Avonex is interferon beta-1a, contrasting with Betaferon (interferon beta-1b). The intended effect is the same as Betaferon -- to slow the progression of MS -- but without the ghastly side-effects, and it is not an every-other-day injection but weekly.
For the first 3 days the feeling was overwhelmingly positive but that then levelled out. I couldn't wait for the second jab but the overwhelming feeling of wellness was not repeated. The third jab I was feeling a bit ho-hum about, but it made me feel good without going over-the-top.
You take paracetamol immediately before the injection and for the rest of that day to counter the flu-like side-effects. And I found my sleep that first night afterwards was quite restless.
It seems quite a performance to go through for something which has no immediate benefits, except that it stops you getting worse. But I've been worse and if this helps ensure that it doesn't happen again, then I'll keep going.
Yeah? But after 4 weeks of feeling worse and worse, I went to the doctor and said: enough already. But he said: what are the effects of just stopping? See if you can stick it out, maybe separating the injections by more than a week will help. But it didn't.
It's been a few months now and I attribute a general worsening of my health since then to Avonex. My doctor had wondered what the effect of stopping would be, and I guess I found out. I suppose you've got to try these things.
© Australian Philosophical Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge 1998
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