So in rebif but I’m considering tecfidera. Rebif is working for me, before it I had 7 relapses in a year, since the meds, nothing.
But the injections are causing me so much pain. I’m brushing so much and it’s getting harder to find places to inject. When I started I had so much confidence injecting, now I hestitate all the time.
i just would like to know of anyone is on tecfidera and what kind of side effects of any they have experienced? My side effects from rebif felt horrible, I still get some of I forget to take painkillers with it
I have been on tecfidera for 6 weeks now and so far haven’t had any side effects at all! I always take it on a full stomach. There are now quite a lot of tecfidera related threads in the forum if you want to follow them.
Tecfidera user and advocate right here! (And i didn’t even have to go through the labours of self-injecting to appreciate it!)
My side effects have been few, mild and easily and quickly managed with supermarket pills.
Week two gave stomach cramps about 30 minutes after dose; quickly resolved with standard paracetamol.
No signs of flushing, but pronounced and defused itching occurred in week 5; quickly resolved by anti-histamines.
No other problems; i attribute this primarily to ALWAYS taking on full stomach (apart from the bedtime dose, where i quickly go to sleep thereafter anyway).
An aspirin is recommended for ‘flushing’, but i take a daily one of those anyway.
Hair loss (NOT baldness) has been reported from some quarters but i have not noticed this at all. in fact, i am adamant that my legs have gotten hairier! (Not a bad thing as it has gotten chilly around here lately.)
Tecfidera is no bother (for me) at all and if it is as effective as trials suggest, it is an absolute god send, especially if all you are used to, is needles and cycling through injection sites!
Hi all, ive been on avonex for nearly 3 years now but i would like to try tecfidera and do away with the injections, ive a yearly neuro appointment in march next year so may ask the about a change, anyone know is it fairly strait forward one dmd to another does mean blood tests mri etc? Tc.
How DMDs interact with one another is mostly unknown i think; you are likely to have a period where you take none, so you cleanse your system of the current regime prior to starting the next.
For tecfidera, there is a potential impact upon certain white blood cell counts and so their level needs to be checked before starting and then (for me at least) every three months thereafter.
As for MRI scans; i see no specific reason for why a start on / switch to tecfidera would necessitate that, but taking pretty pictures of one’s white matter i think is a luxury not to be refused if offered. such a relaxing, non-evasive method of checking out any disease progression…
Good luck and if i were you, i would see if i could get advice on a DMD switch before next spring.
Tc - i am on the tecfidera/aspirin trial. I am now just starting week 16.
With most dmd’s you have to come off one and wait a few weeks until you start another. This is not the case with Tecfidera.
You can go straight onto Tecfidera from avonex/copaxone/rebif/extavia.
Tecfidera works in a different way to the interferons so there is no need to take any break. Straight from avonex to Tecfidera for you!
I’ve gone straight from rebif to Tecfidera . No MRI needed usually. Blood tests are the norm at the start of a new treatment though to monitor you are doing ok. I’m having bloods more often than most as am on this trial (monthly) and then i go to 3 monthly for the duration of the trial. Not sure how often after that though.
I suppose neuro’s will differ but mine wanted as short a gap as possible inbetween dmd’s.
