I have already learned a lot from my readings here today. I was just diagnosed with "signs" of early MS. So, of course, they want me to choose drug therapy asap. My doctor gave me 2 choices: Avonex or Copaxone. I have no idea which one to choose. I am completely lost. Any suggestions??
Also, my husband and I were going to try and get pregnant. Can any of these drugs be used while pregnant? I assume now...I am now faced with fighting this disease early, or getting pregnant...
Hi Sandy, welcome to the board. Were sorry you were diangosed...
he drugs are designed to slow down the progression of the disease, prevent new lesions from forming and slow down activity on the MRI. Do they work? For many of us, yes...for others, the choice is theres NOT to take the drugs and they seem to do just fine without them...the disease is progressive...how far or how fast it will progress is different for everyone. for me, taking the drugs and slowing down any progression is key....Ive had it over a year now that Ive known about, and nothing has changed, but I do take the drugs.
What kind of doctor are you seeing, Sandy? Are you seeing an MS specialist or a neuro who diagnosed you? You really should have an MS Specialist to answer all your questions, as neuros generally see patients with everything from headaches to Parkinsons Disease and are not educated enough to be up on anything MS related..
Your choices of drugs are actually yours to take. There is also Rebif and Betaseron and Tysabri available. besides the two he mentioned to you..before you make up your mind about copaxone or avonex, I would be sure to research all 5 drugs....there is also the choice Not to go on disease modifying drugs..
With any of them, pregnancy is out of the question. However, it would NOT be out of the question to have a child now, before you start on the drugs and start them later..
this is all something which your doctor should have discussed with you at length.
Hopefully this board will help answer your questions..unfortuantely, we cant provide medical assistance or advice but we can answer direct questions and you can read quite a bit more on the different drugs by searching on them by name under healthboards search engine.
Since you just got diagnosed today, my humble advice would be to chill out and not worry too much about which medicine to choose just yet. I don't think any of the MS drugs are safe during pregnancy, but it is said women with MS feel fabulous during pregnancy. I read somewhere that it has to do with a hormone. I hope someone's researching that!
This is my fourth month after the diagnosis and I still find the whole thing incredible. Every day I feel different, an emotional roller coaster. But I know that will pass with time. So if I were you, I would just relax and digest for a bit.
I've been on Avonex for two months and I have no idea if it's working, or if it will work in the future, but so far so good. The injections don't hurt me at all but the side effects are still pretty bad. The first two were nightmares. I can't speak about the other drugs, but I'm sure you'll here a lot about all of them here. Many people choose no meds at all. MS is so different in everybody that you just have to do what's right for you and your MS.
Welcome to the MS family. Glad you found this board. I'm sure you will love it.
First of all take all the time you need to decide on what mends you choose to take. Personally I'm on Avonex. I've used it on and off for 7 years. The reason I went off it was too have another child. With my family completed, I'm back on Avonex.
Your doctor will not want you to be on meds during pregnancy. I personally had a great pregnancy with no MS symptoms at all. I was ready for a relapse after my child was born., but i was a lucky one that didn't experience anything.
I was also told to have 2/3 month break of meds before i got pregnant.
So maybe you'd like to try for baby first. Something to talk to your docs about.
There are a few mends to choose from and I also had a choice,. Avonex appealed to me because of the once a week injection, instead of daily or 3x weekly. Yes I'm a chicken.
I had a Avonex Nurse come to my home to help me through it all. That helped lots.
As for side effect i don't get a thing since taking Aleve/ Naprosyn before my injection.
Good luck in yr decision making. Remember take your time. Good luck.
I started on Avonex and used it for a couple of hellish years before I switched to Copaxone. Copaxone is heaven in comparison. The nightly injections are a breeze.
Hi Sandy. I'm new to the board, but was Dx'd with MS on labor day wknd 2006. I sympathize with your post because the flareup that triggered my diagnosis was 7 mos. after my (first and only) son was born. I had the best pregnancy imaginable! It was truly a blast, and I was perfectly healthy. Also after his birth. However, 7 mos. later when I began losing feeling and mobility in my arm and leg, lots of tests, MRIs, LP etc. confirmed MS.
I applaud your desire to get pregnant, and not let MS control your life. A couple of things I experienced/learned: you should not be on any of the ABC drugs while pregnant (or breastfeeding) The heartbreak for me was stopping breastfeeding before I wanted to, in order to begin treatment. And the other major thing I learned was that you need to care for yourself EVERY bit as diligently as you'll care for that new baby! If you run yourself ragged with sleep deprivation, you'll likely trigger a flare-up and that's no good for anyone! Be realistic about what you can manage, and call in help whenever you can. You'll be doing the best for a baby if you're healthy and well-rested! One thing I totally underestimated about a flare-up was the surreal FATIGUE. I was nearly immobilized with it! Thank goodness my husband was there to cover, because I would crash for 4-5 hours a day sometimes during the exacerbation. (7-month olds do NOT understand! ;) )
I have been on Avonex since diagnosis, and yes it was a difficult and overwhelming decision to make. Ultimately, the 1x per week vs. multiple times won out, plus the lower risk of your body creating antibodies and rendering the other meds less effective. But everyone is different and has different tolerances and preferences. The first shot (which I ALWAYS take at night) went great, but middle of the night was bizarre. Shaking, cold sweats... crazy stuff. But shot #2 had very little effects during the night, and #3 onward give me no problem. Perhaps a little muscle achy in the a.m. but no worse than from a brisk workout. What works for me: ibuprofen a couple hours before, doing the shot between 7pm-9pm, lots of water drinking that day, and an Excedrin PM before bed (knocks you OUT and you get great sleep even if your muscles hurt a little) Come morning, I'm ready to handle my son.
After your initial panic wears off, just realize there are FAR worse diseases to be diagnosed with! It's all relative. Take care of yourself. Best of luck!
