Hope I’m posting this in the right place! I’m new here, so hello, and thank you in advance for any help/ advice you can give! I hope that I’m not replicating a previous post - apologies if I have - I did search but wasn’t able to find what I was looking for. Possibly newbie clumsiness…?
So, a little about me, been unwell 4+ years. I was dx Possible MS 2 years ago. Confirmed MS 18 months ago, confirmed RRMS 6 months ago. I have just started Rebif using the Rebismart device and wanted to ask your opinions before I see my MS nurse next week.
Since starting the injections are leaving site reactions that look like I’ve been attacked by a demented horsefly! I’ve tried hot packs, cold packs, rolling the cartridge between my hands to make sure it’s not cold after sitting at room temp and nothing seems to make any difference! Which made me wonder if perhaps I adjusted the depth settings on the device to be slightly shallower then maybe the reaction would be less severe? Has anyone reduced the depth on their device and had positive results? Just wanted to check before I broach the subject with my nurse. Also, can anyone tell me how I discard the cartridges?! Cannot find an answer to that anywhere and the nurse - whilst great - takes up to 48 hours to get back to me. Can it go in the sharps bin too??
Sorry for the long post, thank you all in advance, and I hope you are all having the easiest sunny day possible! Gx
yes it can go in the sharps bin. I am a fellow horse fly person too.
Is your fatigue worse now you taking Rebif?
Think you are meant to inject at room temperature and then after 15 mins add a cool pack. your body will get use to it so they say?? Take 2 para when you go to bed to help with headache.
You need to not inject on any of the red patches. Seem obvious but i was just making sure I didn’t inject on the same site.
I dont have flu symptoms and i seem okay except for fatigue not sure if rebif or me.
I tried to respond to this earlier but just realised an error message came up!
Thanks so much for the advice, I’m like a twit at the moment with it all, even over silly things like cartridge disposal so appreciate the reassurance massively. The rest of the time I’m fine but it seems silly things stump me lately…
My fatigue is tons worse since starting rebif, although my neuro has upped my modafinil dose to combat this which is helping but only slightly. Do you struggle really badly with the fatigue? I struggle with it more than anything else, compared to fatigue the rest is more of an annoyance. May be worth asking your neuro about Modafinil or Amantadine if you haven’t already been offered it?
I’m pretty good about rotating my injection sites, the reactions seem worse on my stomach and arms than anywhere else but for me they are the easier ones to use - legs hurt but react slightly less. I am still getting flu symptoms though so reliant on ibuprofen and para - if you shook me at the moment I’d rattle lol.
Sure I’ll get there in the end, just determined not to fall at this stage even though I’d be happier off the rebif (felt healthier before I started it) but if there’s even the slightest chance that it slows my disease progression then I’m all for sticking with it!
Again, thank you so much for coming back to me - was feeling a bit stupid about the cartridge thing lol. Hope you’ve had as positive and fatigue free day as is possible. Gx