The Beginners Guide to Tecfidera - The 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 to staying happy from Tec users 

I have been on Tecfidera since January 2020. MS backtracked to 21 years ago. The side effects (flush, nausea) still happen after I eat fried foods, foods high in sugar or salt. No chips for me unless I want to feel brain fog and barely move my legs the next day. Same goes for overly processed sugars and grains. Summer heat can cause itchy rashes as well. Basically if I lead a healthy life style, I forget that i have MS and try climbing mountains. Diet is 1000% responsible for how I feel the next day. I was thinking the other day that this MS seems should be called ultimate food allergy. It keeps me safe though, I avoid all the evils of the world to keep myself safe. Right now actively limiting soy and gluten. No alcohol, no smoking, no drugs. Drank a bit too much for about 4 months after my dad passed away and ended up with the worst flare up I've had so far, scared me so bad, i don't even look at alcohol anymore. I feel much better on healthy plant based diet with lots of soups. Absolutely have to stay skinny otherwise my bladder gives me trouble, the more weight I gain the shorter my time between toiled runs. I try to do small workouts throughout the day. Sleep and water, warm foot baths in winter, ice packs in summer. And monitoring my stress. It's a huge challenge coz Im a kindergarten teacher, a Ukrainian living in a foreign country but hey, nobody has it easy. But I'm almost 40 now and my physical stats are pretty average. I wish I could continue to work in a kindergarten but I don't have the energy anymore so I'm switching to a job in a more peaceful area with more sitting. Not sure if it's MS, the approaching 40s, or both. Thanks God, so far so good but i'm grateful for every moment coz I remember how fast these flare ups can happen. And how much they suck. I had about 6 big ones, 3 of them happened in the past 7 years. Maybe I had more before but I was always on the athletic side, so I might have not noticed. It's like one day I have to use a wheel chair, the next Im doing yoga in my hospital room. I'd say the frequency is the same as before Tecfidera. The last flare up was very mild (On Tecfidera) and my overall health has improved. It increased my anxiety though, so I had to start taking valium before sleep. You have to find a good doctor but still be critical of all the advice you read and hear. A diary is a must. Watch your body and mind, for me these are my top priority coz I want them to last into my 70s. Hope this helps somebody.

Thank you so much for making these videos, Ian!

Thanks for this. I just started Bafiertam, and there isn’t any info online about it, but since it’s a newer form of fumarate, this is still helpful. I chose a fumarate because it seems like the healthiest option of all the DMDs. I started this med 4 days ago, and had flushing intensely with the first pill, less intensely with each dose. No real GI side effects so far. A tiny bit of cramping with the first flushing.

Hi Ian! I've never taken medication for ms and have not had any new lesions in years. That being said, I have a Rx for the techfidera like (vulmerity)?). Neuro says it slows progression still undecided! Always nice to see you!

Thanks this is brilliant! I start on Tuesday XX

I was really scared before starting Tec, mainly because in the past I ended up at the ER because of adverse reaction to meds. You tube videos didn't help, most of them were saying the flushing was really bad to cope with. For me I had the first couple of months with pretty annoying stomach pain and occasional flushing, but now it's all resolved and I'm very happy with it. I still flush once in a while but it really doesn't bother me that much, I think people staring at me have a worse time trying to understand what's going on!

Day 5 and I’m coping ok so long as I eat with the tablet . The first tablet made me dizzy and the second made my legs go red and itchy , next day I felt shaky and dizzy again , and then flushing in face , next day my ear felt hot and burning and felt abit sick if I didn’t eat enough , seems to get better each time atm

Hi Ian, I'm taking tecfidera since last January. In the beginning I had a flush once in a while. Maybe 2 times a month. Last month my flushing increased to 2-3 times a week. Very annoying. Before I take the tablet now in the morning I take aspirine ass 100 mg and no more flushing last week. I really hope it last. Another side effect from tecfidera is that I often have a runny nose like if I have a cold but I don't. I do not have a solution for that😡. No further side effects 🙂. Thanks for making these videos! Stay healthy, greets, Peter

I've been on Tecfidera since I was diagnosed in February 2019 and. I've been on it for 2 and a half years and still get bad flushing at times.

Does tecfidera makes anyone feel tired like sick exhaust???

I have been diagnosed with MS 4 months ago and I started with tecfidera i don’t feel side effects at all and it’s actually good for me but I don’t know if it works or not have to do another MRI to make sure! Thanks for the video 🤍