Medication

Drugs Advised

I remember being at the neurologist after diagnosis when I had to tell him which drug treatment I would choose. It was as if there was no other alternative, I needed medicine.

Weeks prior he recommended Tysabri, as my lesions were large and that I could be in a wheelchair within a year. My husband and I looked this drug up on the net - we weren't impressed. It was actually terrifying what I was being advised to take. I was thinking how in the world would this help me? Fear gripped me and I suffered a panic attack and was taken in an ambulance to the hospital.

I ended up choosing the lesser evil. Betaseron. I needed to inject myself every second day with this medicine. The price of one month supply- 15 injections is a massive $20,000 AU. In Australia this was covered by the government and only cost about $30. That got me thinking about people in other countries that can't afford it. Also about pharmaceutical companies making a ton of money. 

The maths wasn't that great for either of these drugs and there was no promise for recovery, just a slow death and heaps of side effects.

My husband would do the injections for me as I couldn't bring myself to administer them. 

I received 15 injections of Betaseron and had all the side effects listed below and more!

I was done. I made a decision that I would take charge of my own health. As scary as that was I thought it was better than having side effects forever.

Infomation about Betaseron & Tysabri

Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) is an immunological agent made from human proteins used to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis(MS). Betaseron will not cure MS, it will only decrease the frequency of relapse symptoms. Common side effects of Betaseron include:

• injection site reactions (pain, swelling, redness),
• abdominal or stomach pain,
• constipation,
• diarrhea,
• upset stomach,
• weakness,
• muscle pain,
• nausea,
• swelling in your hands or feet,
• skin rash, or
• irregular menstrual periods.

Most patients have flu-like symptoms such as headache, tiredness, fever, chills, and muscle aches when they start Betaseron. Symptoms usually last about 1 day after the injection with Betaseron and improve or go away after a few months of continued use. Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Betaseron including:

• mental/mood changes (e.g., new or worsening depression, thoughts of suicide, psychosis),
• feeling too hot or cold,
• unusual tiredness,
• unexplained change in weight,
• easy bleeding or bruising,
• persistent nausea or vomiting,
• pus or change in skin color at the injection site,
• dark urine,
• yellowing eyes or skin, or
• swelling ankles or feet.

The recommended dose of Betaseron is 0.25 mg injected subcutaneously every other day. Starting dose is 0.0625 mg (0.25 mL) subcutaneously every other day, and increased over a six-week period to 0.25 mg (1.0 mL) every other day. Other drugs may affect Betaseron. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements you use. Betaseron is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Tysabri

What Are the Side Effects?

The most common ones are:

• Infections
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Joint pain
• Menstrual problems

It’s possible for some people to have an allergic reactionto Tysabri. Symptoms include hives, itching, breathing problems, chest pain, nausea, flushing, dizziness, and rash. You’ll need to stay at your doctor’s office for about an hour after you get the drug to make sure the reaction doesn’t happen.

After the FDA first approved Tysabri, the drug's manufacturer took it off the market due to reports of a rare but serious brain infection called PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy). The company introduced a program that requires everyone taking the medicine to register and to follow up every so often in order to find any possible cases of PML as soon as possible. With these safety programs in place, the drug went back on the market.

Your risk for PML goes up with the number of doses you take. It’s also higher for people who’ve taken drugs that turn down their immune systems before they use Tysabri. Because of this risk, doctors usually recommend Tysabri only for people who’ve tried other MS treatments that haven’t worked.

https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/tysabri-therapy-multiple-sclerosis

MS = Big Business $$$

Stockmarket infomation 2018

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180125005353/en/Biogen-Reports-Record-Revenues-Full-Year-Fourth