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new Avonex pen- worth it?

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    new Avonex pen- worth it?

    Just some questions to all you "in-the-know" Avonex users.

    When doing my research about the other autoinject DMD I read a lot of info on "to use the pen or not to use the pen". It certainly left a question in my mind.

    I finally settled on Avonex for the big draw- 1 shot per week vs. 3+.
    So my question now that Avonex has a pen is do the pen injectors cause more problems with the injection sites like other DMD pens do? Does the autoinjector cause more trauma to the area?

    For those of you over in the UK- please feel free to give us a product comparison.

    When I use the self-injected pre-filled syringes, I know I can go slow (still get bruising) but my biggest concerns with the pen are...
    1. will it cause injection site reactions?
    2. does it hurt more/less?
    3. why did it take the US so much longer to get this particular product than other countries?
    4. Is the reason why people like the autoinject pens simply because they do not want to see the needle?
    5. Should I really think about switching to the pen when it finally becomes available?

    I started out doing my shots just fine. Now I hate shot night- I really don't enjoy sticking myself. The first time I didn't feel the prick of the needle or it slide into my leg. Now I seem to feel everything and I get a little weirded out. 2 weeks ago I somehow couldn't get the needle in all the way- it got stuck- weird and it grossed me out. Who really wants to watch a needle slide in that far to your leg- I thought I hit my bone- eeewwwww! Gives me the creepies just thinking about it....

    Thanks-
    ~seeuinct (Connecticut)
    Dx the first time: 10/25/11
    Avonex 1/12-10/12
    Revaluation of Dx 10/12
    Rediagnosis 7/14

    #2
    I've watched a video of someone using the pen, have not used one myself. Just wanted to comment that using the smaller 1" 25 guage needles has made a huge difference in injecting for me. I have a seperate prescription for the smaller needles. Call your neuro's office and ask for them to forward a prescription to your specialty pharmacy.

    Once in while I will have resistance in getting the needle in. I suspect that what is happening is the muscle contracts, which is why I take care to be sure my leg is very relaxed before trying to inject.

    You might ask for the smaller needles and try them. Since switching I rarely bruise and my shot anxiety is way less! This might help until the pen is available.

    Comment


      #3
      The upside to the pen is that the needle is even smaller than the smaller needle for the syringes - the smaller needle is 1" 25 gauge and the pen needle is 5/8'' 25 g.
      Dx RRMS 2008/Kesimpta Feb 2023
      UNbalanced Dog Trainer - Accredited pet dog training instructor

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        #4
        I have been using the new Avonex pen for many months now-it is great. The needle is small-you do not see it till it has injected itself. I do not need to pre-ice as I hardly feel it go in! The down side (if it is one) is that I am never 100% sure I have given myself long enough to inject itself- but I guess the side effects of Avonex afterwards tell you you have. If you go on holiday, you even get a neat little dispoable sharps bin just for the pen, which any pharmacy will dispose for you. Sometimes I find it a bit stiff to push the button at the top-but invariably it is because I'm not putting enough pressure through the pen onto my leg. Push down a bit harder and no problem. Previously I used the premixed Avonex and I had far more site reaction and far more anxst associated with it. Don't hesitate! Go for it....

        Comment


          #5
          I just phoned Avonex with a couple of questions about the “pen,” which will be brought to market about May 1.

          Do I need a specific separate prescription for the device?
          That was unknown. I wouldn’t anticipate trouble getting one, other than going through various bureaucracies.
          Will I need training much like when I initially started Avonex? Free training will be provided and recommended.
          Is it one refillable unit, or is it disposed each time? It is disposed each time.

          As a U.S. patient, I obviously can’t answer the questions about personal experiences with the “pen.” I would think it would ease my injection anxiety because I can’t see the needle and because it doesn’t require as much physical effort to actually administer the shot. Of course, I haven’t self-injected for a few months now, so maybe I don’t need this device anyway. But if my girlfriend can’t inject me because of travel or if she wasn’t well, it would be nice to have around, so then do I just order pens so I have one on hand when I need it? It would then seem silly for her to use those to inject me.

          As for why it took the U.S. longer, we tend to have a slow bureaucracy that is sometimes overzealous about our safety (and sometimes overly influenced by monied interests). I think that bureaucracy works for the most part, but yes there are several medicines and devices used elsewhere that aren’t here.

          Comment


            #6
            I had my first Avonex pen injection today and barely felt it. I was actually really nervous but as somebody else said, I couldn't even feel it. And I do like the way it's designed that there is an indicator to show if the full dose had been given.

            Go for it.
            Dx RRMS 2008/Kesimpta Feb 2023
            UNbalanced Dog Trainer - Accredited pet dog training instructor

            Comment


              #7
              The instructions are available online now ... I'm sure the process is more simple than the instructions make it appear.

              http://www.avonex.com/pdfs/guides/Au...or_PEN_IFU.pdf

              Comment


                #8
                The injection box comes with a little instruction booklet. If you have the pen in your hand, believe me, it is as easy as anything to follow the instructions and I'm an idiot with anything mechanical. I had completely forgotten the instructions I had been given, but the booklet made it all clear. A sort of lego-guide to Avonex injecting. You will never look back.... infact looking back to the old injections is like a nightmare!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Avonex Pen Amazing

                  I'm in Canada so I'm not sure how long we've had the pen, but I use it and I love it.

                  When I first started Avonex I had to use the prefilled syringes because of the titration. At first I was fine with the injections but by my fourth and final injection I couldn't wait to get the pen. Even though I have never thought the injections hurt I had a hard time pysching myself up to stab it in.

                  On the fourth and last injection I even nicked my leg several times before finally fully injecting it.

                  Anyways when I got to the pen I was a little nervous. In Canada you do need a separate perscription for the pen. I am not sure if it's for insurance and pharmacy purposes or what. When I was put on Avonex I got two perscriptions, one for 4 doses of the prefilled syringes and a years worth of the pens.

                  Avonex offers free training. I didn't like the nurse I got the first time without the pen so I opted not to use the nurse for the pen. I called Avonex and they gave me a link to an injection video that you can wach anytime you want. They also provide you with a booklet that has pictures going through the steps.

                  I love the pen. It's really simple, you don't see the needle and it's painless and over fast. The first time the button was a little stiff to me, but if you push down more on the pen the button releases easier. The needle is a lot smaller with the pen than the prefilled syringes.

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