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Avonex pen - button becoming too hard

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    #16
    sos - you just made my day! I have an appt with my Dr on Dec 1st but going to call to see if I can maybe get everything started now. Thank you!
    Diagnosed: May 2012
    Medications: Avonex - stopped 12/14
    Plegridy - starting 12/14

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      #17
      Keep us posted on how it all goes! I'm trying to get on it too. I don't go in to see my dr until 12/19, but they said they could just mail me the forms. I'm still waiting for them! I just got my welcome pack from plegridy yesterday. Looks like they will be having a $0 copay program too which is awesome.
      Good Luck!
      Sos219
      4/24/2014
      Avonex

      Gilenya 1/29/2015- present

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        #18
        I've been taking Avonex Pen for a couple years now, and it works fine for me. However, yes, sometimes it is hard to push the button down. I know you probably aren't supposed to do this, but I will often put the pen against my leg and then pull up on the locking mechanism with my other hand. Then the button will release easier. I have struggled with it before, but after using two hands to work it, I haven't really had problems. Good luck.

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          #19
          Me too

          I recently discontinued the use of Avonex due to a few things but one was the difficulty in pushing the button. I couldn't push it one day and sat it on the table and it rolled off and injected in the floor...but I can't push it? Frustrating!

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            #20
            Avonex Pen

            I see no recent updates on the AVONEX pen. Has it by chance improved?

            Originally posted by wizardsmom6 View Post
            I recently discontinued the use of Avonex due to a few things but one was the difficulty in pushing the button. I couldn't push it one day and sat it on the table and it rolled off and injected in the floor...but I can't push it? Frustrating!

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              #21
              Is blue button any easier now?

              Hey! Switched to Plegridy a while back since blue button on Avonex so hard to press but too many skin reactions & blood work problems. Went to Avonex prefilled but really stressing about the needle these days

              Has the auto injector improved in the last 18 months or so?

              Before only about 2 of 12 auto injections went quickly. Others required hubby to use BOTH thumbs to get it to release but his Parkinson's is worse and can't help now. MS nurse "retrained" me but observed my injection & said it wasn't supposed to be that hard to press the button!

              Seeing my neuro next month & really would like to go back to auto injector!

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                #22
                Hi Kathyj1, I've been on Avonex pen for two months now and I love it so far. It has been a blessing. Yes the button is a bit firm but so far has not been a problem for me.




                QUOTE=kathyj1;1491043]Hey! Switched to Plegridy a while back since blue button on Avonex so hard to press but too many skin reactions & blood work problems. Went to Avonex prefilled but really stressing about the needle these days

                Has the auto injector improved in the last 18 months or so?

                Before only about 2 of 12 auto injections went quickly. Others required hubby to use BOTH thumbs to get it to release but his Parkinson's is worse and can't help now. MS nurse "retrained" me but observed my injection & said it wasn't supposed to be that hard to press the button!

                Seeing my neuro next month & really would like to go back to auto injector![/QUOTE]

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                  #23
                  It's STILL too hard to push........

                  Hi everyone
                  I've been injecting w/ the pen since late Nov 2012.
                  In the past 6 months it has become soooooo hard to press that darn blue button, it's hit & miss w/ each new box, I press so hard I bruise my leg.
                  Had 2 pens that would NOT engage no matter how hard I pressed which created a mess where I was short shots and without a shot for over 2 weeks.
                  I finally broke down and had an Avonex nurse come by after Biogen seemed to think I needed "re-training".
                  Research online told me others were/are having the same button issue...it IS harder to push, no one can tell me it isn't after injecting for years but Biogen said Nope, I needed to be re-trained, I'm doing something "wrong".

                  Nurse came out & made me feel so inadequate, had me stick one in the fake sponge leg to see what I was doing "wrong" & when it released said See? they work. UGH.
                  She proceeded to tell me in ALL her years as an Avonex/Biogen Nurse not one soul had/has ever complained that the button was hard to press or had changed for them.
                  Today was shot day, SAME THING, harder then heck to push it down, my thumb is actually indented from the extreme pushing...Next week may be easier, or not.

                  I've always been the biggest Avonex cheerleader but the Nurse & the insinuation that it's "me" & Avonex simply sending their standard form letter of "Your info is important to us" blah blah makes me angry.
                  Something has changed from 2012 to today without a doubt with these pen shots.
                  Oops...sorry, I typed a lot....rant over.
                  Happy evening all !!
                  Doll
                  p.s. i sound ungrateful, sorry about that....avonex has helped keep me from progressing, just wish these nurses had to inject weekly w/ fake shots to see what we go through.

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Originally posted by Eight2409 View Post
                    Hi everyone
                    I've been injecting w/ the pen since late Nov 2012.
                    In the past 6 months it has become soooooo hard to press that darn blue button, it's hit & miss w/ each new box, I press so hard I bruise my leg.
                    Had 2 pens that would NOT engage no matter how hard I pressed which created a mess where I was short shots and without a shot for over 2 weeks.
                    I finally broke down and had an Avonex nurse come by after Biogen seemed to think I needed "re-training".
                    Research online told me others were/are having the same button issue...it IS harder to push, no one can tell me it isn't after injecting for years but Biogen said Nope, I needed to be re-trained, I'm doing something "wrong".

                    Nurse came out & made me feel so inadequate, had me stick one in the fake sponge leg to see what I was doing "wrong" & when it released said See? they work. UGH.
                    She proceeded to tell me in ALL her years as an Avonex/Biogen Nurse not one soul had/has ever complained that the button was hard to press or had changed for them.
                    Today was shot day, SAME THING, harder then heck to push it down, my thumb is actually indented from the extreme pushing...Next week may be easier, or not.

                    I've always been the biggest Avonex cheerleader but the Nurse & the insinuation that it's "me" & Avonex simply sending their standard form letter of "Your info is important to us" blah blah makes me angry.
                    Something has changed from 2012 to today without a doubt with these pen shots.
                    Oops...sorry, I typed a lot....rant over.
                    Happy evening all !!
                    Doll
                    p.s. i sound ungrateful, sorry about that....avonex has helped keep me from progressing, just wish these nurses had to inject weekly w/ fake shots to see what we go through.
                    Very sorry that you are having to go thru this. Is it possible that your fingers/thumbs are weaker than they used to be? Have you tried to have someone else do the shot for you? Maybe they could send out a different nurse who you would be more comfortable with. Hope your situation improves.

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                      #25
                      I know whst you mean!

                      Originally posted by GinnyRuth View Post
                      Very sorry that you are having to go thru this. Is it possible that your fingers/thumbs are weaker than they used to be? Have you tried to have someone else do the shot for you? Maybe they could send out a different nurse who you would be more comfortable with. Hope your situation improves.
                      Avonex nurse who "retrained" me watched me do my injection then tried herself! She said it is NOT supposed to be that hard and would report it. Have since tried Plegridy but back to Avonex syringes due to Plegridy side effects. Really hoped things were better since I hate using those needles, but sounds like no improvement yet. It is not just you.

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                        #26
                        Originally posted by kathyj1 View Post
                        Avonex nurse who "retrained" me watched me do my injection then tried herself! She said it is NOT supposed to be that hard and would report it. Have since tried Plegridy but back to Avonex syringes due to Plegridy side effects. Really hoped things were better since I hate using those needles, but sounds like no improvement yet. It is not just you.
                        i switched to the pre-fill syringe because the blue button on the auto pen is more of a problem then its worth. The auto pen is supposed to make it easier but its not, you never know if it will work or not it is sometimes hard to press the sometimes it goes off right away

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                          #27
                          Originally posted by Westgrl View Post
                          I remember back in 2013 some people complained the button was too difficult to push on the Avonex pen. I never really had an issue. Until recently.

                          Within probably the past 7 months or so, it takes me a good 30-40 minutes to get the darn button to push down. Once in awhile I will get one that will inject right away. I never had an issue before. From day one, taking the injection was easy. Now I suffer 40 minutes of anxiety because the longer it takes the higher my anxiety grows & then the frustration.

                          I know I am doing it right, the same way I always have. It's pushed down to release the lock, my skin and thumb actually begin to hurt over time from trying to get it to work. Sometimes the button will sort of half go down & then stops & then it will take awhile more to get the rest of it to go down.

                          I had one pen malfunction completely. It actually shot the injection out while I was holding it in my hand & the lock wasn't release. Shot the medication across the room. Biogen sent me a replacement.

                          Each new shipment, I keep hoping will be a new lot # and easier but it just seems like they are all difficult now. I am wondering if they are purposely making them this way now.

                          I am a needle phobe and can't switch to the regular syringe. I don't get side effects from Avonex so I hate to switch but I am seriously thinking of switching to the oral pill but scared of the side effects.

                          Has anyone else been experiencing this?
                          I had the same problems you have, i didn't want to switch because i do well on Avonex, I did go to the prefilled syringe now, it was hard the first time but then when I saw how easy it was I am glad i did. no more blue button problems, it was too stressful every time wondering if the button would press or not.
                          good luck

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                            #28
                            Has anyone done a FDA complaint about blue button?

                            I' ve complained to Biogen several times & gotten the nice thank you letters, to my neuro ( that's why I tried Plegridy), to the MS nurse educator who acknowledged the problem but never to FDA.

                            Sorry to say, I didn't report Plegridy side effects to FDA either. Has anyone else done a FDA complaint about the blue button issue? It seems obvious that manufacturer (Biogen) has not really listened to any of us yet!

                            Do we all need to try other tactics to get improvements in the auto- injector?

                            Can you tell I really hate the syringe/needle option?

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