This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

This might seem like a silly question but that has never stopped me before.

There is an air bubble in every syringe of Rebif. As I am currently on reduced dose, I get rid of the bubble when I dump part of the syringe contents before injecting. Next week I go to 100% dose, therefore no dumping of serum. Now what about the air bubble?

The nurse Serrono sent to provide instructions said just to leave the bubble BUT if there is one thing I have learned in a hurry is that the people here have a lot more accurate and usefull info than the nurse (that would be the one who said that the arm was a good injection site).

Nothing like real life experience is there ?

Hi Oreo, you can thump the side of the needle while holding it upward with needle end up, and that way any bubbles will come to the top and you can see them and slowly get them all out, if needed a magnifying glass can help spot the little varmits.

I have had extensive, in depth training is this area as the person who I gave her injections to was ? lets see how to say this? lets just say, extremely adamant about those pesky little rascals we call bubbles.

I became an expert at debubbling (technical term I created myself). As to the stories about debubbling (after a while you will all enjoy saying that word) I cannot say one way or another as to their merits, however I can attest to what would happen to me if I did not completely debubble ( yes! once again, the term I created) Kathleens injection..

Philip

As I understand it the air bubbles are harmless. Unless you are injecting a very large air bubble (about 1ml of air bubble) directly in to a blood vessel then the air bubbles cause no problems whatsoever.

The thought of trying to get air bubbles out of my copaxone would make me weep. I have also been on rebif and again did not removed the air bubbles.

The FDA has even made specific approval for the pre filled copaxone to be used with the air bubbles in situ and stated that the air bubbles are not dangerous.

Felly

I take Betaseron, you add a diluent (salt water) to a vial with powder, gently mix, and then refill the syringe you started with. It is very easy to get bubbles when you refill the syringe. I have been told by several people (in medical field) not to worry about small bubbles, especially with sub-Q injections as Rebif and Betaseron is. I have a friend who takes Copaxone, as felly said, the task of getting rid of every single bubble big and small would either take forever or you'd end up with one sore finger from tapping. My Copaxone friend says " ah, those little bubbles won't hurt anything" Personally, in my case, not making the bubbles in the first place is LOTS easier than trying to get rid of them. I guess Rebif is different though.

Treez

My MS nurse told me to leave the bubble in (AVONEX) Making sure it was behind the serum, to finish it off.

Of course Avonex goes into the muscle.

AND I was to ADD the bubble back in when I was on the 1/2 dose and wasted the meds onto a papertowel.

She felt the Avonex needed the airbubble behind it to FINISH it. It kinda closed off the injection site.

Go figure.

When I was doing insulin injections at the care home I worked at many moons ago we were to tap out the bubble.

PEACE...

The air bubble is there for a purpose. The syringe should be held so that this air bubble is the last thing injected. It helps disperse the med. and seal the site--less chance of Rebif leaking out. Since Rebif is a subcutaneous injection, there is no problem or danger injecting the air bubble. Hope this helps. Bobble 43

I'm on rebif and was instructed NOT to remove the bubble and since I'm not dead yet, I guess it's ok to leave it in. However, I haven't noticed the position of the bubble when I inject...I'm going to start paying attention, as I do have injection site redness. maybe correct position helps?

interestingly, when I was getting my IV solumedrol back in april, there was lots of air in the IV tube that seemed to go right into my vein along with the fluid. I must have looked concerned because the nurse told me not to worry about it--that you'd need to pump a whole bag of air into your veins to hurt you.

I just started taking Rebif a week ago and I am on the 2ml injection every other day right now. I made the fatal mixtake of giving myself 3ml one night and oh did I pay for that. I was running off and thowing up chilld, fever the whole 9 yards. I believe in taking the air bubbles out of the syringe. I was taught to do so in pharmacy school many years ago. Things have not changed that much I know. Self injections hurt a lot less that the auto injector they sent us. When you give it yourself you can go slow or as fast as you want, less irritationg to the skin. Well, that is my 2 cents worth ...have a good day

I autoinject and do not remove the bubble. It is there for a reason so I leave it alone. I self injected Friday night and didn't see much of a diff in the reaction at the site so I do not feel as though I am missing out on something by not manually injecting.

I've been using the autoject for rebif since April of 2003. I had to switch from manual injections because I seemed to be ending up with more of the med on me than in me. Anyway, The sound that the bubble makes at the end of the injection is what tells me to pull out. Haven't had to "wear" my interferon ever since.

I called the Sereno folks about the bubble long ago and the lady told me to leave it alone.

This is correct, do not remove the air bubble.