This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I believe I will start treatment with Rebif. It seems to have worked really good for alot of people. The plus side is its only three times a week. Is there anything I should be supplimenting the treatment with?

Hi Bubba,
I'm not on Rebif but I have been on Avonex for several years. The two drugs are the same protein just different injection methods and different dosing (subcutaneous injections have about half the absorption efficiency of intramuscular injections so part of the dosage difference is likely to compensate for this fact). Anyways, my first interferon beta injection was pretty intense. I took Tylenol as per the recommendations but it didn't help much. I had one of the worst fevers that I can recall ever having. Essentially, I was down for about 12 hours and didn't get back going at a reasonable speed until 24 hours after my shot. I found that ibuprofen controls the flu type side effects much better than Tylenol. I would recommend taking 400 mg of ibuprofen with your shot and then another dose about 4 hours afterwards. Keep in mind that not all people react the same to interferon beta so the side effects you experience may not be as bad as what other people have been through.

With Rebif, another thing to watch out for are injection site reactions since it's administered via subcutaneous injections. You may get sore spots that stick around for several days or so after your injection. You should rotate your injections sites so that you don't wind up injecting into the same area while you're still having a site reaction. Avonex doesn't have this problem since it's given via an intramuscular injection so it's something I haven't had to deal with personally.

Other things to take? Well, you might want to consider a curcumin supplement which contains the black pepper extract bioperin. Curcumin is an antioxidant found in the spice turmeric which has been found to augment the activity of interferon beta. Check out this research article I posted a little while back. You want curcumin with the bioperin since it greatly increases the absorption of curcumin.

You might also want to consider taking omega-3 fish oil supplements. I started out taking just a couple of grams of fish oil a day but I'm now taking 6 grams per day. I haven't noticed any effect from the extra oil with regards to my weight. Omega-3 fish oil is anti-inflammatory and it's also good for your brain (refer to the many posts on fish oil in the Natural Approach forum). I ate very little fish for most of my life, in fact I still don't like it, so I was probably depleted in this essential nutrient.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

NHE

NHE..... Thank you for the info. I am very confused and trying to pick between copax and rebif. Everytime I think I have made up my mind, I read something else to change it! Everyday,I find out there is more to these drugs than I realize. I wish I were an ostrich, where I could stick my head in the sand and ignore this whole thing!!!!

I can completely understand your problem, but do remember that if you pick one and it doesn't work for you, then you always have the option of switching to another.

Well, my Rebif is supposed to be delivered tomorrow (wed) so hopefully I can get the nurse out and get the first shot done on thursday as I am off work wed and thurs this week. I dont want to take the shot then go to work, I am not sure how I am going to react to it.

hi i just posted in another topic that i have been on copaxone for about 6 months and am changing to rebif soon
due to copaxone not being available in japan (i am moving)
copaxone i am totaly used to
and i find alot of ppl complain about it
so each person reacts differently to these drugs and changing might fix some problems but you may encounter other ones
i asked the neuro today if it a bad thing to change and he said it is better than not have been on anything this time
so all i can say is give it a try and good luck

Hi Bubba,

I just got diagnozed with MS in Oct. '08. I started taken REBIF, first with the low dose 8.8mcg, than 22 mcg each 6 times, than on the 44mcg, am taken it since Dec. '08. Sofar I have not flu-like symptons, just on the injection side, i have some redness/pinkish, which goes away. I take it 3x a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10pm, so if you should have flu-like symthons you sleep thru them, hopefully. Am in NY, visting in Israel, heared of a new formulation of Rebif, might not be approved yet in the US by the FDA. When I come back I have to check with my Neuroligist. about that. Let me know how you are doing, everybody is different. J. PS Copaxone is everyday, my neuro said, i could give the shot in the morning after brushing my teeth, has no flu-like symptoms.....