Starting Tec

Symptoms and treatments
1

Hi all,

I am due to start Tecfidera this week. Feeling a bit nervous now.

Any helpful tips, do’s or don’ts

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Hi Emba. Hope you’re keeping as well as can be.

I’ve been on Tecfidera for nearly 8 years. In my experience it is a first class medication to be on. You will take 2 tablets a day, one in the morning and one at night, broadly speaking about 12hrs apart. I find one with breakfast and dinner in the evening is perfect. You’ll read lots of posts on this forum about taking the tablets with starchy or carb heavy foods to aid digestion and fend off flushes, I’d say, experiment and find your own path. Personally, most mornings I tend to take my tablet with nothing more than a glass of water and 8 years on, I’m perfectly fine.

You’ll start on week 1 with a lower 120mg dose, then graduate to 240mg from week 2.

Your bloods will be taken every 12 weeks to check your lympho count and kidney & Liver functions. There are more serious risks of potential infection but they are so vanishingly rare I wouldn’t concern myself with them. Flushes or an upset stomach are about as bad as it gets. Personally, I used to get the occasional hot flush years ago but now, pretty much nothing at all.

Best news, tests show Tecfidera cuts relapses by up to 50%.

I’ve been relapse free and on clear annual MRIs for the 8 years I’ve been on it. Bloods are always good too. My EDSS score is also zero. Hopefully you’ll be the same.

Good luck on your journey.

Retro

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Thanks Retro,

Sounds like it’s going to be a bit of trial and error.

Glad it is working well for you, think I am just reading so much and starting to worry myself,especially about what to eat etc.

Thank you for the Info :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hi Emma

Your first excellent reply here has covered everything I would have said! I’ve been on it six years after fifteen happy years on an injectable which I had to stop as it was no longer being prescribed. At the time there were lots of posts about what to eat when you take it but I have what I would call an ordinary diet and have never had any side effects from the Tec. I have had no relapses on it and my blood tests done every three months haven’t changed, nor have my MRIs so I am really happy with it.

As with any DMTs if it doesn’t suit you, you can change again to something else. Good luck though and I hope it works well.

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Thanks Kestrel,

I am planning for the worst, but hoping for the best.

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Tablets :pill: arrived today, will start tomorrow and let you know how I am getting on soon x :grinning_face:

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Good luck. Keep us posted. You’ll rock it!!

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