Thinking of switching meds? Beware the piranha (BLOG ENCORE, actual pic added!)

[ActiveMSers]

As I sat in a tippy wooden dory deep in the Amazon rainforest—dripping wet with sweat, DEET, and the remnants of a sudden afternoon shower—I couldn’t help but wonder about the wisdom of my decision to spend an afternoon fishing. Specifically, fishing for piranha.

It's the subject of my latest blog....

http://activemsers.blogspot.com/2012...e-piranha.html

[Marinadca]

Interesting read.... I must say that I understand the point...dont fix was isn't broken.

But for me personally the oral med has been absolutely a gift. Its likely the copaxone wasn't working anyhow (1 year MRI showed more lesions but who knows whether this would have happened no matter what?). BUT the real issue with me and copaxone was taking that shot everyday affected me in an extremely negative way emotionally (and physically, the itching, the bumps, the pain). I have a deadly fear of needles. Taking that shot everyday for a year never got any easier or any better. My anxiety level was through the roof. I didn't want to visit friends and stay over because I didn't want to bring the needles. I had to take them on my cruise and it just started every day of it negatively. I know most people eventually learn to cope.... but I never did. Ditching the needle has given me my life back. I shudder to think about those days.

Just offering another point of view. So many people seem to brush aside the effects mentally of daily injections, and it can really be severe.

[celia]

One way of dealing with "the shot" is to take it before going to bed (then it doesn't ruin your day) and climb into bed with an ice pack and directions to spend 15-20 minutes reading something exciting (and then you're less likely to obsess about side effects). Fewer lumps and bumps, too. Shot...and reward.

[Madeleinemom]

That blog entry was hilarious, and so very true - beware of what you may catch ...

Initially, I was totally excited, no ecstatic, about the orals. I am one of those hysterically needle phobic types.

When the 'Beta' (aka Betaseron) nurse came to visit back in 2007 to teach me how to inject, I would have p a i d someone to spirit me away - preferably to the outer reaches of Mongolia ...

But, alas, that was not to be. And the powers above (and science) gave us that miracle called an Auto Inject device.

Even with the Auto Inject, I was tempted to nudge the neuro for a script for the oral meds.

However, and after careful consideration, I retrenched, and am going to wait this one out, to see what the long term results are with the oral(s).

[ActiveMSers]

I've republished the blog on Blogger and added a pic of me holding the terrorizing fish. Boy do my wife and I look young!