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