Nervous about starting Betaseron

[MSChrise]

Hi,
Well, I didnt handle the copaxone well due to injection site reactions and now my Neuro has me starting Betaseron.  I am extremly nervous about this.  I am a Nurse, dont have a problem with the inection itself, but what scares me is the possible side effects of feeling flu like symptoms.

I am having a hard enough time working now on nothing, how do I work and maintain if I feel like I have the flu all the time?    Does anyone have any experience with this?  what would be the best time of day to inject?

Sometimes I feel like my own worse enemy.

[mags715]

I'm also a nurse and am on betaseron. I work day shifts and administer the injections right before I go to bed so I sleep through the symptoms. I've had flu-like symptoms a handful of times and it was at night. I once gave my injection during the day and experienced chills and muscle aches, so I took some ibuprofen and it helped. Hope this helps!

[MSChrise]

Neuro does have me on a titration dose schedule to start

[MsmsinFl]

One more thing:
It's a good idea to titrate up to the full dose -- ask your neuro if he has a titration schedule;  otherwise start with, say, 1/4 dose for a couple of weeks, then 1/2 dose for several weeks, then up to the full dose.

This gives your body time to adjust gradually, and seems to keep the bad side efx at bay.

[MsmsinFl]

I've been on Rebif for 9 months .  I was terrified of the flu-like symptoms -- but I've had absolutely NONE!!   So just give it a try -- and do take ibuprofen (Advil) 30-45 minutes before the shot, & stay hydrated.  Others on this forum have had similar success; even if they had the flu symptomsinitially,  it was just for the first few weeks, then they went away.

Let us know how it goes for you.

[MSChrise]

Thanx Guitargrrl

Hopefully this is the way it goes for me as well

[Guitar_grrrl]

I took Rebif (very similar) for a while, and I made sure of a couple of things - I took 400mg Ibuprofen just before I took my shot, and I took my shot just before bed.  Most of the time when I woke up, I felt fine.  Occasionally I still felt a little "flu like" in the morning, and I just took a little more Ibuprofen and I was good to go.  The rest of the next day went fine.

Good Luck!
Guitar_grrrl