129 patient evaluations for Interferon beta-1a IM Injection

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Apr 23, 2014 (Started Jun 01, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (muscle and joint pain)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg/0.5 mL Weekly
Advice & Tips: Even though I switched to Aubagio, I would still recommend Avonex for anyone who is thinking about treatment. I watch my diet carefully and I exercise regularly, but there's no way I would skip MS medication. The costs of a relapse are just too high.
Cost: $200+ monthly

Apr 25, 2012 (Started Jun 01, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (muscle and joint pain)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg/0.5 mL Weekly
Advice & Tips: I've had no new lesions since I started taking Avonex. For anyone who has been diagnosed, get on the drugs as soon as you can. I was given this advice, and I ignored it at first. It only took one relapse to change my mind.
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 1, 2013 (Started Jul 01, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 20 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Take at night before bed on the weekend or when you have off in case you get the flu like symptoms
Cost: < $25 monthly

Jan 15, 2012 (Started Jul 01, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 10 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 1, 2013 (Started Feb 07, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (flu like symptoms)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg Weekly
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: flu like symptoms

Apr 12, 2011 (Started Feb 07, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (flu like symptoms)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg Weekly
Advice & Tips: Side effects are different for everyone but I find if I take Advil about 30 minutes before my injection, I'm less likely to have bad flu-like symptoms.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: flu like symptoms
  • 0 helpful marks

Sep 3, 2013 (Started Jun 12, 2006)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (flu like symptoms)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 30 mg Weekly
Advice & Tips: expect to be achy. The flu like symptoms where for at least 2 days after I took it.
  • 0 helpful marks

Jan 17, 2014 (Started Mar 15, 2013)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (muscle fatigue, flu like symptoms, stiffness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Advice & Tips: Prepare every members around you, you'll probably need them... Thanks for my wife who accepted to give me the injections at the end (missed the shot a couple of times and after that I was afraid to miss again.
Cost: < $25 monthly

Jan 13, 2014 (Started Mar 15, 2013)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (muscle fatigue, flu like symptoms, stiffness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Advice & Tips: Be prepared to feel sick for two days (at least) next to the injection. Really hard to take care of family (2 children + new born) so get as much help around as possible with family, ressources, etc. At first, I was having the PEN wich is basically a spring that deals with the seringue on your behalf. Then changed for the pre-filled seringe because I could not stand the snap done by the PEN. But then, after missing the shot 2 or 3 times, I had to ask my wife to do it (being too scared to miss it once again).
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 1 helpful mark

Jan 6, 2011 (Started Jan 03, 1998)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (tiredness)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 60 mcg Weekly
Advice & Tips: hope for cure
Cost: < $25 monthly

Feb 4, 2010 (Started Jan 03, 1998)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (tiredness)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg Weekly
Advice & Tips: over ten years on it why stop. still walking not good but not bad
Cost: $25-49 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jun 30, 2012 (Started Jun 02, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (injection site reaction, bruising, injection site pain, injection site bruising, joint stiffness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg/0.5 mL Weekly
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: injection site pain, injection site bruising, joint stiffness, bruising, injection site reaction

Oct 30, 2011 (Started Jun 02, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (injection site reaction, bruising, injection site pain, injection site bruising, joint stiffness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg/0.5 mL Weekly
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: injection site pain, injection site bruising, joint stiffness, bruising, injection site reaction
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 17, 2013 (Started Aug 20, 2001)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Effectiveness
    None (for Other)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg Weekly
Advice & Tips: I have no side effects from this drug, Praise God.
Cost: $200+ monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jan 15, 2003 (Started Jan 15, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg Daily
Advice & Tips: Every night I got "sick"... Tylenol 2tabs always ready on my bedside. I never "felt" well. Interferons can weaken your immune system, I was getting very sick, severe abdominal pains, sore throat, and noticeable weight loss. It was my Gastro MD that noted the mouth sores, and was told to stop before I compromise myself even more.
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jan 15, 2011 (Started Mar 08, 2006)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (fever/chills, headaches, whole body ache, flu like symptoms, muscle aches)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg Weekly
Side effects: fever/chills, whole body ache, flu like symptoms, headaches, muscle aches

Mar 22, 2009 (Started Mar 08, 2006)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for General health)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (fever/chills, headaches, whole body ache, flu like symptoms, muscle aches)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 30 mcg Weekly
Advice & Tips: The needle may be a little bigger than you'd expect, but the once a week is a major plus for me. The flu like sx (fever, chills, body aches) don't last long and after time they seem to disappear.
Side effects: fever/chills, whole body ache, flu like symptoms, headaches, muscle aches
  • 0 helpful marks
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