does anyone have any advise on betaseron

[chrisharris1227]

hello all my name is chris im about to start taking betaseron my first shaot is going to be on thursday i was just womdering if anyone would like to put some input on it for me like should i take any pain killers before or after the shot or any side efects and if so does anyone know what to do for them any info would be taken with great apperication thank to all for listening and taking the time to help me

[heliotrope]

Call Betaplus (if you can) and use their nursing system.

[MrsBones]

Chris,

I haven't taken Beta, so I'm sorry I can't help you from personal experience , which is what I think you're looking for.

I did take a different interferon, Rebif. For that, I premedicated and medicated again ASAP afterwards.
I didn't have depression common to the interferons, but did have the flu-like symptoms...not fun.

Until a Beta user responds, here's a search I did for "Betaseron" here, on MSWorld:http://www.msworld.org/forum/search....archid=1244183

There's a lot to look at, but if you have the patience to look, you might find the answers you need.

Good luck with that first one!

[CrazyCatLady]

I was on Betaseron from Oct 3rd to Dec 12th this year. (I had to stop from side effects, my hair starting falling out and the med wasn't helping me at all.)

I found it to be really easy to take! I assume a nurse is coming to your home to show you how to mix and inject it. With your starter kit they give you a cold pack. I found that using it AFTER the injection was better then before as it made my skin tight.

I never had to take pain meds. With Betaseron they start you on a tritation (spelling?) schedule so you start off at a low dose and work your way up. I never had a single flu like symptom!

What I can say is to ask for the Beta Buddie and your free sharps containor. The Beta Buddie is a thing that helps you pop the top off the med vial, I found it really helpful. Also it is nice to get free sharps boxes. You just call when yours is almost full and they ship you another one free!

I also after about 2 weeks of injections found that I really liked manual injections better then using the auto injectore thing. I did have to use it to get the back of my hips but for all the other areas I just did a manual injection.

I think the best thing was that this med, for me at least, did not sting!!! It was like injecting nothing. For me it was rather easy once I got past being nervous that I was doing it wrong. I wish it had worked better for me and that I didnt get odd side effects from it.

Best of luck to you and dont be afraid to ask questions!!

[Toomnyhats]

Chris, do what the Beta nurse tells you to do. The nurses are wonderful so don't hesitate to call them with questions (they are available 24/7).

After your body gets accustomed to the meds you'll know how much pre-medicating you need to continue.

I agree that manual injecting is much easier than the auto-injector so learn both methods.

Personally, we don't do the back of my arms anymore b/c it hurt too much. For me hips & stomach have the least pain & site reaction.

I do recommend injecting into a pocket of fat (if you have any ) for the least pain/discomfort.

[AGGeek57]

I have used betaseron for about 2 years. Here's my take on the situation:

Don't be afraid, but be attentive. If you see things you don't like, ask your beta-nurse. Those folks are worth their weight in gold.

Use your ice pack, at least at first. It will help the injection be much less painful.

Be clean with your injection sites, keep your log. This way you're sure you know if you have any side effects on the injection sites, and you'll know which sites you aren't having problems with.

Don't hesitate to call your beta-nurse. They will help you, or give you space as you need. You're going through some hard times, don't be worried, be active in taking control of this situation.

I find that I get relief from the "flu like" symptoms best with Aleve Gel Caps. I have problems still from time to time (not always, and what I do now is take my dose, and see if tonight is going to be a good night or a bad one. If it's a bad one, I take an Aleve, and a sleeping pill and try life tomorrow. Works for me). For several months, I took an Aleve as I was getting ready for the injection.

Good Luck!!

[Jamus]

This is Just me

Hey Chris

My name is Jamie.. and I was once on Betaseron til it started messing with my liver count. Then my doctor took me off it.

Also another thing is asked to be shown how to give your self the shot with out the outo intejecter. Because the it was leaving me big burises and once I stoped taking this med. and started on the one that I am on know. It has taken me a year to no longer have burise. Sorry but that is just what I have to say about it. Thought in the begging it was helping me.

Jamus..

[Katie626]

Chris,

I just started Betaseron on Sunday the 9th. So yesterday I did my 3rd injection.

So far my advice would be:

Don't use the auto-inject. For me, being on Copaxone using the injector made me hate it. Also, the needle with Beta is SO SO tiny, i honestly don't even feel it.
I have been taking Tylenol right after the injection, and it seems to help.

The first injection made me nausiated for a while, but after a night of sleep i felt fine the next day.

The second injection i felt just fine after the injection, however, at night i woke up with terrible body aches and chills which lead to not getting much sleep.

The 3rd injection i felt fine, slept fine, feel fine today! So i'm hopeful that's a sign this will go OK, at least for me.

Compared to Copaxone these injections are a breeze. No sight reaction, no pain or swelling. So I wish you luck with starting Beta as well!

[slimstacy]

hello all my name is chris im about to start taking betaseron my first shaot is going to be on thursday i was just womdering if anyone would like to put some input on it for me like should i take any pain killers before or after the shot or any side efects and if so does anyone know what to do for them any info would be taken with great apperication thank to all for listening and taking the time to help me

I WAS ON BETASERON FOR 4 MONTHS DID NOT WORK FOR ME. DEF. TAKE BEFORE BED NOT IN MORNING AND DEF TAKE ADVIL OR SOMETHING BEFORE. IT MADE ME WORSE I FELT LIKE CRAP EVERYDAY AND WAS IN MORE PAIN THAN EVER. BUT GOOD LUCK TO YOU

[Bob698]

Just understand that some people have side effects at first, some don't. Give it a chance, it can take a while before you build up a tolerance. I'd definatly premedicate at first. Just use what you'd normally take if you had the flu.
You'll need to experiment at first. Start by picking a convienient time to inject. If you don't have side effects it won't matter. If you do, you might want to time your injections a couple of hours before bed time so you sleep thru the worst of it.

Figure out a shot rotation that's easy to remember, try not to hit the same spot twice. Its OK if you're within a couple of inches of a previous shot. Get used to using the calendar/journal you'll get from Beta. Even though its every other day, you'd be surprised how easy it is to forget.

Try injecting manually and with the Betaject and see which you preferr.
Stuff to invest in: some kind of asprin/ibuprofin, cotton pads or cotton balls, and a bottle of rubbing alchohol. You should also snag a bottle of disinfecting hand gel.
For the time being, throw away the alchohol swabs that come with each kit. Get into a routine and stick with it. Cleanlyness is very important, even if it gets boring later on.
Eventually, you'll want to ask how you're supposed to get rid of your medical trash, "Just dump it" is NOT an answer. Your Dr. or the people who supply you with Beta should have a way to dispose of your stuff in the sharps jug.

As mentioned above, the Beta folks are pretty cool and are available to answer questions. You can also post them here.

[Baker298]

Mom has been on Beta since August 2001, the first and only med she has ever taken (SoluMedrol aside). Initially the first few months she'd get the flu-like symptoms (i.e. low grade fever, body aches). Not fun even with the premedicating with Bufferin and Extra Strength Tylenol. But she got past that and no more side effects though she does doze off (for not more than 45 minutes) about an hour after giving herself the shot. For Mom, it's all about being consistent (kinda like packing and flying these days with the TSA); she rotates the injection sites and administers no later than 7:00pm. But then Mom's 75; she's a widow and has no small kids that require feeding and homework and baths. Yes, there have been new drugs introduced in the past decade but Mom's sticking to her Beta. All these meds and protocols are such a personal decision. Mom uses the auto-injector. I don't know why there was a swap out (probably a money thing since Bayer acquired Beta in the past few years). The previous injector was a whole lot faster.

Oh, yeah, throw out all those Triad alcohol pads that are included in the Beta packet. Major recall going on since last Saturday. I came across the recall on the NMMS website when I was looking for the local chapter's phone number. Mom's still waiting for notification of the recall.

Mom and I wish you good luck.

[phoebe.]

Hi Chris,

I have been on Beta since Sept 2010.

I premedicate with ibuprofen about an hour before, and usually take a warm shower before injecting. After injecting I massage the area with a preparation H medicated pad as it seems to reduce the red welts.

I know a lot of people don't use the autoinjector, but I like it. It hides the needle and makes the process mostly mindless. I do get bruises on some injection spots, which I am guessing is due to the injector.

Bob698 is correct in saying that it can be easy to forget an injection day. So try to get organized with a calendar. I know that there is an app for the iPhone which can send you reminders.

It took about 3 months for my body to get used to the med. I wasn't feeling horrible during this period, just really tired and unfocused. But I feel really good now. My liver profile has stayed normal - so keep in mind that not everyone has the liver side effects.

Good luck!

phoebe.

[NerveBuzz]

Quite simply, you won't know until you take it.

You're going to see plenty of posts from people who had issues with it...

I've been on Betaseron since Oct. 08 and never really had the problems associated with it.

I premedicated but found out after the first two weeks that it didn't make a difference, so now I don't even premedicate.

Occasionally I'd get some aches or pains the day after, and 2 or 3 times in the past two years I've woken up feeling sick around 3 a.m. -- but of course, that may have happened had I not been taking beta, so it's not necessarily related.

The MS itself is much more of an issue than the Betaseron.

Beta has been around the longest... it's every other day injection. And I like the auto-injector. It's not even a thought.

Truthfully, it's no big deal as long as you have no adverse reactions. Your mileage may vary, but I've been cool with it and it does not really register a blip on my radar after about 6 months of doing it.

Yes, it's scary at first (those of us who have been diagnosed a while get a little flippant about it), but now I do the whole procedure in just 3-5 minutes start to finish. It's no big deal, unless you have a reaction (in which case you can switch to a different CRAB drug and see how that goes).

Best wishes and prayers for better health!!!

[lynnb1901]

old hat

I have used Betaseron regularly for 17 years and have never had a problem with it. I have also not had any flare ups for 15 years. I exercise regularly, eat healthy. Problems are balance and walking. Go for it!

[roargue]

Definitely call the Betaplus line when needing any help. I have been on it for over 2 years. For me, I used to take ibuprofen before my injection but my neurologist told me in my last visit visit that I should be taking tylenol instead which I have done. It works. And I still use the ice pack every time which works wonders for me. I only inject my stomach, legs and butt. Arms hurt too much for me so do what works for you.