One man's tale of stopping his MS medication

When I was on Avonex I had pretty much the same problems but depression.But delt with it hateing every moment.Then I was told by the doctor to go on the Tysabri infusion once a month,what a differance it made for me I felt better than I have in a long time.MRI's show no new leasions for 22 months since started.But the best thing for me is to have no side effects like I did before.

Amazing story, I didn't think the meds were that effective that stopping them would have much short term effect.

I wonder if your body somehow adapts to them in a dependency fashion, e.g. like an addiction, such that if you stop the MS activity heightens?

I've been off of all meds for 3 years or more now. I started with avonex for 7 year and when it was changed to the prefilled form i started to get very sick with it. I switched to copaxone and had a new set of problems. Constant spasms after each injection that lasted several hours. I wouldn't recomend going off the injectables but for me the treatment was worse than the disease.

I, too, have, been on a drug holiday, for just over a year. At the time I stopped, I had been taking Avonex for 8 months, and my side effects were getting much worse, instead of fading away. I was also taking Lyrica, and Ambien to sleep. I was horribly depressed (my brother died tragically the year before) and was to start taking Celexa, but after one low introductory dose, I thought I was going insane. I sat on the floor thinking I just did not want to continue living, really feeling it; it's not that I wanted to die, I just did not want to live. At that point I had an epiphany, and knew I had to stop killing myself. I stopped all medications, reduced my work hours, and eventually moved to a more health-conscious and peaceful area of the country. I figured that negative stress had ultimately provoked my illness, since all my major episodes followed very stressful times. So this has been my strategy for now; to make my life manageable and meaningful, while learning how to control my reaction to stressful situations. I am waiting things out, because I can - I am still able to function quite well, just not as well as I would like. I know there are better treatments ahead; in the meantime, science is finally finding out that there is no mind/body barrier, and I am using that knowledge to steer my boat. If negativity causes ill effects, positivity causes well effects.
I know this approach is highly personal, and am not recommending it to anyone; I just wanted to share my experiences. Be well.

I am tapering off Copaxone. I am dealing with the Medicare "donut hole" and have to pay over $1,900. / mo. for the drug until I reach over $4,000., then it's 5%. I spent over $7,000. on medical last yr.

I think it's a crime that these drug companies stocks are soaring and our insurance rates and co-pays keep increasing. As long as people are paying under $50. / mo. for the drugs they keep getting it. Once on disability and Medicare things change. They just don't care about people.

I take Copaxone...over and over and over again.
I paid $2000.00 for last month's injections from Walmart.
This month I am paying $400.00 to medicare D (medco).
The government does not seem to be making any money on the drug...the pharmacies or the drug companies do if you have to pay full tilt.
I would hope all the extra bucks go inot research so I can quit the daily grind of trying to contain the ms.
Thanks for Art and Hollie reports...you both get gold stars in my book. Pat from Oceanside.