MS nurse on holiday so can’t ask advice til Tuesday.
Hello Janet.
Do not worry about the consequences of not taking an aspirin; it can be of use, but is not vital. The itchiness or any blushing should be resolved if you can take an off the shelf anti-histamine instead.
As for the drowsiness, blurred vision and pins and needles… well i think they are just standard MS symptoms. I don’t think that these sensations can be attributed to the tecfidera.
At the risk of offending you, i would ask that you consider whether the side effects you perceive are simply figments of your imagination. Or are at the very most, a consequence of you being anxious about taking this new drug.
Believe me, i am guilty of the same sort of thing; You read the shopping list of horrors that is the info sheet which comes with the pills and your mind will naturally start to analyse each and every bodily sensation. Even after 12 months of taking the stuff, a sense of feeling queasy immediately makes me think i am enduring an intolerance to the drug, whilst i forget all about the 5 beers and the blue meat kebab eaten 30 minutes prior!
Think positive. De-stress. Take the Tec. Good luck. Do not worry.
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Thanks Paolo. The only thing I was worried about with it were the gastric side effects as I have always had those kind of problems without any meds. Ironically, so far that’s the only thing that hasn’t bothered me.
The unpleasantness of the flushing took me completely by surprise last night, and I’m just keeping fingers crossed it doesn’t return today. It was so painful on my face and my whole body itched. I can’t put up with that too much.
The other symptoms I don’t know. Definitely more than normal. Could be me worrying, but my husband has passed comment that I’ve not been well the last few days after being quite bright for a while. Will have to just wait and see I guess.
Fortune favours the brave. I hope you manage to persist through it.
You really should try to get some anti-histamines for the itching / prickling.
I personally, that it is quite unpleasant and almost impossible to ignore.
But it can be banished by a pill you can pull directly from the shelf at Tesco; its not even in the pharmacy; just a cold / flu / hay fever type remedy.
Good luck!
Paolo has given really good advice, I think.
“As for the drowsiness, blurred vision and pins and needles… well i think they are just standard MS symptoms.”
Do you get hot with the flushing? Could it be a temperature thing exacerbating MS symptoms - if so, an antihistamine might help those?
Hi Adrian, just thought I’d mention that I’ve been on Tecfidera since December and any side effects I’ve had have diminished. Hope all the unpleasantness settles down for you soon. Sharon x
I am into my 3rd week taking Tecfidera. Was on low dose (120 mg 2x a day) for week. Into 2nd week of 240 mg 2x a day. Joints stiff and sore but legs - very painful back (hamstring) & front (quads) & sides of legs (around IT band), calves. Feel shooting sendations down right leg mainly. Walking become very painful. I wonder if anyone else has experienced these symtoms - not sure if Tec side effect, MS or sciatic-type issue. Had very limited flushing and no significant stomach issues
I’ve been taking Tecfidera twice a day with food for past 2+ years, no side effects at all in that time apart from some very limited flushing when I just started. Been relapse free past 3 years, lymphos, MRI’s etc all good. Hard to fault it in my experience.
As an aside, I’ve found that having a smoothie in the morning is good enough for a ‘breakfast’ in terms of staving off upset stomachs due to the meds. For those morning’s when you just don’t feel like something more substantial. I tend to make my own but shop bought ones probably be good enough. I would say, I’ve never had much in the way of Tec side effects so could be coincidental, but worth a shot if thick smoothies are your thing.