Before I talk to my neuro, I want to survey other Avonex users. :wave:

Whether coincidence or not, I do not know. But for the second week in a row, 36 to 48 hours after injecting, I have had some extreme symptoms.

The symptoms appear when I am at rest, in bed for the night. They begin as cramps in the soles of my feet, joints in the toes and feet burning and aching, cramps in the calves, thighs, abdomen, forearms and upper arms, the sensation of a band tightening around my chest cavity at the bra-line, pins and needles in my neck, and horrible, horrible pain in a verticle line that starts at each eyebrow, extends downward across the eyes and goes in the cheeks and jawline. :eek:

I would definitely classify the pain as severe....a "27" on a scale of one to ten.

I have been on Avonex for 17 months with nothing more than the occasional flu-like side-effects. This is a totally new experience. :confused:

I thought it was brought on last week by my standing for four solid hours during an open-house event. But it was back this week and no such activity preceeded it.

The symptoms subside later in the day, but my feet...the joints in-particular...continue to burn deeply and feel swollen. :mad:

I know this is long...but I wanted to be very clear. I am taking your responses to my neuro when I present this latest development.

Thanks in advance for your input!!

Kelli,
I've been trying to figure Avonex out for some time. It seems to be one of the most effective treatments for MS, but I've had problems myself. Mine is muscle sensitivity about 72 hours after the injection, sounds crazy but it seems to happen over and over again.

Believe what your body is telling you.

All the side effects that you described are the reasons I quit talking Avonex...I felt like that every week for 2-3 days after the shot. Sometimes they would come on within hours of the injection, and and other times they would show up a couple of days later...never failed though, just about the time I started feeling even half way decent again, time for another shot!!! I can't afford to feel like that all the time...I haven't taken my shot in 2 weeks and honestly if I felt any better, I'd be twins!!! I am going back to my neuro again next month and hopefuly he will order another MRI and I'll see if anything has changed...if not, then I do not plan to take any meds for now. Hope you get to feeeling better and fast!!!! :wave:

Thanks for your input!

I have experienced the "usual" with Avonex...but these more severe, make-me-take-time-off-work reactions are totally new. I can't "afford" to feel that way, either.

Y'all hang in there!!! Thanks again!