Avonex is not known to cause symptoms of withdrawal. But when you stop treatment with Avonex, your symptoms of multiple sclerosis MS or clinically isolated syndrome CIS may worsen. This is because Avonex was working to help ease your symptoms. If you have any questions about possible side effects when you end Avonex treatment, talk with your doctor. You should do this about 30 minutes before your injection. Let Avonex come to room temperature before you inject it.
Once you have removed Avonex from the refrigerator, you should use it within 7 days. You may also wonder how long Avonex can be unrefrigerated.
Doing so may make the medication less effective than usual. For more information on how Avonex works, see this article. You can also talk with your doctor or pharmacist. No, weight gain and weight loss were not side effects that were reported in studies of people taking Avonex. But in some cases, weight change can be a symptom of other side effects of Avonex. For example, if you develop heart failure due to Avonex, you may gain weight.
Changes in your thyroid is another possible side effect of Avonex. And thyroid changes may cause weight gain or weight loss. They can help determine the cause.
According to guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology , if you have MS, you should get a flu shot each year. The medications Avonex and Rebif are both approved to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. With these forms, you may have new or worsening symptoms. Both of the drugs contain the active ingredient interferon beta-1a. But even though these drugs are similar, they also have many differences. And be sure to talk with your doctor about which drug is right for you.
Before considering treatment with Avonex, talk with your doctor about all your medications and any physical or mental health conditions you have. Taking medications, vaccines, foods, and other things with a certain drug can affect how the drug works. These effects are called interactions. Before taking Avonex, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Avonex. There are no known interactions between Avonex and other drugs or supplements.
Avonex may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Talk with your doctor about your health history before you use Avonex.
Factors to consider include those in the list below. Alcohol and Avonex may both cause liver damage. Talk with your doctor about how much, if any, alcohol is safe to drink during your treatment with Avonex.
It is not known if Avonex is safe to take while pregnant. Other interferon beta drugs have been tested during pregnancy with mixed results. Avonex is a kind of interferon beta drug. They may recommend a different treatment option for you. It is not known how much Avonex may pass into breast milk or what effects the drug may have on a child who is breastfed.
They may also recommend a different medication. Both the drugs Avonex and Gilenya are used to treat the same forms of multiple sclerosis.
Both drugs also contain the active drug interferon beta-1a. Avonex and Gilenya have other similarities as well as differences. This may help you and your doctor determine which is the best option for you. To learn more about how these drugs are similar and different, see this side-by-side comparison. Here we look at how Avonex and Rebif are alike and different. A relapsing form means you get episodes of new symptoms or times when symptoms come back or get worse.
Avonex and Rebif have some similar side effects and others that differ. Below are examples of these side effects. These lists contain examples of mild side effects that can occur with Avonex, with Rebif, or with both drugs when taken individually. This list contains examples of serious side effects that can occur with Avonex or with both drugs when taken individually.
The use of Avonex and Rebif in treating relapsing-remitting MS has been directly compared in a clinical study. In this study, people who took Rebif were less likely to have a relapse of their MS than people who took Avonex. Avonex and Rebif are both brand-name drugs. There are currently no generic forms of either drug. Brand-name medications usually cost more than generics. According to estimates on GoodRx. Avonex and Gilenya are prescribed for similar uses.
Below are details of how these drugs are alike and different. Gilenya contains the active drug fingolimod. They are both disease-modifying therapies, but they work in different ways. Avonex is only approved for use in adults.
Gilenya is approved for use in adults and in children ages 10 years and older. Avonex and Gilenya can cause some similar and some different side effects. These lists contain examples of mild side effects that can occur with Avonex, with Gilenya, or with both drugs when taken individually.
These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Avonex, with Gilenya, or with both drugs when taken individually. The use of Avonex and Gilenya in treating relapsing-remitting MS has been directly compared in a clinical study.
In this study, people who took Gilenya were less likely to have a relapse than people who took Avonex. People who took Gilenya also had fewer new brain lesions areas of nerve damage than people who took Avonex. Avonex and Gilenya are both brand-name drugs. Avonex is given as an injection into a muscle. Your doctor will teach you or your caregiver how to prepare and inject Avonex. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions on how to give the Avonex injection. This allows it to warm up to room temperature.
Use a different place within these injection sites each time you inject Avonex. This will lower your risk for having a reaction at your injection site.
About 2 hours after you have an injection, check your injection site for redness, tenderness, or swelling. Avonex is used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis MS. Relapsing means you have episodes of new symptoms or times when your symptoms come back or get worse. When this happens, it creates inflammation swelling that damages the outer protective layer of the nerves, called the myelin sheath.
Damaged myelin makes it harder for messages to travel along the nerve fibers from your brain to the rest of your body. This can result in various symptoms, depending on which nerves are affected.
The episode of inflammation also called an attack or relapse can last for a few days or a few months. Scar tissue then develops around your nerve fibers in the places where the myelin is damaged.
These areas are called lesions areas of nerve damage and can be seen on an MRI scan. The lesions also make it hard for messages to travel along the nerves. With relapsing forms of MS, you have periods of time when your symptoms get better. This is called remission. It happens because your nerve cells repair themselves or make new pathways around the areas of damage. Periods of remission can last from a few months up to a few years. However, over time the disease tends to get progressively worse, as new episodes of inflammation swelling damage different nerve cells.
This can lead to increasing symptoms and disabilities such as having trouble walking. It contains the active drug interferon beta-1a.
Interferons are protein molecules that are naturally produced by your immune system. There are many different types of interferons with various functions. They affect how your immune system works.
Interferon beta-1a is a synthetic copy of one of these proteins. When taken regularly, Avonex can help you have fewer episodes of inflammation attacks or relapses. It also reduces the number of lesions in your brain. It slows the progression of the disease and how quickly any disability gets worse. Avonex helps prevent future relapses, rather than relieving existing symptoms. When you get Avonex from the pharmacy, the expiration date with be printed on the packaging, as well as on the pen, syringe, or vial.
The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist about whether you might still be able to use it.
How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where you store the medication. Store Avonex vials, prefilled syringes, and pens in the refrigerator.
Do not freeze Avonex. Store the vial, syringe, or pen in its original packaging to protect it from light. Product information. List item. You are therefore advised to be selective about which sections or pages you wish to print. Avonex is indicated for the treatment of: patients diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis MS. In clinical trials , this was characterised by two or more acute exacerbations relapses in the previous three years without evidence of continuous progression between relapses; Avonex slows the progression of disability and decreases the frequency of relapses; patients with a single demyelinating event with an active inflammatory process, if it is severe enough to warrant treatment with intravenous corticosteroids, if alternative diagnoses have been excluded, and if they are determined to be at high risk of developing clinically definite MS.
Avonex should be discontinued in patients who develop progressive MS. Assessment history. Changes since initial authorisation of medicine List item. Initial marketing-authorisation documents List item. How useful was this page? View all 4 ratings. Your name. Tell us more Please do not include any personal data , such as your name or contact details.
Leave this field blank. I'm a spammer. Do not take this medication 2 days in a row. Prefilled syringes of interferon beta-1a must be stored in the refrigerator. Remove the syringe from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before use to allow the medication to reach room temperature.
Do not use external heat sources such as hot water or a microwave to warm up the medication. The prefilled syringe must be used within 7 days of removing it from the refrigerator. Please refer to the package insert for complete instructions on using this medication.
Always wash your hands before preparing the medication and after you have used it. Always use a new unopened vial, syringe, and needle. Never reuse vials, syringes, prefilled syringes, or needles. Protect this medication from light, moisture, freezing, and high temperatures. Keep this medication out of the reach of children. Do not dispose of medications in wastewater e. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired.
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to interferon beta-1a or any ingredients of the medication. Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses.
Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent. The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time. Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome.
Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects. Although most of the side effects listed below don't happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not seek medical attention. Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:. Some people may experience side effects other than those listed.
Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are taking this medication. Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health.
These factors may affect how you should use this medication. Allergic reactions: In rare cases, some people may develop a severe allergic reaction to this medication.
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