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Summary & Participants

MS therapy can often be given in the form of shots that the patients self-inject. Listen as nurses give some pointers on how to deal with the therapy and understand how important it can be.

Medically Reviewed On: July 09, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: MS used to be a disease which progressed unchecked, leaving a patient with an inevitable life of disability. But therapies using drugs called interferons are, for the first time, changing the outlook of this disease.

MARIE NAMEY, RN: The goal of therapy overall is to decrease disability over time, to keep a person functioning at their highest level. So it makes sense, then, if we can decrease the frequency and intensity of attacks by a third, we can add a significant quality to their life and hopefully delay disability.

JUSTINE WHEATLEY, RN: The disease-modifying drugs have had a huge impact on patients and their life. Basically, self-esteem, they can feel secure that even if they are going to have a few more relapses, they might not be as severe as they would have been if they weren't on treatment. And they can have a feeling of a positivity that they're doing something, whether it be every day, every other day or every week, injection therapy, that they're doing something positive towards the disease process.

ANNOUNCER: These drugs are all injectable. The shots are usually given by the patients themselves, a fact which no one finds fun.

JUSTINE WHEATLEY, RN: That does form a problem to the average person, because generally, most people have a fear of needles. No one wants to have to stick themselves with a needle, let alone be sticked or have to self-inject

ANNOUNCER: There are three different interferons preparations.

JUSTINE WHEATLEY, RN: The three interferons, the Rebif, Betaseron and Avonex, are all injectable medications, Rebif and the Betaseron, both subcutaneous injections, under the skin, so they're given more frequently. They're given every other day or, in the case of Rebif, three times a week.

Avonex is intramuscular, therefore it doesn't have to be given so often. So it's given once a week.

ANNOUNCER: While the pain of the actual needle is minimal, there can be some discomfort afterwards.

JUSTINE WHEATLEY, RN: The most injection site reactions are seen in subcutaneous injection. The medication can be irritative to the tissue, because the tissue is right under the skin. Therefore, you can get heat, redness, swelling, itchiness and even a hardening of the tissue. Intramuscular reaction: there can be muscle soreness.

Reducing side effects can be as minimal as icing the site before you inject; icing the site after you inject; making sure that the medication is room temperature; making sure that you're clean and dry before you begin the injection.

ANNOUNCER: Of course giving yourself a shot doesn't come naturally.

JUSTINE WHEATLEY, RN: Make sure that your nurse or your doctor or whoever's teaching you gives you the hands-on, answers all questions.

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