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What is Avonex? Avonex is a brand name for the drug Interferon Beta-1a, used to treat certain types of multiple sclerosis (MS). Avonex is a brand name owned by Biogen. It is taken as an intramuscular injection and is available in pre-filled syringes. Read more...Click to read more below

See more information, including instructions, precautions, side effects, and interactions.

Biogen 's Avonex site


Reasons Taken

1030 patients in the community are taking or have taken Avonex.

Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Slow my MS progress 899 87%
Other 40 3%
General health 8 <1%
Fatigue 6 <1%
Don't know 6 <1%
Stiffness/spasticity 6 <1%
Vision 3 <1%
disease-related symptoms 3 <1%
Pain 2 <1%
Optic neuritis (inflammation of optic nerve) 1 <1%
Bladder problems 1 <1%
Brain fog 1 <1%
Sexual dysfunction 1 <1%
Stuffy head and ear pain 1 <1%
Mobility 1 <1%
Support another treatment 1 <1%

Dosages

Based on the patients currently taking Avonex.

Top 10 (Show all)

All (Show Top 10)

  0 mcg week 0 mg week 0 week 0.05 mcg week 0.25 mg week 0.3 mcg week 0.325 mcg week 0.5 mcg week 0.5 mg week 0.5 mL week 0.5 week 1 mcg week 1 mg week 1 mL week 1 week 1.5 mcg week 1.5 mg week 4 week 5 mcg week 10 mg week 2 mcg day 15 mcg week 15 mg week 20 mcg week 24 mcg week 30 mcg week 30 mg week 30 week 33 mcg week 35 mcg week 35 mg week 37 mcg week 50 mcg week 60 mcg week 66 mcg week 80 mg week 100 mcg week 125 mcg week 200 mcg week 30 mcg day 209.995800083998 mcg week 250 mcg week 360 mg week
  123 Number of Patients: 123 31 Number of Patients: 31 27 Number of Patients: 27 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 6 Number of Patients: 6 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 18 Number of Patients: 18 10 Number of Patients: 10 1 Number of Patients: 1 10 Number of Patients: 10 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 317 Number of Patients: 317 23 Number of Patients: 23 10 Number of Patients: 10 5 Number of Patients: 5 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 3 Number of Patients: 3 1 Number of Patients: 1 7 Number of Patients: 7 8 Number of Patients: 8 5 Number of Patients: 5 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1  

Duration

How long current patients have been taking Avonex or how long patients were taking Avonex before stopping.

Currently taking Avonex

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
14
27
33
57
55
207

Stopped taking Avonex

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
7
19
28
81
61
155
Why Patients Stopped Taking Avonex (multiple reasons could be selected)
Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Side effects too severe 165 45% Side effects too severe: 45%
Did not seem to work 132 36% Did not seem to work: 36%
Doctor's advice 90 24% Doctor's advice: 24%
Other 76 21% Other: 21%
Expense 18 5% Expense: 5%
Personal research 10 3% Personal research: 3%
Not indicated 10 3% Not indicated: 3%
Course of treatment ended 2 1% Course of treatment ended: 1%

Patient Reported Evaluations

Results from 70 patient evaluations. See the overall results and all individual evaluations.

Efficacy (Effect based on reason taken)

Major 13% 9
Moderate 16% 11
Slight 10% 7
None 15% 10
Can't tell 46% 31

Slow my MS progress

Side-effects (as an overall problem)

Severe 29% 20
Moderate 34% 24
Mild 29% 20
None 9% 6

Top reported side-effects include: Muscle ache, whole body, Chills/fever, Body Aches

Summary results are based on 70 individual responses. For more information, see overall results for Adherence, Burden and Cost.

Individual Patient Reported Evaluations (2 of 70)

  • JesswithMS
    Sensation: Moderate
    Overall: Moderate
    Cognition: moderate
    Vision: moderate
    Speech: moderate
    Swallowing: moderate
    Upper limb: moderate
    Walking: moderate
    See profile
  • JesswithMS
  • by JesswithMS
    Aug 18, 2008
  • EfficacyMajor
  • Side-effectsModerate
  • Slow my MS progress
Advice/Tips
Make sure to drink plenty of fluids and take the prescribed dosage of ibuprofin or tylenol.

  • msladyinca
    Sensation: Moderate
    Overall: Mild
    Cognition: none
    Vision: none
    Speech: none
    Swallowing: none
    Upper limb: moderate
    Walking: severe
    See profile
  • msladyinca
  • by msladyinca
    Jun 01, 2004
  • EfficacyNone
  • Side-effectsSevere
  • Slow my MS progress
Advice/Tips
Take a couple of liquid Advil approximately 20 minutes before you inject medication. Make sure that you take the medication out of the refrigerator in plenty of time (approximately 3 hours) so that it is at room temperature before you inject. Also, ice the injection site for approximately 5 minutes before you inject (place an ice cube inside a washcloth and hold it on your skin to numb the injection site as this will help reduce the pain. Lastly, try to inject your medication just before bedtime so that you can try to sleep off many of the flulike side effects.

See all evaluation results for Avonex



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