Avonex questions

weeble2008

I am newly diagnosed and have chose to start Avonex. Has anyone had any issues with weight gain / loss with Avonex? My doctor said the best time to do the injection is at bedtime, so that I hopefully sleep thru any flu like symptoms. Any other tricks or input that may help?!

squeakyfish

I was on it for 2 years. There were no weight issues while on it. I was heavy when I started but later lost weight. Taking your injection at night is very important, as is premedicating with advil or your OTC med of choice. Some people ice it. I never did, the injection itself really didn't hurt. I found that when I drank a lot of water and exercised the next morning, it really helped me recover from lingering side effects. Even if I didn't feel like working out - there was a huge difference in how I felt the remainder of the day, if I had worked out.

Bbwnomore2

i have injected myself since it first came out, i have always taken tylenol when taking it. i prefer to use it when its set out of the fridge an hr or two. on the rare ocassion i inject into something that hurts(injection site gets a painful red bumb i alternate beween cold and warm packs. in all these years that has happened three times. i love this drug. i have refused to go off it. i was on betaseron before and that was a nightmare, plus even takinbg that every other day i was exasberating ever 6 months. in 10 years i have had steriod treatment twice...hope you do as well on avonex as i have.
i have also always been heavy and have had no issues losing weight in it

MzJonzz

I have been on Avonex for 15 years and I don't believe it causes weight gain. Follow everyone's advise about taking some Tylenol or something (I take Motrin 800) with your injection and do it 2 hours or so before bed time. It takes a while for the reaction to kick in and when I go to bed right away after my shot I don't completely sleep throug the yucky feeling. When I first started the reaction was so bad (terrible chills, dead leg in the mornings for a few minutes etc) and I almost quit BUTstick it out for a month or 2 before packing it in. It does get better.

weeble2008

Thank you all so much for the advice!

Rkahla

I've been taking Avonex for almost 2 years now. The "flu-like symptoms" were awful at first. After about six weeks it got much better and it doesn't bother me at all anymore. I take two Aleve about 30 minutes before the shot and that has worked really well for me. Stick with it!!!

susanneca

I was diagnosed about 7 weeks ago and have taken 4 Avonex injections so far. The first 3 made be a bit fluey and the one time I took it 2 hours before bed I woke up with terrible shakes and chills in the middle of the night that terrified me my Avonex nurse has told me to take it out of the fridge 24 hrs before i inject. Week 4 last Friday and already I noticed the side effects have calmed down. Good luck, you will be grand