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Is it ok to quit cold turkey?

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    Is it ok to quit cold turkey?

    I made the decision, after some discussion with my dh, not to take my injection last night. I've found that Betaseron's side effects (extreme achiness, some slight feelings of nausea) have been more than I can take. I thought that my body would get used to the drug and that the side effects would occur less often; be less intense. Nope.

    I didn't remember reading anything about it being harmful to just stop taking the injections (instead of weaning off of it). Did I miss something? My neuro didn't return my call today, so I didn't get his input on the matter.

    If anyone knows that this is a bad idea (cold turkey, I mean), please let me know. I can just let it go as a "skipped injection" and take one tomorrow night (so I won't be off schedule). Frankly, if it's not harmful to just quit all at once, that's just what I'd prefer to do. I have a family I need to care for and I'd just rather be able to function and not feel sick nearly constantly.

    Proverbs 31 wannabe
    Isaiah 26:3,4 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

    #2
    I've been on several DMD's and I quit all of them cold turkey and had no problems from it for any of them. In fact, I felt better pretty quick after stopping. I was never on Betaseron but 2 of the medicines I quit were Avonex and Rebif. No problemes!

    None of the medicines I was taking had any kind of a warning in the prescribing information to not just quit. If it were important to not quit cold turkey - like it is with some medicines - the prescribing information would have a warning. Betaseron has been around for such a long time that any problems from quitting cold turkey would already be known about and there would be a warning against it if it were important.

    If I were in your position - and I have been several times - I would go ahead and just quit. No more shots.

    Comment


      #3
      Thank, MSer102.
      Sounds like very good advice.

      Proverbs 31 wannabe
      Isaiah 26:3,4 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by MSer102 View Post

        None of the medicines I was taking had any kind of a warning in the prescribing information to not just quit. If it were important to not quit cold turkey - like it is with some medicines - the prescribing information would have a warning. Betaseron has been around for such a long time that any problems from quitting cold turkey would already be known about and there would be a warning against it if it were important.
        Good point!

        When you quit taking any of the DMDs, they are ALL just stopped abruptly. The 'wash out' (when the drug is completely out of your system) period for each drug varies, but side effects start diminishing immediately. There is something some people experience called the 'rebound effect' that only occurs with Tysabri.

        Sorry to hear you're still having such a hard time with Betaseron, I hope you find something that works for you.

        Best wishes,
        Kimba

        “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ― Max Planck

        Comment


          #5
          Thanks, Kimba.
          I have now missed 2 shots and today was the first day that I awoke feeling well-rested and not needing Ibuprofen. What a great blessing!

          Proverbs 31 wannabe
          Isaiah 26:3,4 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

          Comment


            #6
            I was taken off Avonex without prior warning because of an infection (unrelated to MS) that I was being treated for in the hospital. I stayed off of Avonex for more than two months then, as I was getting approval for Tysabri, which I had been planning to start anyway. I had no ill effects, and I felt so much better off interferon.

            OTOH, I have a friend who switched insurance plans and ended up missing three weeks of Avonex and had a flare, his first in years. So. Everyone is different. Good luck!

            Comment


              #7
              Thanks for your advice and for sharing your own stories. I have felt much better since stopping the Betaseron injections. I guess some medications are just not worth the side effects (though it may differ for individuals). I think it is a "quality of life" issue. I am just glad that it wasn't something that I had to "wean off" before stopping entirely. And I am ALSO glad that I feel more like myself; like I can function within my limitations.

              Proverbs 31 wannabe
              Isaiah 26:3,4 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

              Comment


                #8
                I've been on Betaseron since my 2007 diagnosis. It took about 8 months for my body to adjust to the meds. I have been lucky to have had only 1 attack which led to the diagnosis. Recently, I've stopped injecting. Because I have a family and am self employed I've decided to start the meds again. My thoughts are..."Am I playing Russian roulette? Will I become ill and not be able to care for them?Perhaps I have not had an attack just because but then again - is it because of the meds? No one can answer that question. So, I've decided not to take a chance.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I was on Avonex when I was first diagnosed and stayed on it for about two years or a little less. I started skipping shots because I couldn't take it anymore. While my side effects lessened, they never went away. I was so stressed on them. I would start stressing out on Wednesday for a Saturday shot then be sick for a day or two after injecting. I finally decided I was done having a drug dictate my life, and I was tired of being miserable and sick. So, I just quit one day. I never felt like I had any issues from quitting, and I actually felt better off them.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by readingteacher View Post
                    I made the decision, after some discussion with my dh, not to take my injection last night. I've found that Betaseron's side effects (extreme achiness, some slight feelings of nausea) have been more than I can take. I thought that my body would get used to the drug and that the side effects would occur less often; be less intense. Nope.

                    I didn't remember reading anything about it being harmful to just stop taking the injections (instead of weaning off of it). Did I miss something? My neuro didn't return my call today, so I didn't get his input on the matter.

                    If anyone knows that this is a bad idea (cold turkey, I mean), please let me know. I can just let it go as a "skipped injection" and take one tomorrow night (so I won't be off schedule). Frankly, if it's not harmful to just quit all at once, that's just what I'd prefer to do. I have a family I need to care for and I'd just rather be able to function and not feel sick nearly constantly.
                    I was told it takes betaseron a couple months to really get out of your system. and di dyou ever think of taking Betaseron at night? I take it right before bed and sleep through any side effects usually.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I took my final Beta shot tonight, so we'll see how I feel! But yeah, I don't think you normally wean off DMDs. When I quit Copaxone to TTC, I quit cold-turkey (one month before we planned to start trying) and I quit it cold-turkey again when I was ready to switch to Beta.

                      Also, just curious if you tried a couple things that helped make Beta a lot more tolerable for me:

                      * Take it at night, like pp mentioned, and pre-medicate. I used to do 2 Advil or one Aleve. That started bothering my stomach so I started taking a Celebrex before Beta each night and that helped.

                      * Walk, run, or otherwise move for a good 10 minutes right after the shot. A nurse mentioned this to me and it made a HUGE difference. On nights I skipped it or only walked a minute or two, I almost always ended up with much worse flu-like symptoms in the morning.

                      Just wanted to put it out there in case you couldn't find a better option for you and wanted to give Beta another shot. (Um, no pun intended.)
                      2001: 1st 2 relapses, "probable MS." 2007: 3rd relapse. Dx of RRMS confirmed by MS specialist. Started Cpx. (Off Cpx Feb 08-Mar 09 to start a family; twins!) Dec '09: Started Beta. Oct '13: Started Tecfidera. May '15: Considering Gilenya.

                      Comment

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