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Generic Name: Interferon beta 1a IM Injection
See also: Avonex Prefilled Syringe

What is Avonex? Avonex® is a brand name for the drug interferon Beta-1a, used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). It is taken as an intramuscular injection and is available in pre-filled syringes.

See more information, including instructions, precautions, side effects, and interactions.


Reasons Taken

1032 patients in the community are taking or have taken Avonex.

Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Slow my MS progress 901 87%
Other 40 3%
General health 8 <1%
Fatigue 6 <1%
Don't know 6 <1%
Stiffness/spasticity 6 <1%
Vision 3 <1%
disease-related symptoms 3 <1%
Pain 2 <1%
Optic neuritis (inflammation of optic nerve) 1 <1%
Bladder problems 1 <1%
Brain fog 1 <1%
Sexual dysfunction 1 <1%
Stuffy head and ear pain 1 <1%
Mobility 1 <1%
Support another treatment 1 <1%

Dosages

Based on the patients currently taking Avonex.

Top 10 (Show all)

All (Show Top 10)

  0 mcg week 0 mg week 0 week 0.007143 mcg week 0.035715 mg week 0.042858 mcg week 0.0464295 mcg week 0.07143 mcg week 0.07143 mg week 0.07143 mL week 0.07143 week 0.14286 mcg week 0.14286 mg week 0.14286 mL week 0.14286 week 0.21429 mcg week 0.21429 mg week 0.57144 week 0.7143 mcg week 1.4286 mg week 1.885752 mg week 2 mcg day 2.1429 mcg week 2.1429 mg week 2.8572 mcg week 3.14292 mcg week 3.42864 mcg week 4.2858 mcg week 4.2858 mg week 4.2858 week 4.71438 mcg week 5.0001 mcg week 5.0001 mg week 5.28582 mcg week 6.28584 mg week 7.143 mcg week 8.5716 mcg week 9.42876 mcg week 11.4288 mg week 14.286 mcg week 17.8575 mcg week 28.572 mcg week 30 mcg day 30 mcg week 35.715 mcg week 44 mcg day 51.4296 mg week
  123 Number of Patients: 123 40 Number of Patients: 40 27 Number of Patients: 27 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 6 Number of Patients: 6 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 18 Number of Patients: 18 11 Number of Patients: 11 1 Number of Patients: 1 10 Number of Patients: 10 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 317 Number of Patients: 317 24 Number of Patients: 24 10 Number of Patients: 10 5 Number of Patients: 5 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 3 Number of Patients: 3 1 Number of Patients: 1 7 Number of Patients: 7 9 Number of Patients: 9 6 Number of Patients: 6 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1  

Duration

How long current patients have been taking Avonex or how long patients were taking Avonex before stopping.

Currently taking Avonex

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
13
25
33
59
55
205

Stopped taking Avonex

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
7
20
29
80
61
155
Why Patients Stopped Taking Avonex (multiple reasons could be selected)
Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Side effects too severe 167 45% Side effects too severe: 45%
Did not seem to work 132 36% Did not seem to work: 36%
Doctor's advice 91 25% Doctor's advice: 25%
Other 76 20% Other: 20%
Expense 18 5% Expense: 5%
Personal research 10 3% Personal research: 3%
Not indicated 10 3% Not indicated: 3%
Course of treatment ended 1 0% Course of treatment ended: 0%

Patient Reported Evaluations

Results from 72 patient evaluations. See the overall results and all individual evaluations.

Efficacy (Effect based on reason taken)

Major 16% 11
Moderate 16% 11
Slight 10% 7
None 16% 11
Can't tell 43% 30

Slow my MS progress

Side-effects (as an overall problem)

Severe 28% 20
Moderate 35% 25
Mild 29% 21
None 8% 6

Top reported side-effects include: Muscle ache, whole body, Chills/fever, Body Aches

Summary results are based on 72 individual responses. For more information, see overall results for Adherence, Burden and Cost.

Individual Patient Reported Evaluations (2 of 72)

  • JesswithMS
    Sensation: Moderate
    Overall: Moderate
    Cognition: moderate
    Vision: moderate
    Speech: moderate
    Swallowing: moderate
    Upper limb: moderate
    Walking: moderate
    See profile
  • JesswithMS
  • by JesswithMS
    Aug 18, 2008
  • EfficacyMajor
  • Side-effectsModerate
  • Slow my MS progress
Advice/Tips
Make sure to drink plenty of fluids and take the prescribed dosage of ibuprofin or tylenol.

  • msladyinca
    Sensation: Moderate
    Overall: Mild
    Cognition: none
    Vision: none
    Speech: none
    Swallowing: none
    Upper limb: moderate
    Walking: severe
    See profile
  • msladyinca
  • by msladyinca
    Jun 01, 2004
  • EfficacyNone
  • Side-effectsSevere
  • Slow my MS progress
Advice/Tips
Take a couple of liquid Advil approximately 20 minutes before you inject medication. Make sure that you take the medication out of the refrigerator in plenty of time (approximately 3 hours) so that it is at room temperature before you inject. Also, ice the injection site for approximately 5 minutes before you inject (place an ice cube inside a washcloth and hold it on your skin to numb the injection site as this will help reduce the pain. Lastly, try to inject your medication just before bedtime so that you can try to sleep off many of the flulike side effects.

See all evaluation results for Avonex



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