stopping avonex treatment

First, contrary to what maxthecat wrote, this is from the Avonex medication guide: "AVONEX PEN should only be injected into the muscle of your upper, outer thigh." Anyway, I hate the shots too, so I completely know how you feel … although I’ve been taking them only half as long as you have.

Just wondering how long it takes to get out of your system. I just want to see how many of my symptoms are from my MS and how many are from Avonex. Im just so low and I'm tired and I just want to feel normal again. I haven't taken it for 2 weeks and I feel like I'm starting to feel better. I went from being diagnosed to getting the solumedrol and then to avonex a couple of days after finished the taper.

Well if you look at MS patients, some of them are on treatment for life, they are on an interferon, like Avonex or Tysabri only it's a beta not an alpha like we take but it's still interferon.

I know that feeling too and have cut back on some of my symptomatic treatment but would not dream of stopping my DMD. good luck.

t inject daily so Copaxone was out. Then the needle with Avonex was too big, nor was there an auto inject so Avonex was out. Rebif has an auto injector & it is only 3x's a week, which is the medium of the other two. So far no major side affects. Two weeks ago I thought I was having a reaction to the meds so I skipped two injection days. I resumed the injections on Wednesday & so far no reaction. I've been on Rebif since April and am still getting use to sticking myself.....

there a way of stopping an acerbation episode besides a heavy dose of steroids?

For someone who was diagnosed with M.S., is it best to be on a med. (such as Avonex) even when symptom-free? I don't feel that I need med. but also don't want progression to be taking place when med. can stop it. I would very much appreciate any feedback! Thank you!

Is anyone on avonex? My dr. wants to switch me to avonex, but with having lupus, I really don't want to go on an interferon. I'm on copaxone, now but because I have large welts on my arms he wants to switch me. I don't want to switch. Do I have the right to deny a new medication I feel would be detrimental to me?

I was told about the IVIg therapy by another mom whose neuro prescribed it for her so that she could continue to breastfeed her children. I have taken Avonex, in the past, without any luck. It only made me feel worse. I was so excited to hear of something that would allow me to continue to breastfeed my son and give him the best start. When I called my neuro and asked if this would be a possible treatment option for me, I was given a resounding "NO!!!

While I sympathize with the problems you are having with the Copaxone, I agree with your neuro that you should continue on some form of treatment. This is a gamble - and if you lose it could be a serious problem for the rest of your life. I will hope that doesn't happen to you. The oral drugs do have side effects - just because they are a pill and not an injection doesn't mean they don't pose their own set of problems.

My gait is somewhat labored, I have intention tremor in my hands and some numbness on my left side. I am considering stopping my Avonex becausse of the cost. Have not seen my neurologist yet but want another persons opinion also.

The Cleveland Clinic Doctor Wants to start me on Avonex in the next couple of weeks and follow me here in Cleveland from now on. She feels that all of my problems are either MS or various meds that the doctors have given me in the past. No Sjogren's etc. ? Wow I was on Copaxone and it didn't work but am willing to try anything if it will stop this progression. 3 neuro's in the last 5 months with 3 different opinions. Rituxan, IVIG & now Avonex.

I have a Clinically isolated syndrome with two inactive lesions in my MRI. We talked about treatment options, and he thinks that at this stage Avonex or Copaxone might work, but he told me to seek more information and decide which drug I want to choose. What should I take into account to choose one drug over the other? What has been your experience as a first user of these drugs? I assume there have been dozens of threads like this: How can I look up more info on this site and elsewhere?

I have noticed that there are some members that believe that the DMD's (Disease Modifying Drugs) currently used to treat MS, will not lessen your MS symptoms. The DMD's will NOT improve your symptoms, nor cause any symptom to go away. If they go away, you are in a remission. The DMD's are given to help the odds of us not developing more lesions and to help relapses to be few and far between....in some patients, stopping relapses and more lesions all together.

Sigh, I have a question from a friend. She would like to know if avonex causes calcium deficiency? She is diagnosed with ms. Not like me.

After 10 months (4 months of weekly Peg and 6 months of daily Infregen) of tx I am stopping treatment under my doctor's advice. My latest VL came back and I am 336 just barely down from 384 two months ago. The side effects have consistently been getting worse and I miss work 1-2 days per week, 2-3 hours of sleep and severe headaches. My doctor is concerned that there is no clear benefit from continuing and I may be causing more harm than good.

I would urge you to consider all of the consequences of stopping treatment now and, if at all possible, try to finish treatment. I know treatment is very difficult, but End Stage Liver Disease is far, far worse. If you develop End Stage Liver Disease, not only will you be extremely ill physically, you also won't be able to work or live a normal life.

Sorry I am asking so many questions here, but things are moving fast for me concerning my treatment. The doctor here in Thailand wants to stop treatment and wait a 2 weeks and then start again if my platelets drop below 50,000. I am thinking that is not good to stop for 2 weeks and start again in terms of the efficiency of the treatment. I only have 67.000 going into this treatment and surely i will go below 50,000. He also said he wants to stop completely if I go below 25,000.

I am a 34yr old male, 160lbs. I contracted hiv in December of 2009, and got diagnosed formally in January of 2010. Started treatment immediately, with 60,000 viral load. I forget my original cd4 count. Up until a few months ago, I was on treatment pretty much the entire time I was infected. There were a couple breaks due to insurance issues, and one break last fall when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I'm told the diabetes is from the hiv medication.

I am 55 yrs old, the mother of four raised primarily solo. Have endured much strife in life as have all others. Fear of unknown and long term treatment keeping me from deciding whether or not to discontinue meds. Any and all input welcome.

I would be very interested in hearing what you all find out about with there being a connection between the Avonex and gallbladder problems. As I mentioned earlier post, I am taking Copaxone, but it for some reason I have to stop taking it, Avonex would be my next choice for treatment. I happen to already have a gallbaldder issue that I'm treating with changing my diet rather than surgery unless it gets worse like yours did.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR TREATMENT. I FORGOT TO TELL YOU, I HAVE BEEN IN AVONEX TREATMENT FOR 3 YEARS NOW. MY ADVISE IS LIKE HEATHER TOLD YOU BEFORE, TAKE YOUR TYLENOL OR ADVIL 24 HOURS BEFORE YOUR SHOT, YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANY FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS. PLEASE KEEP US POSTED.

Flu-like symptoms are a fairly common side effect during the initial weeks of Avonex treatment. It is recommended that you take your Avonex injection before bedtime. Immediately before your injection, and for the 24 hours that follow the injection, patients have found that use of over the counter pain and fever reducing medications can help with this common side effect." You could also get on the Avonex website for further info. good luck. hope that you feel better soon.

When I clicked on the “coupon” for Avonex it simply routed me to the Avonex website, where they offer the first month of treatment for free, as they’ve done for a while. Don’t know how that program works, but I think you’re just best off for now calling Avonex and exploring your options. I didn’t see the bit about how vials are priced lower. (I presume vials is the medicine you mix yourself.

Stopping avonex treatment

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