This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hello,

I just found this group and wanted to get advice and wisdom from others with MS and taking Copaxone.

First off I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2004 and put on Copaxone. I took it pretty faithfully for almost 2 years and then came upon some information about it causing an increased risk of Cancer.
Here now it's 2011 and I feel my MS is getting worse, I've now started to experience bladder retention and I'm really at my wits end trying to figure out what to do.
I also battle anxiety and the thought of Cancer is something that really makes my anxiety unbearable.
I did some research online and A lot of the information I found has been linking Copaxone to Breast cancer and skin cancer risks.

I really don't know if the 30% less chance of a MS relapse while on Copaxone is worth the risk of Cancer?
This is something that I've been stressing over for the past 2 weeks and we all know Stress make MS symptoms worse. So I'm finally seeking the opinions and advice of other Copaxone users.

Thank you!

Hi Melissa,

Can you post some links to where you've seen these studies linking it?

_________________
28/07/10, 04/10/10, 16/11/10 - Dopplers x3 Ireland, Poland, Scotland.
12/10/10 - 1st procedure, Poland. Symptoms worsened. No improvement.
Verdict: I urge caution + am taking a back seat watching research ATM.
13/02/12 - Started Wheldon ABX protocol.

I have never heard or read anything about Copaxone being associated with cancer.

Hi Melissa
I used to read all the potential side-effects too and stress about them. I have only recently been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder (so I understand the anxiety, bigtime!) and OCD, so once I get an idea stuck in my head it's hard to get it out.

The thing is though that the risks for cancer in the general population is so high anyway, 1 in 3 for women I think, that you have to weigh up the relative risks. You know you have MS, but you don't have cancer. MS is actually associated with a lower risk for certain cancers, and a very very few a higher risk.

Maybe I'm just being too logical about it but I think if you are experiencing symptoms of MS right now, you should deal with things that are happening now. I have often found it takes up to 6 months for Copaxone to kick in properly as I've been on and off it due to pregnancies in the past. Do you have a nurse in the neuro's office you could talk your concerns through with at all?

The other thing that jumps out at me is advice I should have taken myself a decade ago - only now am I tackling my anxiety and the relief that a good medication can bring. I also have had bladder issues for 2 decades, although in my case it is the opposite of retention, but if you haven't been to a urologist or for a bladder scan/urodynamics testing, it can be very helpful and you may find it it easily solved, it would give you great relief.

Wishing you all the best with your decision, PM me if you want to ask anything, and let us know how you get on if you can,

WW

_________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Concussus Resurgo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RR-MS dx 1998 and Coeliac dx 2003
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copaxone, Cymbalta. EPO, Fish Oils, Vitamin D3 2000 IU daily, Cal/Mag/Zinc, Multivitamin/mineral, Co-Enzyme Q10, Probiotics, Milk Thistle.

When I was first diagnosed and asked to choose one of the ABCs in 1999, I went through the prescribing information pamphlets for each of the medications with a fine toothed comb and a medical dictionary. One concern that I had was that Copaxone was found to be clastogenic in a mutagenesis assay. Clastogenic means that when given to cells in a tissue culture (in vitro) at some concentration it caused breaks in DNA. Cells have the ability to repair their DNA. However, if the damage is extensive, then the cell will commit suicide for the betterment of the organism. This cell suicide is known as apoptosis. The lipoatrophy that some folks experience with Copaxone has been attributed to apoptosis. It may be the clastogenic activity that is triggering the lipoatrophy, I don't know, nor have I found any material on it at this level of detail. In all of the time since then, I have never read anything about Copaxone being linked to cancer. However, it would be best to discuss your concerns with your doctor. I recommend that you do your homework first and read through and understand Copaxone's prescribing information pamphlet. Your local library should have a medical dictionary though they can often be found in used bookstores for a reasonable price (I picked up a copy of Stedmen's medical dictionary for only $8 that was a few editions old). It might also be a good idea to search through PubMed for published articles (even if it's only for your own peace of mind).


NHE

Melissa,

I'm newly diagnosed (March 2011) and I had lung cancer in 1996 with a metastasis to the brain in 1998.

I don't know if that counts as having had cancer once or twice, but my Stanford neuro doc said Copaxone was the *only* MS disease-modifying therapy that was safe for someone like me with a "compromised" immune system (i.e., previous chemo & radiation and higher probability of future cancer). I don't know what you've read, but to the best of my knowledge Copaxone is the med *least* likely to cause nasty side effects like cancer...

-- Mark

_________________

RRMS dx 3/3/11; Copaxone since 12/1/11