hello everyone i had my ms nurse come to see me today and show me all the different dmds and how to use them. i start on the 28th march but need to decide between a pen or there is a machine just wandering how many of you use this machine and what do you think? yes it does every thing for you but just wandering what you all think.
thanks carly xx
Each type comes with the option of its own auto injector and they are all different. Rebif is a very flash one with a digital read our and (virtually) invisible needle. Copaxone a bit more rudimentary. I would base your decision first an foremost on the type of injection (subcut - ie into the skin- or intramuscular - deeper), frequency (daily for Copaxone through to less frequent for the interferons), lifestyle issues (need to mix or not, ease of storage and transportation etc) and side effects (some carry more likelihood of fle like effects at least in short term - others localised site reactions). MS Decisions website is best place to look or factsheets on MS Soc and MS Trust websites). WHichever you chose there are nurses to support you and train you. I would say what is good for one person is not necessarily what will be right for you. Good luck with your decision.
Hi Carly, I’m not much help, sorry. I’m on betaferon and I just inject it myself , I don’t use any pens or machines or anything. Cheryl:)
Carly
you are asking the wrong question, the one you should be asking is which is convenient and what are their side effects, look at http://www.msdecisions.org.uk/ ,the decision aid for the options ,but the taking is the easy part whichever you choose. I went for Interferon as its once a week and i dont get injection site problems, the down side for me is the day after.
I hope whichever you choose is the right one for you.
Daniel
As SGT said, each DMD comes with a different autoinjector or machine. Which DMD have you chosen? If it’s Rebif, then I can vouch for the Rebismart - it is easy to use, you don’t need to even see the needle if you don’t want to and the needle is very fine so it hardly hurts at all. I used to be on Copaxone and I didn’t like the autoinjector so I manually injected - it was much easier as I had more control. This was a couple of years ago now though, so they may have improved the autoinjector.
As Daniel has said, the more important decision is what DMD to choose rather than how to inject it. How to inject it may be a factor in your decision, but things like frequency of injection, whether it’s subcutaneous or into muscle and side effects are probably more important. The msdecisions website is a great place to get info if you haven’t chosen already.
I went for Copaxone the first time because there were no “flu” side effects and it was subcutaneous. When that stopped working for me, I went for Rebif as it gets the best results in recent research. I opted for the Rebismart machine because it has a reminder on it and tells you which bit of your body to inject into - both things I doubted my memory would cope with as it isn’t an every day injection!
Hth.
Karen x
thankyou for all your help rizzo thats what i wnted to no as i have already chose rebif but wasnt to sure about the machine but think thats the one i am going to go with as all the reminders and stuff sound good didnt no that it did that.
thanks again.
xx
Hello Carly,
I have been using the RebiSmart Injection machine, since April 11 and it is easy to use etc.
Regards
Gareth
Hi Carly,
Im just about to change from the rebismart to the auto inject pen as I really didnt get on with the rebismart, but everyones different.
Kelly x
Hi Carly, I too have had the deciion to make as to which dmd’s to start on! I decided on Rebif, not sure why, but as I am already used to doing subcutaneous injections regularly I didn’t fancy the longer needles needed for intramuscular injecting! The Rebif nurse who comes to visit and train you was excellent and the Rebimart device is extremely easy to use, step by step instructions and a useful diary for planning your injection sites (and remembering them lol!). I am currently on 22mcgs (going upto 44next week) and have not had too many side effects as yet and what I have had have been managed with paracetamol. I hope your start on Rebif goes smoothly ( and it does what it’s supposed to!) Lilbill x
thankyou everyone xx