Beginning maintenance doses of interferon ..ideas for best time of day to administer

I did mine on mon/wed/fri.  I usually did the shot late night (around 9 – 11pm).  I'm not sure what would be the best schedule.  If your main goal is to minimize the impact on work you may find doing it earlier right after you get home from work would make the next day a little more manageable.  I think you'll have to experiment with that.  I found that on my schedule I would start to feel better on Sundays and on Mondays I wouldn't feel too bad at all.  You might want to consider going with a Tue/Thur/Sat schedule.  That way you would at least have OK days on Monday and Tuesday.  I'm sure you probably are already drinking a lot of water but I would recommend keeping that up.  I think that is huge to getting through the treament.  Good luck.

Brian

I did mine on mon/wed/fri.  I usually did the shot late night (around 9 – 11pm).  I'm not sure what would be the best schedule.  If your main goal is to minimize the impact on work you may find doing it earlier right after you get home from work would make the next day a little more manageable.  I think you'll have to experiment with that.  I found that on my schedule I would start to feel better on Sundays and on Mondays I wouldn't feel too bad at all.  You might want to consider going with a Tue/Thur/Sat schedule.  That way you would at least have OK days on Monday and Tuesday.  I'm sure you probably are already drinking a lot of water but I would recommend keeping that up.  I think that is huge to getting through the treament.  Good luck.

Brian

I did mine on mon/wed/fri.  I usually did the shot late night (around 9 – 11pm).  I'm not sure what would be the best schedule.  If your main goal is to minimize the impact on work you may find doing it earlier right after you get home from work would make the next day a little more manageable.  I think you'll have to experiment with that.  I found that on my schedule I would start to feel better on Sundays and on Mondays I wouldn't feel too bad at all.  You might want to consider going with a Tue/Thur/Sat schedule.  That way you would at least have OK days on Monday and Tuesday.  I'm sure you probably are already drinking a lot of water but I would recommend keeping that up.  I think that is huge to getting through the treament.  Good luck.

Brian

Shots on Mon/Wed/Fri seems to be the usual schedule but I agree with BrianP, I often felt better on Sundays and Mondays with the short break after the Friday shots. With hindsight, I would think about a slightly different schedule to better suit your work schedule. Trying to maintain a full work schedule for the remaining 11 months can be tough on this drug – I tried and managed for about 6 months. You need to prioritise your rest and recovery over work. I tried to work through a couple of lung infections to my cost and ended up taking months to recover fully. In my experience though this drug also takes a phsycological/mental toll and if you can continue to maintain as normal a life as possible with all the social interactions that work brings, that can only help you through it too. 

Shots on Mon/Wed/Fri seems to be the usual schedule but I agree with BrianP, I often felt better on Sundays and Mondays with the short break after the Friday shots. With hindsight, I would think about a slightly different schedule to better suit your work schedule. Trying to maintain a full work schedule for the remaining 11 months can be tough on this drug – I tried and managed for about 6 months. You need to prioritise your rest and recovery over work. I tried to work through a couple of lung infections to my cost and ended up taking months to recover fully. In my experience though this drug also takes a phsycological/mental toll and if you can continue to maintain as normal a life as possible with all the social interactions that work brings, that can only help you through it too. 

Shots on Mon/Wed/Fri seems to be the usual schedule but I agree with BrianP, I often felt better on Sundays and Mondays with the short break after the Friday shots. With hindsight, I would think about a slightly different schedule to better suit your work schedule. Trying to maintain a full work schedule for the remaining 11 months can be tough on this drug – I tried and managed for about 6 months. You need to prioritise your rest and recovery over work. I tried to work through a couple of lung infections to my cost and ended up taking months to recover fully. In my experience though this drug also takes a phsycological/mental toll and if you can continue to maintain as normal a life as possible with all the social interactions that work brings, that can only help you through it too. 

Interferons are the main treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. The three injections per week and related flu symptoms are a common thread on MS message boards. I opted for the synthetic alternative, which was administered every day but did not have the flu symptom side effects. I don't know whether this is the same treatment, or whether you have a synthetic alternative, but I think you might ask your doctor. The synthetic alternative is made by Teva and is called Copaxone. I took it for four and a half years before having to leave my position as a classroom teacher because of the depression, anxiety, memory loss and confusion (all symptoms of ms, and supposedly not worsened by Copaxone.) None the less, when I did retire, I did stop the injections and felt remarkedly better for doing so. It might be that I so resented the imposition of such a self-treatment that the worsening of cognitive symptoms was due to the increase in depression, which was alleviated by antidepressants and the ability to control my own time that came with retirement. I don't really know. But if you can use the synthetic without the flu symptoms, it might be worth a try.  By the way, most MS patients using the interferons reported that after the initial three to six months, the side effects disappeared.  And… recent long term testing (ten years) have shown no slowing of the progression of ms with the use of interferons, which was it's only claim. The new oral meds take the same approach: time will tell whether they, too, fail to slow the progression. 

Not a very happy upbeat response, but I thought you ought to know of others' reactions to interferons. I don't know if the interferons differ from each other. I know all three of the ms brands, with the exception of the synthetic, are the same.

Interferons are the main treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. The three injections per week and related flu symptoms are a common thread on MS message boards. I opted for the synthetic alternative, which was administered every day but did not have the flu symptom side effects. I don't know whether this is the same treatment, or whether you have a synthetic alternative, but I think you might ask your doctor. The synthetic alternative is made by Teva and is called Copaxone. I took it for four and a half years before having to leave my position as a classroom teacher because of the depression, anxiety, memory loss and confusion (all symptoms of ms, and supposedly not worsened by Copaxone.) None the less, when I did retire, I did stop the injections and felt remarkedly better for doing so. It might be that I so resented the imposition of such a self-treatment that the worsening of cognitive symptoms was due to the increase in depression, which was alleviated by antidepressants and the ability to control my own time that came with retirement. I don't really know. But if you can use the synthetic without the flu symptoms, it might be worth a try.  By the way, most MS patients using the interferons reported that after the initial three to six months, the side effects disappeared.  And… recent long term testing (ten years) have shown no slowing of the progression of ms with the use of interferons, which was it's only claim. The new oral meds take the same approach: time will tell whether they, too, fail to slow the progression. 

Not a very happy upbeat response, but I thought you ought to know of others' reactions to interferons. I don't know if the interferons differ from each other. I know all three of the ms brands, with the exception of the synthetic, are the same.

Interferons are the main treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. The three injections per week and related flu symptoms are a common thread on MS message boards. I opted for the synthetic alternative, which was administered every day but did not have the flu symptom side effects. I don't know whether this is the same treatment, or whether you have a synthetic alternative, but I think you might ask your doctor. The synthetic alternative is made by Teva and is called Copaxone. I took it for four and a half years before having to leave my position as a classroom teacher because of the depression, anxiety, memory loss and confusion (all symptoms of ms, and supposedly not worsened by Copaxone.) None the less, when I did retire, I did stop the injections and felt remarkedly better for doing so. It might be that I so resented the imposition of such a self-treatment that the worsening of cognitive symptoms was due to the increase in depression, which was alleviated by antidepressants and the ability to control my own time that came with retirement. I don't really know. But if you can use the synthetic without the flu symptoms, it might be worth a try.  By the way, most MS patients using the interferons reported that after the initial three to six months, the side effects disappeared.  And… recent long term testing (ten years) have shown no slowing of the progression of ms with the use of interferons, which was it's only claim. The new oral meds take the same approach: time will tell whether they, too, fail to slow the progression. 

Not a very happy upbeat response, but I thought you ought to know of others' reactions to interferons. I don't know if the interferons differ from each other. I know all three of the ms brands, with the exception of the synthetic, are the same.

Hi,
I prepared most of the questions regarding my reseaarch about Interferon and its side effects.

You could be really helpful to my research as you are currently on IFN. I think you should have a diary on how you feel physically and mentally. I regret for not having one now.

As you know, i am doing this research based on mine and yours experience so we can help others who are currently going through this or about to start their treatment.  

I do have these questions ready but i while i was doing them i realized that it would be much easier if we do it over Skype or chat.  

Would you be comfortable enough to talk with me over Skype? It shouldn't take longer than 45 minutes. It would be better because i really can't think
of all of the questions because we all had somewhat different experience.

If you are up to this, i will contact you within few weeks. Or whenever you have the time.

Please let me know what do you think.

Be well,
Claude

Hi,
I prepared most of the questions regarding my reseaarch about Interferon and its side effects.

You could be really helpful to my research as you are currently on IFN. I think you should have a diary on how you feel physically and mentally. I regret for not having one now.

As you know, i am doing this research based on mine and yours experience so we can help others who are currently going through this or about to start their treatment.  

I do have these questions ready but i while i was doing them i realized that it would be much easier if we do it over Skype or chat.  

Would you be comfortable enough to talk with me over Skype? It shouldn't take longer than 45 minutes. It would be better because i really can't think
of all of the questions because we all had somewhat different experience.

If you are up to this, i will contact you within few weeks. Or whenever you have the time.

Please let me know what do you think.

Be well,
Claude

Hi,
I prepared most of the questions regarding my reseaarch about Interferon and its side effects.

You could be really helpful to my research as you are currently on IFN. I think you should have a diary on how you feel physically and mentally. I regret for not having one now.

As you know, i am doing this research based on mine and yours experience so we can help others who are currently going through this or about to start their treatment.  

I do have these questions ready but i while i was doing them i realized that it would be much easier if we do it over Skype or chat.  

Would you be comfortable enough to talk with me over Skype? It shouldn't take longer than 45 minutes. It would be better because i really can't think
of all of the questions because we all had somewhat different experience.

If you are up to this, i will contact you within few weeks. Or whenever you have the time.

Please let me know what do you think.

Be well,
Claude

Hi,

How are you holding up against the side effects?

I completed a one-month high dose and 11 months low dose interferon. And i can help you about your side effects.

What are you experiencing the most?

Hi,

How are you holding up against the side effects?

I completed a one-month high dose and 11 months low dose interferon. And i can help you about your side effects.

What are you experiencing the most?

Hi,

How are you holding up against the side effects?

I completed a one-month high dose and 11 months low dose interferon. And i can help you about your side effects.

What are you experiencing the most?

Hey Blden,

I think you would be hard pressed to find any ocologist (of the ones still prescribing interferon) that would say taking a "holiday is OK.  I had a friend who also did the year long interferon relay a story to me.  Dr. Kirkwood (I believe that is his name) was the founder/creator of the interferon treatment.  He's taken a lot of heat over the years for the controversial treatment but he has adamantly stuck by the treatment.  He has argued that results have suffered because physicians/patients are not following the protocol exactly as they should.  After my friend told me that I made it my mission to follow the protocol exactly. 

Having said that, it's your life, your body and if you want to enjoy a week I think that's your perogative.  You will undoubtedly feel better by the 3rd or 4th day and will definitely enjoy your drive more.  I remember one of the inconveniences for me during interferon was how uncomfortable I would get sitting for long periods of time.  Not sure if it was the lost padding in my rump from the lost weight or just the flu like achiness that caused the uncomfortableness.

For me to say that you should or should not would be giving medical advice which I'm clearly not qualified to do.  Hope this helps you with your decision.

Brian 

Hey Blden,

I think you would be hard pressed to find any ocologist (of the ones still prescribing interferon) that would say taking a "holiday is OK.  I had a friend who also did the year long interferon relay a story to me.  Dr. Kirkwood (I believe that is his name) was the founder/creator of the interferon treatment.  He's taken a lot of heat over the years for the controversial treatment but he has adamantly stuck by the treatment.  He has argued that results have suffered because physicians/patients are not following the protocol exactly as they should.  After my friend told me that I made it my mission to follow the protocol exactly. 

Having said that, it's your life, your body and if you want to enjoy a week I think that's your perogative.  You will undoubtedly feel better by the 3rd or 4th day and will definitely enjoy your drive more.  I remember one of the inconveniences for me during interferon was how uncomfortable I would get sitting for long periods of time.  Not sure if it was the lost padding in my rump from the lost weight or just the flu like achiness that caused the uncomfortableness.

For me to say that you should or should not would be giving medical advice which I'm clearly not qualified to do.  Hope this helps you with your decision.

Brian 

Hey Blden,

I think you would be hard pressed to find any ocologist (of the ones still prescribing interferon) that would say taking a "holiday is OK.  I had a friend who also did the year long interferon relay a story to me.  Dr. Kirkwood (I believe that is his name) was the founder/creator of the interferon treatment.  He's taken a lot of heat over the years for the controversial treatment but he has adamantly stuck by the treatment.  He has argued that results have suffered because physicians/patients are not following the protocol exactly as they should.  After my friend told me that I made it my mission to follow the protocol exactly. 

Having said that, it's your life, your body and if you want to enjoy a week I think that's your perogative.  You will undoubtedly feel better by the 3rd or 4th day and will definitely enjoy your drive more.  I remember one of the inconveniences for me during interferon was how uncomfortable I would get sitting for long periods of time.  Not sure if it was the lost padding in my rump from the lost weight or just the flu like achiness that caused the uncomfortableness.

For me to say that you should or should not would be giving medical advice which I'm clearly not qualified to do.  Hope this helps you with your decision.

Brian