Help! Anyone else experienced this on Avonex??

[digiman]

Hi

Ok I started Avonex last week and had my first injection on Thursday

Now I knew about the side effects and knew they would last upto 24 hours - But my side effects have been very odd and I wonder if this is normal

Thursday - Had my injection after about 4 hours started feeling cold and aches. That night felt really run down and achy and dizzy so took some Aleve and went to bed

Friday - I woke up and I felt perfect! My stomach felt a little empty for the whole day.

Saturday - Again just feeling really groggy but was ok

Sunday - Feeling dizzy all day and like I needed to Vomit and tired

Monday - Again aching body, mouth ulcers and just feeling run down

Are the side effects meant to go on for 4 days??

[techie]

Avonex

Were you WELL hydrated? When I was on Avonex I drank tons of water the day of the shot and pre medicated with Tylenol.
My side effects generally lasted a max of 24 hours.
techie

[digiman]

Were you WELL hydrated? When I was on Avonex I drank tons of water the day of the shot and pre medicated with Tylenol.
My side effects generally lasted a max of 24 hours.
techie

Yes I did

Its just really odd that it hits me every other day a brand new side effect

I know its the medication doing it

Is it like this on first injection? Or is avonex not for me?

[100001893833447@facebook]

Side Effects

I just started last month and I only had one day with side effects. I had all of the symptoms you had, but in one day. Now I stay really hydrated, like the other person said, before and after, take it before bed so that I sleep through some of it and take aleve and I do not have symptoms anymore other than a headache.
Also, I noticed that stress and lack of sleep make a big difference in side effects and making sure the medication is left out to come to room temp.

[Susanette]

Another Avonex Newbie

My first shot (not this past Friday, but the one before) was a disaster, because I went walking in super high heat and didn't pretreat well enough and didn't hydrate enough. I wound up w/ a super nasty migraine. Won't do that again! I just didn't want to get sore and stiff, and didn't feel too warm. Oops. I wound up sore and stiff anyways, since I was actually getting sick everywhere from the headache.

My second shot, this past Friday was better. I did still have a LOT of fatigue Saturday, and a bit of a headache. I took the shot about 8 pm, and went to bed like 3 hours later.

For now, I'm just grateful that for the first time in just over a year, I can actually take my medicine w/o dreading it, avoiding it, and hurting from it and THEN having side effects.

[Kimba22]

digiman,

Everyone's response to each DMD is different ... some of us have little difficulty, some take longer and have longer and/ or more adverse side effects as our body "eventually" adjusts to it, and some of us just can't tolerate some of them. Call and tell your neuro what you are experiencing. You can also call & ask for suggestions from Avonex services and support:

http://www.avonex.com/nurse-services.xml

Hope you can hang in there and your side effects diminish soon ... Good Luck!

Best Wishes,

[GandalfRA]

I felt the same way on my first shot. The effects will wear down with each passing week (shot). Relax.

Good luck!

[patycak]

First shot 2

I just had my first shot also....took half a dose. I aready drink a ton of water everyday due to cronic constipation

I felt pretty good until about 4 hours later, I took some advil and laid down......flue like symptoms continued thru the next day. 48 hours later I feel better

Did you try calling the 24hr support at Avonex?

Good luck to you! (and everybody)