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Wilson.......are you still around....

Wondered how your Avonex injections are going. Hope your side effects have subsided by now. Just checking in with you.

By the way.........now that we have pre-filled injections, which I think are wonderful........Here is what I do.

I let it sit out for about 3 or 4 hours, then put it under my arm pit.
I know it sounds gross......but it gets it warm enough for the side effects to subside.

By the way if you don't have time to leave it out, this also works in about 5 minutes with a cold shot. It makes sence since this is the warmest part of your body other than an orally.

This is a trick I learned from a good MS friend I haven't talked to in quite awhile. Take care.......Kim

BCDave wrote:Leave the Avonex OUT of the refrig for 24 hours before taking. Yeah, I know, it may sound wierd, but my side effects (flu, shakes, freezing) went away.

So I've taken five shots now and happy to say, side effects have been minimal. I have no idea why, but here's my routine:

* three Ibuprofen every four hours the entire day I take my shot.
* I take my shot (pre-filled syringe) out of the fridge at least five hours before injecting.
* inject some time between 6 pm and 7 pm, so I've had about three doses of Ibuprofen in me beforehand.

Never would have tried the drug-out-of-the-fridge thing unless BCDave had posted the above--thanks, BCDave!--and I have no idea if it's the reason I've been so fortunate, however, the routine seems to be working. Sometimes I feel a bit tired after the shot, but that passes after about 1/2 hour. I've definitely had some achiness in my knees, but nothing major.

I spoke to a nurse at the pharmacy that delivers my drugs and she said Avonex (pre-filled) is actually stable outside the fridge for up to seven days, then it needs to be refrigerated again. She got this information directly from the manufacturers.

Now, it's important not to use this information in a naive way, however, I do recommend anyone who's having trouble with side effects give it a, er, shot, as it were. Try leaving your med outside the fridge for a few hours before you inject if you're using the prefilled and see if it makes any difference.

Sorry: Been a long time and no one really probably cares - but I am back...

Avonex is available in two forms:

A powder form that comes in a single-use vial and requires reconstitution (mixing) prior to injection. The vials should be stored in the refrigerator, although storage at room temperature is permissible for up to 30 days. Once the medication has been mixed for use, it is recommended that you administer the injection as soon as possible—or within six hours if stored in the refrigerator.
A liquid form in a pre-filled syringe. Pre-filled syringes should be stored in the refrigerator, and allowed to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes) prior to injecting. Once removed from the refrigerator, the pre-filled syringe should be used within 12 hours.

Im due to start Avonex next friday, and ive been reading up on everyones post and taking ibuprofen before the shot seems to be the popular answer so far.. im just curious.. is it safe on your stomach to be taking it every night???

Mandy wrote:Im due to start Avonex next friday, and ive been reading up on everyones post and taking ibuprofen before the shot seems to be the popular answer so far.. im just curious.. is it safe on your stomach to be taking it every night???

In my experience, it hasn't been necessary to take ibuprofen every night. I just take it the day of my shot and sometimes the day afterwards. If you're sensitive to ibuprofen, then you might want to take it with food rather than on an empty stomach.

NHE