@dougall17 

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dougall17

Help disguising Tecfidera side effects

First time posting on here, so here goes....... Hi all, I got diagnosed last May and I literally just started taking tecfidera yesterday and it’s all going a ok so far....... I just wondered if anyone had any advice (particularly men) from explaining to work colleagues (who don’t know about my diagnosis,) why my face is red? It happened once yesterday (when I went from a cold room to a slightly warmer room,) so avoiding doing that as much as I can should help, it lasted for about half an hour yesterday and if it does happen today, what can I say to avoid raising suspicions?!! (I’d just choked on a cashew nut yesterday is what I said 😂 but don’t think I can use that excuse every day!) Also, anyone got any good lies they can share with me with for explaining why I’m taking a massive pill every morning with a huge pile of peanut butter toast? (Obviously I’m trying to be as discrete as possible, but it might get spotted.) The toast I can blag, but explaining why I’m taking daily medication; does anyone have any good excuses? Sounds like I’m being very paranoid and sorry for the long post. Thanks
@grandma

Hi @ dougall17 If you don't taking advice from a female on this I started Tec a year ago and the first few weeks were fun! Being a 62 year old female I couldn't even get away with a lady of a certain age scenario but how about telling work colleagues that it's a big vitamin pill, prescribed by your doc as short in something exotic, that's why Its so big and has to be taken with food?😜🥊 don't apologise for the long post or being paranoid, I had taken medication(Avonex) for 23 years and I must admit that taking a tablet twice a day was brilliant compared to sticking a big needle in myself once a week was great do the side effects didn't seem so bad, and all my friends knew about it and watched with great interest as I turned bright red and started to itch👹But I didn't have to deal with the not telling anyone scenario do I can imagine how difficult that is. If it helps, the side effects usually wear of in about 8 weeks, but you may have a couple of bad days tummy wise in week 3 but forewarned is forearmed🤞

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@dougall17

That’s really helpful @grandma thank you very much. I can’t wait for week 3 now!! 😏