Subject: METHX ---> AVONEX

From: [email-masked] (Jeffrey Shore)
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 96 07:07:00 GMT

Greetings Gang of 437!

This very brief post (neither Chanoch or Chris will believe that)
is just an early announcement that my docs and I have arrived at
a decision point: the methotrexate that I have been on for over
2.5 years seems to be losing effectiveness, so with the recent
general availablity approval by FDA, I will be going for methx
for a "detox" period of 6 weeks and then start standard treatment
with Avonex. There will the usual brief monitoring for adverse
side effects and general tolerance, but if all goes well, I will
be on the Avonex for the next 12 months at which time we will
reassess and determine whether to continue or not: SOP.

In another posting, I will summarize as succinctly as possible
my experiences with methotrexate, what brought on the decision
to go with an alternative treatment--though either Betaseron or
Avonex would have been more appropriate had my HMO been willing
to pay for it when it became available or had Avonex already been
on the street--and then post periodic notes as I gain experience
with it. Naturally I will avidly follow the reported course and
experiences of others receiving Avonex as well. 

Auguri e buona fortuna ai tutti,

Jeff Shore
[email-masked]