	62.5%	12.5%	12.5%
Balance/Equilibrium	0%	12.5%	62.5%	25%	0%
Blood Pressure	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%
Breathing	0%	0%	100%	0%	0%
Confidence	0%	12.5%	75%	12.5%	0%
Coordination/Motor Skills	0%	12.5%	50%	25%	12.5%
Digestion	0%	12.5%	62.5%	12.5%	12.5%
Emotional Well-being	0%	12.5%	87.5%	0%	0%
Energy	0%	25%	37.5%	25%	12.5%
Eyesight	0%	12.5%	75%	12.5%	0%
Memory	0%	12.5%	75%	12.5%	0%
Mental Clarity	0%	0%	87.5%	12.5%	0%
Pain	0%	25%	50%	12.5%	12.5%
Patience	0%	12.5%	87.5%	0%	0%
Sexual Health	12.5%	0%	75%	12.5%	0%
Skin Complexion	0%	12.5%	62.5%	12.5%	12.5%
Sleep	0%	25%	50%	12.5%	12.5%
Stress Level	12.5%	0%	75%	0%	12.5%

About these Scores
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of negative or positive changes in health and well-being experienced by users for all of the categories listed. Close

Commonly Reported Avonex Side Effects

RateADrug survey participants experienced these commonly reported side effects:

Effect on:	None	Mild	Moderate	Strong	Severe
Allergic Reaction	57.1%	14.3%	0%	28.6%	0%
Anxiety	57.1%	42.9%	0%	0%	0%
Appetite Loss	71.4%	0%	0%	14.3%	14.3%
Bladder Problems / Incontinence	57.1%	28.6%	0%	14.3%	0%
Blurred Vision	66.7%	0%	33.3%	0%	0%
Breathing Difficulties	66.7%	33.3%	0%	0%	0%
Cold Symptoms	66.7%	33.3%	0%	0%	0%
Confusion	66.7%	33.3%	0%	0%	0%
Cough	85.7%	0%	14.3%	0%	0%
Diarrhea	66.7%	33.3%	0%	0%	0%
Dizziness	71.4%	0%	28.6%	0%	0%
Drowsiness	66.7%	0%	33.3%	0%	0%
Fatigue	28.6%	14.3%	14.3%	28.6%	14.3%
Fever	66.7%	33.3%	0%	0%	0%
Flu-Like Symptoms	14.3%	14.3%	28.6%	28.6%	14.3%
Gas	66.7%	0%	33.3%	0%	0%
Headache	42.9%	14.3%	0%	28.6%	14.3%
Insomnia	57.1%	14.3%	14.3%	14.3%	0%
Irregular Heartbeat	33.3%	33.3%	33.3%	0%	0%
Muscle / Joint Pain	42.9%	14.3%	28.6%	14.3%	0%
Muscle Cramping	66.7%	0%	33.3%	0%	0%
Nausea	57.1%	14.3%	0%	14.3%	14.3%
Sensitivity to Light	33.3%	33.3%	33.3%	0%	0%
Skin Rash	50%	50%	0%	0%	0%
Stomach Ache	33.3%	0%	33.3%	33.3%	0%
Yeast Infection	71.4%	28.6%	0%	0%	0%

About these Scores
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of the severity of side effects experienced by users. Scores gain significance with the number of ratings, so please share your experiences - rate your drug! Close

Less Commonly Reported Avonex Side Effects

RateADrug survey participants experienced less commonly reported side effects:

Effect on:	None	Mild	Moderate	Strong	Severe
Back Pain	50%	25%	25%	0%	0%
Blurred Vision	75%	25%	0%	0%	0%
Change in Menstruation	85.7%	0%	14.3%	0%	0%
Change in Weight	57.1%	14.3%	28.6%	0%	0%
Chest Pain	57.1%	28.6%	14.3%	0%	0%
Chills	28.6%	42.9%	28.6%	0%	0%
Dark / Tarry Stools	85.7%	14.3%	0%	0%	0%
Earache	71.4%	0%	14.3%	14.3%	0%
Fainting	85.7%	0%	14.3%	0%	0%
Flaky / Peeling Skin	71.4%	28.6%	0%	0%	0%
Thinning / Loss of Hair	85.7%	14.3%	0%	0%	0%
Vomiting	85.7%	14.3%	0%	0%	0%

About these Scores
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the distribution in percentages of the severity of side effects experienced by users. Scores gain significance with the number of ratings, so please share your experiences - rate your drug! Close

Episodes since taking Avonex

Since taking Avonex Rate a Drug survey participants reported these episodes:

Fall

9.1%

About these Results
Out of 100% of people surveyed, these results show the percentage of users who have experienced any of these episodes while taking their medication. Close

How does your experience compare with other Avonex users?

Online Health Care Dispute Resolution

Need help resolving complaints against a doctor, insurance company or other health care provider

User Comments about Avonex

08 Jan 2012	It is great that Avonex is only once a week. But for me it has really been a challenge. It took my body 18 months instead of 8 months to adjust. The flu symptoms were bad as when I chilled my skin also was burning. Then I only had a short time frame where side effects were mild. I experience interaction with pre-medication and Avonex dropping body temp too low. I have to pre-medicate 3 hours ahead to keep it from happening. Now the side effects are getting worse and I had an allergic reaction to it. My face was red, hot and swollen. My hands were swollen also. I been using benadryl before injection and after injection to see if that helps. I also experience site reactions with rashes, bruising and knotting. I only have two sites left.. the side of my thighs. I am running out of room. If I have another allergic reaction, I will choose to go off Avonex and not go on any MS medications. I choose to go with an organic diet and meditation. —Posted by Anonymous Respond Display Name: Email: (Required) Notify me of new comments Email me monthly survey results Sending... I agree to the Terms of Use
03 Oct 2011	If i take it once a week on the same day and almost the same time I rarely get sick —Posted by Anonymous Respond Display Name: Email: (Required) Notify me of new comments Email me monthly survey results Sending... I agree to the Terms of Use
03 Aug 2010	I have been taking Avonex for about 15 years. I credit Avonex for my ability to keep walking and to continue living a fairly normal life, with a family and a 20-hour job. I think I would be in a wheelchair if I never took Avonex. The times I have tried to do without my weekly injection, I would start having spastic movements while walking that risked some very painful falls/sprains, and I would walk with a more pronounced limp which never fully recovered even when I began taking the drug again. So my husband and daughter always told me they thought I was better off taking the drug, and, though I very much dislike the unjection and side effects, I tend to agree it is better to keep on the Avonex. However, after so many years of Avonex, the side effects are still awful. For at least 24 hours after the shot I am totally out of it ~ sometimes not able to do much but lie down and watch tv. What may make it worse is that I get very bad heartburn ~ so I often have a sleepless night or two around the time of my injection because of the heartburn ~ and I hate wasting at least a day each week in this misery. Like going through childbirth, though, I tend to forget that miserable time period the rest of the week because I feel good, though I limp and do display M.S. I wish I could get rid of the heartburn (could it be the interaction with Tylenol that I've been told to take to keep the flu symptoms down?) and I also wish the Avonex needle would be smaller! Then I wouldn't dread my injection so much after all these years! —Posted by Megan W. in California Respond Display Name: Email: (Required) Notify me of new comments Email me monthly survey results Sending... I agree to the Terms of Use
12 Sep 2009	I don't know yet (as of today) if Avonex has helped with the demyelination of my spinal cord as I have yet to take an MRI since being on Avonex (Nov 1, 2008). I will the second week of October. I do know that my history with MS has been what is now known as relapsing episodes for three years prior to my diagnosis October 2008. I have been experiencing worsening symptoms since my diagnosis and treatment. —Posted by Apple Respond Display Name: Email: (Required) Notify me of new comments Email me monthly survey results Sending... I agree to the Terms of Use