That's one of Rebif's symptoms - may cause weakness and yes, I think you should share this with the doctor. They usually like to know everything going on. Is it weakness just after the injection? What time do you take your injection? Do you pre-medicate with aspirin or ibuprofen? When does this happen or is it continual since you've started the Rebif?

I ask all of this because I take my injection before bed - that way I can sleep off side affects. I still feel that I get some leg weakness but it's not like putting up with side affects during the day. I take my ibuprofen after dinner and my shot after that so I don't forget.

Yeah, I would share with your doctor. MIne always mentioned that he can't help if he doesn't know what's going on.

Keep us posted on how you're doing please.
Hugs,
~Lorrie

No I have not medicated as I just felt the symptoms were just MS, not in pain no fever would ibuprofen help in this situation. I took the shot last night right before bed, I took the first two doses around 6 p.m.

YEs, ibuprofen would help. Dno't know if you've noticed some of the posts on Rebif but seems fever symptoms surface if we don't take something prior to injection.

It's real important not to take ibuprofen or aspirin on an empty stomach though. So important that the nurse asks me about is every year and every day they are here. GUess it contributed to ulcers and I've had that before so I make sure I've got something in my stomach - I just take the ibuprofen right after dinner.

I'm not sure what you mean about "first two doses." Maybe you have a different prescrption than I have. i.e, I took my ibuprofen around 8pm and my shot around 8:30pm.

I meant that I am on my 3rd dose, just started last Friday, yesterday was the 3rd dose of rebif, will try the pain killer. So are you saying you develop a fever before you inject? I think I experienced that last night at church, I was thinking to myself I am to young for hot flashes. LOL

Thanks for your assistance

I don't develop a fever before injecting but what happens, is if I inject and haven't taken ibuprofen, I will feel chlled and fever symptoms after injection. This fever causes my leg to feel weak - of course, any rise in body temp will do that. So, if I don't "pre-medicate" with ibuprofen, I take the risk of hurting myself. I have to get up a few times during the night to empty my bladder - it I don't take the ibuprofen before the shot, I can barely walk. It's basically a fever symptom for me. It's like the Rebif does cause it, but I think it's because of those "fever symptoms" it causes. Things go much smoother when I don't forget to pre-medicate with my ibuprofen.

Hey!

I took Rebif for five years. I actually never took anything before injecting, that is just how I am, I hate to take anything before I absolutely have to. But alot of people say that they do and it helps. I did try to drink alot fo fluids on the day I injected, I am always thirsty anyway, so it wasn't hard. But my thought was that maybe it would help with the flulike thing. I have to say that I had very few chills and fever side effects.

Weakness is known to be an issues with Rebif. Now that I have stopped taking it, I am curious to see if I feel less of it.

I did, towards the end, start exeriencing some pain and extra weakness on the side of my body that I injected to, although thinking back, it was more often than not when it was on my right side, well, really, wow, I never really broke it down like this, more weakness on the right, more pain on the left. The last injection I did in my left arm left a red and bruised area about three inches long for three weeks. Not trying to scare you, really, I just think my body had had enough and was trying to let me know.

I have alot of heat sensitivity, and I did notice that there were times it was worse on the days after I injected. I worked around alot of heat, and on those days, harder to be around, not sure if I may have had a low grade fever of not, could be. It got so bad that I changed my injection schedule because there were set days I had to spend more time in the kitchens, and so I couldn't take the chance of not being able to.

I think that one of the things Rebif did with me was worsen my body's ability to regulate and adjust to temperature. I am hoping that without that supression, I may have a better shot at being warm and cold in a more predictable way, but we will see, I know it won't be "normal," but I am hoping on MS alone it is at least better.

I would really like to stress the importance of letting both your doc and MSLifelines know what is going on, small or not, maybe Rebif or not. One thing is that it is not really standard, from what I hear, to give an antibody test, but if you are having any issues, they will, and that wil let them know if your body is having any problem, in terms of a pysical reaction or rejection, to the drug. It can help to decide if this is the right medication for you.

Good luck, hang in there.

I called MS Lifelines and my doctors office, of course dr office will have to call me back. MS LL nurse said to drink more water less caffeine,hate water love caffeine. And I await the return pc from dr.

Great start!

Yep, that is a good place to start. I lived on coffee for years, I was never told to decrease it specifically by anyone as it relates to Rebif, but like I said, I really downed the water on injection days.

I really think it will help....hope your doc gets back soon.

Was told not to take next dose until they called me back tomorrow. SMH. Dr. office asked me if I had talked with my ms lifelines nurse as this is what they do. SMH

Doctors office called today, I was told to take a week off from the medication, restart and take naproxine or tylenol and if I experience same symptoms that I might have to change meds. So we shall see. Thanks to all who replied.

Good Luck! Glad to hear they got back to you...that is always a good thing. So one week off, the meds will stay in your body to some extent, won't be like starting all over. Did you start with 22, so were you actually not at full dose yet?

Anyway, good luck, and let us know how it goes. And drink lots of water on injections days, just a reminder, you know that you never get over being a mom kind of thing..LOL.

I am presently at the 22 dose. I am thinking about just pushing on taking the tylenol and adding some water today, I just can't see starting this all ova at moment. 50/50 on that at moment. Really don't see what taking a week off would really do anyway. SMH

I am no doctor, but I will tell you what I was told...the medication stays in your body for at least two weeks. But I was at 44 and I had been on a long time...but really, even after one week, it is in there, just my thinking.

Maybe they want to make sure this is actually a reaction to the drug, you know, stop it and see if you get sick all over again! Or if there is another reason. HHmmm, like maybe stress about the whole thing?

If you don't want to stop and start, which I can totally understand, I would say, just keep going. They have said to take a week off, I would say that is more to say something than a response that shows any concern... some people react when they first start taking this med.

Not a doc, really, but do what you feel. I know that for me, if I had stopped right at the start for whatever reason, I might have just chucked it...so do what you think is right.

That is exactly how I am feeling I feel like I might just say *%$@ it and throw it in the garbage, regardless this is going to be apart of my life no matter what I have going on.