Avonex is an effective drug for multiple sclerosis

reviews Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease thatAffects the central nervous system. One of the drugs used to treat is Avonex. About the instructions for the use of Avonex, as well as reviews about it will be discussed in this article.

The drug Avoneks is available as a lyophilizate for making a solution for the / m introduction. The active pharmaceutical substance is interferon beta-1a, which is obtained by inserting the human interferon-β gene into the gene of the Chinese hamster.

The drug is a white or almost white powder, placed in vials. A sealed syringe with a solvent( water for injection) is attached to it. Produced in cardboard boxes, 4 pieces each.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Interferons are naturally occurring proteins that are synthesized by the body in the development of a viral etiology infection or the effects of various biological factors. They refer to cytokines, which have antiviral, immunostimulating and antiproliferative activity.

Currently, the mechanism of action of the drug is not fully understood, just as the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis is unclear. It is only proved that the appointment of Avonex injections slows the progression of pathology, reduces the number of relapses and the risk of developing disability.

Pharmacokinetics of the drug was studied based on the definition of the antiviral activity of interferon, which after a single intramuscular injection reaches its maximum after 5-15 hours. The half-life of the drug is about 10 hours, and its bioavailability is 40%.

How is multiple sclerosis manifested in children? Is it possible to give birth with multiple sclerosis?

On the EDSS scale for multiple sclerosis, read here.

Scope

According to the instructions, Avonex is used for the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis:

• who had a minimum of 2 times during 3 years, while the pathology did not progress during remission;
• whose demyelination was observed due to severe inflammation, and intravenous corticosteroids were prescribed.

When to abstain from the use of the drug Avonex

Absolute contraindications to prescribing the medicament are as follows:

• age younger than 16 years;
• period of bearing of the child and lactation;
• severe depression, all the more accompanied by thoughts of suicide;
• decompensated epilepsy.

So, it is not known how the drug will affect the growing body, it should not be assigned to children. Since the active substance can provoke a miscarriage, it is worth to refuse treatment during pregnancy. There is no information as to whether the active ingredient penetrates into the mother's milk, so it is advisable to transfer the infant for the period of treatment for artificial feeding.

Undesirable reactions and cases of overdose

Most often, on the background of treatment, especially at the beginning of therapy, symptoms may appear that resemble a clinical picture of influenza, to facilitate which the doctor can prescribe antipyretic agents. Take it before the introduction of Avonex or a day after the injection.

Important! On the background of therapy, there may appear signs that resemble multiple sclerosis: muscle contractions and hypotension, which hamper arbitrary movements. These symptoms are associated with injections of the drug.

In addition, the drug causes the following undesirable reactions from the side:

• skin: exacerbation of psoriasis, alopecia, hyperhidrosis, reaction at the injection site( redness, tenderness, inflammation);
• digestive system: a disorder of liver function up to hepatic insufficiency, hepatitis, dyspeptic disorders, lack of appetite;
• cardiovascular system: heart palpitations and violation of its rhythm, heart failure, enlarged lumen of blood vessels, cardiomyopathy;
• of the musculoskeletal system: pain in muscles and joints, hypo- or hypertension of muscles;
• of the genitourinary system: hypermenorrhoea, bleeding from the genital tract unrelated to the menstrual cycle;
• respiratory organs: rhinorrhea and shortness of breath;
• endocrine glands: hypo- or hyperfunction of the thyroid gland;
• of the nervous system: headaches, including migraine, sleep problems, epileptic seizures, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, dizziness;
• of the immune system: Liebman-Sachs disease;
• blood system: reduction of all blood elements, changes in potassium concentration in the systemic blood stream, increase in urea levels.

Allergic reactions are possible in the form of anaphylaxis, hives, various rashes on the skin. At present, no cases of overdose have been documented. Specific antidote does not exist treatment symptomatic.

Scheme of therapy

According to the instructions, the drug is administered / m times every 7 days at the same time, changing the site of the injection. The duration of therapy by a doctor is determined on an individual basis. After a 2-year course of treatment, the patient undergoes an examination, according to the results of which the specialist decides on the expediency of further prescribing.

Dissolve the lyophilizate immediately before the administration of the drug. For dissolution, it is permissible to use only water for injection, which is included in the kit. After undergoing special training and with the permission of a specialist, the patient himself can make injections of the drug.

Precautions:

1. During treatment, it is worthwhile to be careful when driving a vehicle, as against the background of therapy, unwanted reactions from the CNS can occur.
2. At any stage of treatment, depression can develop and thoughts of suicide appear.
3. You also need to constantly monitor the blood picture and liver function.
4. When the disease progresses, it is worth noting the injection of the drug.

Do you know about the forms of multiple sclerosis? Symptoms at the last stage of the disease.

Learn about the manifestations of demyelinating pathologies here.

For the medical treatment of multiple sclerosis read this article: http: //golmozg.ru/farmacevtika/ preparaty-rasseyannyj-skleroz.html. Groups of drugs.

Storage, sales and analogues of

The drug is stored in a dry, protected from light and children place, at a maximum of t 25 degrees, not allowing its freezing. In addition to instructions for the use of Avonex, the price of it also worries patients, since the drug can not be attributed to cheap drugs. The average price for a medicine is about 24 thousand. He releases the medication strictly according to the doctor's prescription.

Avonex is an original drug developed by Gedeon Richter. To date, the pharmaceutical industry produces complete analogues of injections Avonex:

• Rebif;
• Synnovex;
• Genfaxon.

In addition, pharmacies can be found analogues of the drug mechanism of action:

• Altevir;
• Recoline;
• Leifferon.

It is possible to substitute Avonex for an analogue only with the permission of a specialist.

Reviews about the drug Avonex

Most often you can find positive reviews about Avonex, left by both doctors and patients. Negative reviews are mainly associated with influenza-like symptoms that are observed at the beginning of treatment. To reduce the likelihood of their appearance, the drug is recommended to be administered first in a minimal dosage, and then with a new injection to increase it so that the body is used.

It is better to make an injection on Friday evening, so that it's possible to lie at home on weekends, because in some patients the body temperature can rise above 40 degrees. To reduce it, you can take medications based on paracetamol( Panadol, Efferalgan) or ibuprofen( Mig, Nurofen).

Also, in some patients, depression may develop on the background of treatment and thoughts of suicide will appear, so the patient's relatives should monitor his state of health. You can find out about the early symptoms of multiple sclerosis by watching a video.