I Am Saying No To Tysabri

I have been contemplated on trying the multiple sclerosis therapy Tysabri. I actually convinced myself I was going to have my first Tysabri infusion in September. While I was in the MRI machine August 22, I thought about how miserable I felt with the severe nausea and vomiting I've been experiencing from trying a new drug. I was also frustrated when the MRI technicians couldn’t get the IV in my veins to shoot the dye in my system for the second part of my MRI test. That was a first, they had to call a phlebotomist to insert the IV and she had trouble. My motto is if you do not get it on the second try leave me the hell alone.

My veins are gone in my arms, the surviving very small vein in my right arm is hiding and running when a needle approaches it now. The veins in my hands had start running and the ones that didn’t run when I had to have an IV inserted became inflamed to the point were I can not be stuck there again. Call me a coward, but I am not ready to have an IV needle inserted in my chest wall to receive a Tysabri infusion on a monthly basis. I am also not ready to risk possibly contracting PML and suffer the side effects that come with taking Tysabri.



Today I am saying hello to Copaxone again. My MRI’s shows stability in the scarring of my T1 and T2 area. That tells me Copaxone has been slowing the progressing of brain lesions for me. I have been taking daily shots of Copaxone for years and had become accustom to the pain and the sometime injection site reaction after taking a shot. Although some days are worse than others I prefer to stick to a MS therapy treatment that I know is working for me. My stomach, arms, thighs, and hips have enjoyed not being stuck everyday for the last thirty days, but a girl has to do what girl has to do.