Thankfully there wasn't a washout period but there was a bit of work I needed to do before starting my new medication. Blood work needed to confirm that my vaccinations were up to date - which I found out that I was not immune to chicken pox! In order to get that vaccine I needed to stop Tecfidera for 1 week and I couldn't start Mavenclad for 6 weeks after the vaccination. That meant I'd be without any DMD for 7 weeks, which stressed the heck out of me since I had a huge relapse was between DMDs.
During this time off I decided that I should try to control things that trigger my MS so I picked up the Overcoming MS book. I felt that diet was the easiest thing for me to control so I stuck to it for that time! No meat, no dairy, limited fish, plenty of fruits and veggies!
The 7 weeks flew by and I was due to start Mavenclad! I decided to take them after lunch so I could get through the side effects while hanging out on the couch. The first week for me was 8 pills over 5 days. The first day I was SO nervous to start, I was nauseous before even taking anything. I finally mustered up the courage to wash my hands and take the first two pills. Easy peasy. Maybe 30-45 minutes later the side effects kicked in. I just felt unwell. Almost like the beginning of getting a cold. Drained, headache, sea sick, just a general feeling of blah. You can't take anything within 3 hours of your treatment so I just set a timer and decided to wait it out. Saltine crackers and ginger ale were my saviour! By the time the 3 hour timer went off I didn't feel the need to take any Gravol or tylenol.
Days 2-3 were very similar. Day 4 & 5 I just needed to take 1 pill each and the side effects didn't seem as bad. During the first week I also found I had some really weird, vivid dreams, backaches and headaches that continued on and off. Plenty of water, an odd Motrin helped this.
And that was it! Week one was done! I felt great! Until a day or two later, I felt SO nauseous after eating lunch and I tried everything ginger - tea, ale, chews (highly recommend!). Eventually I discovered that taking a ginger gravol 30 minutes before eating helped. The next couple of weeks were fine! The odd day I'd get hit with the fatigue stick or nausea but nothing that I couldn't handle.
The 4 weeks between the first pills to the next round of pills came before I knew it and I was at it again! This time it was only 7 pills over 5 days. Day one went SO well. I felt completely fine after that I thought I did something wrong! Until dinner time came. Bam! The nausea was back! The days went by quickly, each day came with new symptoms. A few days after my last pill I had a decent amount of pain and anxiety, yesterday I had no appetite and the horrible MS hug. But those symptoms pass and I've learned to listen to my body.
Reminder: take it easy. The days will get better. It'll all be worth it <3
