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what I've read is that some people develop neutralizing antibodies to the interferon, which is thought to diminish the drug's efficacy. These can be tested for in the blood. I've been on rebif for 4.5 years. My only relapses were minor and occurred during the first year. I've been 100% symptom-free ...

Anita, Your language is good enough. When I started taking Rebif I did not have symptoms, so it is not easy to guess when it started working. About 4 months later, I had some very minor numbness that lasted a week or two. Since then, no symptoms at all. I have been free of symptoms for at least 2 ye...

I suspect it's more likely your body's response to the interferon. Get your blood tested--which is probably recommended after starting Betaseron anyway. Interferons can reduce platelet levels, and increase propensity to bruise. I have always bruised easily. My platelets have bounced around a lot on ...

I am lucky. My employer's health insurance plan (Blue Cross) offers full spousal coverage and as long as I am their employee, there is no such thing as a pre-existing condition for either me or my spouse. So if your fiance gets a job here with good benefits, or if you are employed with good benefits...

equally important: if she DOES have MS, what will that mean???

the two of you apparently don't have the trust necessary to enter a healthy marriage.

period.

no experience with the anxiety, sorry. maybe yoga, or breathing exercises? hang in there. I'm sure your friend appreciates the support you're giving.

I have reported minor tingling that lasts more than a day or two. In my view, mild flares help tell us whether the MS is active and may be cause for a followup MRI. I've never heard of waiting for a flare up to pass before starting a CRAB. Rather the opposite--the Rebif might help reduce the inflamm...

I'm another one who does not suffer from the flu-like side effects from Rebif. I have felt them a couple of times in the 4 yrs I've been on it, but in those cases, 2 ibuprofen have provided relief. Like Punchy, the redness at my injection sites takes several weeks to go away so I do an 8 week rotati...

gwa:
I kill watch batteries too...I wonder how many of us are out there.

carolsue

some people, like you, have bad side effects to beta interferon, while others don't. so for some people, yes, what you're experiencing is typical. good luck finding a therapy that will work for you.

thanks bromley!

Picking this thread up because I have to consider going on meds to lower blood pressure. Apparently, one category of meds are calcium channel blockers. It would seem that I might derive some neuroprotection if I chose a calcium blocker. OddDuck, or Raven, care to comment?

carolsue

I know the conversation here is about subcutaneous injection, but I was very interested to learn that the danger of air bubbles for IV injections has been overstated. I learned this when I having an IV steroid course a few years ago, and watched with horror as a bunch of air bubbles went into into m...

great news to hear! I have a similar story. I've been on it for 3.5 years, and have had a couple of follow-ups with no new lesions or activity. So I'm staying with rebif, grinning and bearing what are usually painful shots for me.

thanks for sharing, and go celebrate!

carolsue

now I remember a little more clearly. the "study" I was referring to was actually just an analysis from long term data of copaxone users (not the betaseron trial discussed above). I saw this data analysis in my neuro's office, who had worked with a university statistician to analyze these ...