Hi Malina,
Hydrate, hydrate and than some more. Tylenol, is not a good choice because it has effects on the liver as Rebif does. Myslf I take 3 Ibuprofen an hour before my shot and a Aleve with my shot and another Aleve as soon as I wake up. The only side effect for me is fever when I wake that is why the Aleve when I first wake. I just talked to the nurse and she said Fever usually comes 4-6 hours after the shot so I moved back the time I take the shot so I sleep through the fever. Have they set up a time for the nurse to come show you how to inject? I do mine a little bit different than they showed me and it works well for Me the way I do it. Good luck and just play with the time you inject to find what works good for you.
Take Cre
Dave

We found the same thing. If you adjust when you take it, you'll sleep through any (if any) effects. After 4 years, we stopped using the injector and just give the shot without it. The key at first is figuring out what level to use the injector on. If it hurts you should call rebif nurse for assistance in this. They are very helpful. It should not be painful so that is what you are looking for. I agree with the hydrate too. You might want to always carry a water bottle with you. Good luck! I t must feel good to have a treatment on board.

I am hoping the best for you and hope that your youth is working for you. I am over 50 so my reaction is going to be different from yours. Anyway, I get the worse results after about 10 hours after the shot. So sometimes, it may be best to take the shot around 6 pm or earlier so that you sleep through more of the results from the shot. When I take the shot at 11pm and wake up to go to the bathroom at 6am, I don't even feel the shot yet. I notice it later after i get up around 9 am. So I try to take it earlier. Still it takes me two days to get over the shot.

Hydrate is right but it is so hard for me because i have such a spastic bladder that i have to go to the bathroom twice an hour already. It is such a hassle. Anyway, try to drink water. My neuro nurse says to drink a lot of water the day of the shot and the day after the shot and to take ibuprofen (or whatever you take). i take ibuprofen because Aleve doesn't seem to agree with me. But ibuprofen works for me. i still feel a bit shitty the day after the shot. Still, it is a lot better than Avonex. I felt really bad the day after that shot.

Not everyone feels the flu-type feelings. I get more of a blah feeling and weaker feeling the day after. I would call it my MS-y type feeling where my MS gets worse. I walk worse and I feel weaker the day after the shot. But right now I feel shitty and I think that it is the heat outside is getting to me. I am just tired and this is 2 days after my shot. I just am wore out from this damn heat even when I am not out in it.

Also, don't forget to remember that you may get get depression from interferon. Interferon makes me anxious. i get anxiety and headaches. Not everyone gets headaches or anxiety but some do and some get depression. Whatever you notice, call into the MS Lifelines line and report them. Call their number and press option 3 to get directly to a nurse so you don't have to go through their bulls*** customer service people. The nurses are supposed to report any side effects to the FDA. Some people also get injection site reaction.

I truly hope the best for you. Try to think positive. You have your youth going for you and that may go a long way for you.

Hi Malina!!!
Yay!! Congratulations that you finally get to start treatment for your MS. I'm 41, was diagnosed 14 months ago and started on Rebif immediately. I LOVE it!!!! I do take my injection in the evening, and take a couple Advil an hour or so before along with my sleeping pill. When I start to feel the effect of the sleeping pill, I take my injection and I'm out very soon after. Tylenol PM or Advil PM are good ones to use if you aren't on any r/x for sleep. I do get red bruises that normally last about two weeks but they are not painful. Keep rotating your injection site and I prefer to not use the auto injector either just because sometimes it may burn a little and that way I control how fast the stuff shoots into my body. When I had my follow up MRI after a year, I had no new lesions and very little activity in the old ones. I wish you the best of luck and remember if one drug doesn't work for you, there are others to try. Give your body time to adjust though because after a few months on Rebif I felt a difference in my symptoms as they were already getting better! Good luck!

Amy

All great advice,plus make sure you massage the area after injection for 2 mins with a cotton ball I put a corizone cream on my cotton ball to help with the massage.And If I dont feel well the next day I take a couple tylenol to get me started .

Cathy

thank you so much for the replies - i'll definitely take all of your advice to heart, and it's very helpful to have guideance from people who have done this before =)