Okay, I have to brag...

[Bubba]

On myself! Giant Hurdle leaped this evening.....

Now for you veteran injectors, This is a rookie moment (for me anyway)
I took my first shot of the 44mcg Rebif tonight. Pondering what you guys have told me about auto injecting versus manual, I took my injection manually where I could control the flow rate of the medicine. THIS, for me, was a HUGE step! and it wasnt that bad. I never thought I would see the day I could stick myself with a needle. Thank You everyone for your encouragement and priceless information...

[Karazhan]

Grats Bubba!!!!

Something just occurred to me.... Is it harder for guys to inject because they have less fat tissue and more areas covered with hair (i.e. belly & thighs)? Is that even an issue?

[BEZALEL]

Hi Bubba, good for you, if it comes to it, I will have to try to inject myself manually, but it would only work for me in my belly, since I don't have much fat to squease the skin on the legs. So I guess Karazhan it is not much different, I guess it depends, excuse for writing this: how fat one is, to your advantage....

[Bubba]

Let me just say.... Finding fat to pinch on me just aint an issue!

[scoobyjude]

Congrats Bubba!!

[catfreak]

Bubba wrote

On myself! Giant Hurdle leaped this evening..... Laughing

Now for you veteran injectors, This is a rookie moment (for me anyway)
I took my first shot of the 44mcg Rebif tonight. Pondering what you guys have told me about auto injecting versus manual, I took my injection manually where I could control the flow rate of the medicine. THIS, for me, was a HUGE step! Very Happy and it wasnt that bad. Embarassed I never thought I would see the day I could stick myself with a needle. Thank You everyone for your encouragement and priceless information...

I knew you could do it Bubba!!!

Now that you have this mastered, you can learn when to inject. For me it was 1st thing in the morning because I felt my worst around 12-16 hrs later. And I was able to sleep through the worst part. Hang in there and keep us up on how you are doing.

Cat

[BEZALEL]

Hi Catfreak and who else takes the med. in the morning. I am taken the med. at 10 pm, but the next morning, I feel tired and my left leg is weaker than usual. So I want to start this Monday to take it in the morning, and see what happens 7 - 8 hrs later, if I experience the same tired and weakness as I do in the morning for a few hours. At least my evenings will be free, especially when I go out, don't have to worry about given myself a shot, somewhere in a restroom, where it is not cleas........I do not have flu like symthoms. I asked my Doctor abt. it, and he just says try it and see how it goes.....Wanted to know how anyone else is doing taken it in the morning.....Thx, J.

[NHE]

I'm not on Rebif but I have been taking Avonex for the last 9 years. I find that I have less side effects if I have the Ifn-B shot early in the afternoon rather than at night. This difference was especially prominent during the first couple of years I was on the medication. It seemed that my body did not thermoregulate well when I was trying to sleep after the Ifn-B shot and I would frequently get the chills, sometimes so bad I would shake uncontrollably. However, when taking my shot during the day my body was better able to handle the side effects. I still take some ibuprofen about 3 to 4 hours after my shot since it helps to avoid getting muscle cramps. In general, my current side effects are usually limited to being just a bit run down the next day so I try to take it easy and not do too much as my energy is pretty limited.

NHE

[BEZALEL]

Hi NHE, what your wrote: "my current side effects are usually limited to being just a bit run down the next day so I try to take it easy and not do too much as my energy is pretty limited", that is pretty much what I experience the next morning, sometimes into half a day. That is why I thought to take it in the morning, let's hope that works......

To all the Mother's out there: Happy Mother's Day......

[catfreak]

Bezalel wrote":

At least my evenings will be free, especially when I go out, don't have to worry about given myself a shot, somewhere in a restroom, where it is not cleas........I do not have flu like symthoms. I asked my Doctor abt. it, and he just says try it and see how it goes.....

That is how I felt about it. I took my shot before work and it made my life so much easier. I was on the .22 dose for a long time (7 months) but when I went to .44 in december I could not handle the fatigue at all, my quality of life went down hill fast. So, now I am on Tysabri and have had 2 infusions and doing very well.

I hope this works well for you in the long haul.

Cat

[BEZALEL]

Hi catfreak, glad to hear you are doing well.....I am on 44, started 5 months ago, with 8.8, than 22......well lets see how I doing during the day tomorrow.......will keep you posted.....

[catfreak]

Bez,

I hope this works great for you and you can sleep through the side effects. Please let me know.

Rebif is a great med if you can tolerate the side effects. I had unchanged MRI while on rebif. We'll see how the Tysabri is working when I have my MRI in June.

Bubba,

How's it going now??

Cat

[BEZALEL]

Hi Cat, since Monday morning I take the med. in the morning and thanks g'd am doing fine, no side effects, did not have side effects in the eve either, just the next morning with the more weakness in the left left lower leg and tiredness, that is gone as well.....works much better like this, since Monday night I went out without having to worry where I give myself a shot of the med.......hope it will be ok like this for me.

How is the Tysabri, how are you doing with the side effects?

bezalel

[catfreak]

Bez,

I am doing great on the Tysabri so far. I will have my 3rd infusion on this Thursday the 21st. The in June I have my next MRI to see how it is working.
The only thing is I seem to be flushed at times but not nearly as tired.

How are the morning injections going? OK, for you I hope. Please keep me posted on the progress.

Cat