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The fixers

Everyday living
#1

Hi,

starting tecfidera on monday day anyone else on this drug?any tips advice please very nervous but had two relapses since April so not feeling well

thanks

paul

#2

i have been on tecfidera for over a year. i would share this:

  1. do not worry. any side effects you feel will be due to a self imposed sense of anxiety and apprehension.

  2. take an aspirin half an hour before dose 1

  3. take your tec dose when you are three quarters of a way through a decent sized meal

  4. take paracetamol for any ache / pains such as stomach cramp

  5. take anti-histamine for any flush / itch / rash

  6. start by taking one 120mg cap per day in week 1; 2 in week 2; 3 in week 3 and full dose in week 4

  7. even during the increase of dosing undertaken in step 6, you begin to suffer serious (and i mean bad ass) side effects, do not increase you dose the next week; continue on the same dose or even reduce back one capsule until your tolerance catches up

  8. if side effects get super bad, contact your nurse / neurologist and consider an alternative.

with all this being said, i am 99.99% confident steps 7 and 8 will not even need to enter your mind.

to expand on step 3 - it doesn’t matter what you eat, whether fatty, protein rich or a fist full of cake. what counts is the amount. line your stomach with grub, take the drug and then bury it under a bit more nosh.

good luck. do not worry. this will be an investment to your future, healthy self!

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#3

Hi Paul

I started tecfidera a week ago and like you was very nervous.

I followed the advice posted on the forum, especially from Paolo and all has been good so far. I haven’t suffered from any of the stomach issues but I have felt tired and had a few headaches, but nothing too bad.

I waited for something to happen after taking my first tablet as I was very apprehensive but nothing happened not even some flushing! So follow all the advice and be positive!!!

Good luck for Monday

Annabel

#4

Hi Paul, I dont have ms, so dont use that drug, but I sure hope it works well for you hun.

pollx

#5

Paul, I’m about 2 months in with Tec.

My recommendation is good yoghurt as I’m not really a breakfast person. I can even swallow the pill with yoghurt too, which is a bonus - I can’t be sure but I think it helps if it doesn’t dissolve too quickly, like Paolo says, 3/4 of way into a meal is good

I get the Onken biopots or supermarket own Greek stuff, it seems to settle the stomach nicely but I get the full-fat ones, not sure if the low-fat ones work as well On the plus side, I’ve not had to take any aspirin/anti-histamines etc. either. Worst flushes were after first tablet and first full-dose pill. I have rare and quite random ones now but they might bother me for 5/10 minutes, not an hour like after the first ones. Good luck

Sonia x

#6

if like nindancer, you’re not much of a brekkie eater, just take dose 1 at lunchtime.

although an optimal timing of doses can be said to be 12 hours apart from each other, the only cardinal rule is no two doses within 4 hours.

incidentally, on the subject of ‘live yogurts’, during my last appointment with them, my neurologist mentioned a growing interest and thus body of research being dedicated to the study of gastro-fauna and MS onset / progression.

having a good dose of Onken (or similar) might be as relevant as a few pills of vit D for the likes of us!

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