About to start on Rebif...any comments?

[aukristi]

Hi.  I have returned to state that I have formally been diagnosed with MS.  My neurologist recommended Copaxone or Rebif.  I have choosen Rebif mainly because apparently I have an active lesion in my neck and he said that Rebif has been shown to be quicker in "healing" the lesion.  I have read about Rebif and and its side effects and starting to get really nervous.  Any comments, pro or cons?

[sllowe]

Hi there,

Congratulations on making a decision! I know it's not easy, but rest assured, no matter what, if you have complications or do not tolerate you can always switch.

Don't let the flu-like symptoms in the literature scare you. They are nothing compared to the flu. Pre-medicating does work, though you may find it not necessary. The nurses suggest this, and I did it too just as a precaution.  I used naproxen or advil.  

Some pros -
      The needle is very thin and sharp, so it goes in very easy. Technique is everything
      (my opinion) and your nurse will provide you tips, and it's a given that we'll provide
      you more when you get to that point.

     It's every other day vs. daily - that's a pro in my book, though frequency doesn't
     matter to all. It didn't to me early on, but now I'm glad I chose this schedule.
  
     Injection site reactions are minimal and you may get some silver dollar sized red    
     spots that do fade. They should not be severly raised.

     My experience is that the nurses are great from MS lifelines.

Cons:  You will need to go for bloodwork for WBC, liver enzymes and thyroid. Though that really wasn't too much of a downside for me - I just went to get it over and done with.

Like MSinFL says, ask anything! We don't want you fretting!!!!! It's going to be ok!

ttys,
Shell

[MsmsinFl]

I've been on Rebif since Sept 2009.  I was terrified of the possible side effects.

So far, no problems, either with flu-like sfx, liver, etc.  
You'll find lots of good tips here for how to inject easily, how to avoid the sfx, etc -- but here's my experience:

I take 2 Advil & 1 benadryl 30-45 minutes before I inject, and an additional Advil about an hour after.

I use a heating pad to warm the shot site for a few minutwes both before & after the shot.  Immediately after the shot, I use a warm washcloth to apply pressure & massage the spot.

I use the autoinject, but many here do not.  I just don't trust myself with the syringe.

If you are small/thin, use the "2" setting, not the deeper "3".

I'm very thin, so I take a few minutes each time to find a spot with some fat.  For me this has made the shots pain-free.  I don't inject my arms;  my thighs are the biggest challenge, but the Rebif nurse suggested going high up on the thighs, and towards the outside -- that has halped a lot.  Belly shots seem creepy, but there's a good fat pad there, & are really fine.

I do get red spot a couple of days after each shot, and it stays for 2-3 weeks, but no pain or itching.

My neuro likes to keep patients on the 22mcg dose longer than the 2 weeks in the titration pack, to get acclimated to the med.  Ask your doc about that.

My neuro tests for liver, etc bloodwork at 3, 6, & 9 months -- I asked for more frequent tests -- monthly for the first 6 months.

I also have thyroid disease, take Lipitor, and have a history of depression, so had some extra fears about taking Rebif -- but so far, no problems there.

Hope this helps -- any questions, just ask -- great folks here!