New to Rebif...Need Advice from other users
 

I'm actually waiting on my nurse at the moment to deliver my first treatment of Rebif, just wanted to make a separate post asking all of those who has experienced this medicine. What kind of side effects did you experience on your first dose? And what about the doses afterwards? Positives? Negatives?

Thanks for the advice.

I have two main side effects from Rebif...fever and/or chills within about 4-6 hours after I take my shot, and just a general body ache/hungove feeling the next morning. To combat the first, I take my shot at night before I got to bed and take a single advil gel tablet with it. That seems to be enough to put the fever/chills mostly on hold and let me sleep through it. If I forget to take the advil, I can count on waking up around 2-3am with either uncontrollable chills (the kind that even 3 blankets over me doesn't get rid of), or a full body flush heat that has me with all the covers thrown off and still feels like a full body severe sunburn.

For the body ache/hungover feeling, I take my shots on nights after I have worked out at the gym (tuesday and thursday) when I would wake up a little sore anyway, and sunday night, when I know Monday morning is going to suck anyway. It doesn't really change how I feel...just makes me have other things to attribute it to, so I don't tend to focus on it. I also use a bit of benedryl gel on the area around where I take my shot to sooth any itchiness that I might have felt. Not sure if it is really needed, but it is kind of a carryover habit from when I was on Copaxone.

Ok so I just took my first dose of Rebif, and I really flushed and not feeling well at all. Surprised this is happening fast, my nurse told me to just lay down and call her in an hour or so and take an advil in the process. Anyone experienced this? I just feel so tired all of a sudden and like it's hard to focus on things.

I did Rebif for 2 years. It gave me flu like symptoms every time. Fever, chills,body ache, horrible headche,sometimes even vomitting. Its a pretty harsh drug and takes a long time, if ever, for your body to get used to.

Inject right before you go to sleep, take an Advil 1/2 hr prior.
Rebif stinks for first month, even the low titration dose. Good luck this month & remember the flu side effects go away.

OH - DRINKING 1/2 GALLON WATER PER DAY eases effects. Rebif co. will tell you that & it's true.