Starting Rebif soon!

[M.S.inBama]

Hey guys! I am starting Rebif soon. Was wondering if there was anything I needed to know or do that they do not tell you in the training with the nurse and Dvd. This is the first time I have taken any treatments. Thanks!

[JHollo]

I've only been on Rebif since last December, but it's actually a lot easier than I expected. I think everyone reacts a little differently (I haven't had ANY of the flu-like symptoms), but there are some great tricks to try if you have any muscle soreness or skin reactions.

I always take Aleve about an hour before my shot. I keep the injector pen set at 3 since I noticed more skin reactions (large red spots in my case) when it's on 2. I was only allowed to do 2 on my arms and legs anyway. Never thought I'd love the fatty sections on my hips and stomach so much! I use a warm washcloth on the injection site immediately after and that seems to help with any of the burning sensation I sometimes get. Take out the next syringe when you're done so you don't have to worry about remembering to take it out in a few days (that way it's already at room temp). I like the cotton pads (made for make-up removal) versus a cotton ball when I'm massaging the area following injections.

Don't forget to take the cap off of the injector pen... I've had 3 incidents where I was distracted, loaded it up, and pushed the button without first removing the cap. When this happens, you take the cap off and the medication goes flying out into the air!! Expensive stuff to be spraying on the wall. :\

I still use the treatment journal to track where I've injected (hard for me to remember) and used the visual directions the Rebif nurse provided for the first week. Good luck! It really does become just another part of your daily routine and the needle is so tiny that it's not bad at all.

[roo613]

I was wondering the same thing, so I appreciate the ideas JHollo. I have been on Avonex for 3 months, but it has not worked, so I am switching to Rebif this next week. I feel like I had the Avonex routine down, and now I am starting over. sigh. Hopefully it will go well.

[lifegoeson]

Don't forget to take the cap off of the injector pen... I've had 3 incidents where I was distracted, loaded it up, and pushed the button without first removing the cap. When this happens, you take the cap off and the medication goes flying out into the air!! Expensive stuff to be spraying on the wall. :\

Don't panic if you forget to take the cap off the syringe before pushing the button. If that happens (or should I say WHEN, we all have done it) if that happens, slowly unscrew the autoinjector slowly and start over. If you unscrew it the plunger is not longer pushing on the spring action part that does the injecting. You can then safely reload the autoinjector and then pull off the cap and do the shot the correct way. No more wasted shots. I've had to do this a time or 2 and it always worked for me. Now I just do them manually, much less pain. I got over being needle phobic really QUICKLY!

Dawn

[cauliflowergirl]

Hi!

I guess my advice would be to try lots of things and see what works for you.

I've done lots of different things over the last year and a half that I've been on Rebif and now I've finally found a routine that works for me and it's easy - I don't even think about it anymore.

I take a weeks worth of shots out of the fridge at once and stick them in my bathroom cabinet so they are already room temperature. Then before get ready to inject I take it out and stick it in my bra while I get ready for bed. It's a fancy system of warming it up. I take 600mg of ibuprofen, inject, clip the needle (with the BD Needle Clipper - check them out!) and done!

I don't heat up the area or anything like that anymore and I don't use the auto-inject as I've found that I like to have control over how fast the medication is injected.

But I went through a lot of things before I got here - I used a warm washcloth before and after, I used one before and then cold after, I took aleve, I used the auto-inject, etc...

Just give yourself some time to find what works for you and don't be afraid to depend on the Rebif nurse - supporting you is her job. I called her back five months after starting and asked her to come back and help me through doing the injection manually and she did. She sat on the couch next to me while I injected and gave me some more tips. I don't think I could have taken that step without someone there - injecting myself for the first time was scary. But it's a year later now and like I said before, I hardly even think about it. It's just a small part of my bedtime routine.

Good luck and be kind to yourself! This is a lot to take in and it takes a while.

[Jenny3838]

Melody,
I am sure you will do fine. You have too!! You have been through so much. I am especially happy to assume that your new insurance co. will be covering the Rebif. I remember you stated awhile ago that you could not start on Rebif until you found out whether your new insurance would cover it since you started a new company in June.

I was wondering the same thing, so I appreciate the ideas JHollo. I have been on Avonex for 3 months, but it has not worked, so I am switching to Rebif this next week. I feel like I had the Avonex routine down, and now I am starting over. sigh. Hopefully it will go well.