Howdy Hi.

If anyone reads the insights thread in the social forum, you already know this. But I am switching from the Copax to Rebif. too many reactions outweighing the benefits.

So to all you Rebifers, what premedications have worked for you? Benedryl is out since it makes me hyper.

Any advice appreciated.

Hi Fin,

I used to take naproxen 500 mg just before the Rebif injection, it's the rx form of nuprin I think.

If you have high blood pressure it might not work for you though.

Good luck with the Rebif, it's an excellent medicine.

Good luck with your change of Med, Fin. May your side effects be small and fleeting.

As you can see from my sig I started with the bif, went to copaxone and I'm now back on the bif, albeit half the dose.

It seemed to work but the 44's were making me wacked out or so I thought. I think now it was at least partly the ongoing recovery from brain surgery. How the heck are you supposed to think straight with all that going one. In hindsight the rebif was working because I had three attacks in less than a year after I quit including the time I was on copaxone.

Another down side of the copaxone is the daily factor and the size. Those shots are freakin HUGE. More than 4 times as much liquid, 100mcl vs. 22mcl. And it's the manitol that makes the difference not the med. Course you need both.

The rebif 22's are nice and small, as am I, and so far so good mostly. If I have trouble I may think about upping the dose again. I find naproxen to be the best premed because it lasts for such a long time. Since rebif is hard on your liver I try to avoid tylenol like the plauge. Course the naproxen and ibuprofen are hard on your kidneys. But I like my liver more than my kidneys anyolewhoo.

Smaller needles, cool. Can live with that since I'm a needle phobe, LOL! Thanks for the advice about tylenol.

Someone from another board I go on swears by taking one Aleve 30 minutes before her shot.

Good luck, FinLady!

I take Advil 400mg 30 minutes before my shot (when I remember or I take it right before) and once when I wake up the next morning. But I don't know, I might need to try something new.

Good luck with the switch. Oh and I could be wrong but I don't think it's so much the needle that someone said is smaller but the amount of liquid that has to go in. I have been on Rebif for just over a year now and my side effects are the flue like symptoms and red spots at injection sites. I also get burning while the meds go in, but I'm told I'm strange and most people don't have that this long after being on meds and after trying everything to make it better.

Are you going on the full dose or the half dose? I'm on the full one and so far no new lesions, yeah!

Again good luck with the switch.

Kristie