MS: Tecifidera

I haven't written about my MS in a while, its mostly been flash fiction, but now have got an MS piece for you in regards to the MS medication.

After three months waiting for my new MS medication. I finally got it on Good Friday.  After the awful side effects of Avonex which I was on between August and December 2014.  I was hoping the new medication would be better for me.

I am now on Tecifidera which is not an injection this time, thank goodness, but tablets. I take two tablets a day. The most common side effects of this medication are hot flushing and stomach cramps/sickness.

I did not want any of these and was hoping to avoid side effects altogether and after a week with no issues at all I thought I might be clear of them, but unfortunately not. On the Thursday night 9th April I started to feel rotten and I spent the next couple of days in bed with what I thought was a stomach bug. This lasted til the Sunday, then on Monday & Tuesday I felt much better and had a weird energy boost. Which I was glad of as it was my birthday and I did not want to be ill on that day.

Then on the Wednesday I started to get bad stomach cramps which got worse on the Thursday. I felt like I was being kicked my a donkey and my whole insides were being torn apart.  This was the side effects kicking in big style.

I rang the MS nurse and he said to take pepto bismol, which I did but it didn't really work,  I am now on the 4th week of Tecifidera and 4th week of feeling ill. The cramps are lessening but the queasiness is not going away, and am still being sick.  I don't want to eat but know I have to, but when I do my body wants to reject the food. Its a horrible feeling.

The good thing is that I am losing weight but sometimes its hard to see because I am bloated at times as well.

I started on the low dosage of the drug as recommended for the first four weeks, but on the fifth week am moving up to the higher dosage so we will see how that effects me.

I have been feeling a little more energetic since beginning the tablets which is good, but am still not going to overdo things like run a marathon or anything stupid like that!!