This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

hello. I spent some time on these boards last year when I was taking Rebif, which I couldn't take and came off of after 4 months. Saw my neuro yesterday and now it seems that I am to start Copaxone.

I find the mere thought of daily injections SO daunting. I am scared of the stinging and more scared of the lipoatrophy.

When I was taking Rebif, I began to do my injections without the autoinjector so as to be able to inject the medicine more slowly, and I bruised less. those autoinjectors are pretty forceful! Would this help with the lumps and stinging that I expect to happen?

Also I have just found this youtube video where a man talks about his copaxone injections and says that taking the air bubble out really reduces the stinging. Is this ok to do? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GpT4UFJViI

I found out when on Rebif that the air bubble was there in the first place so that it formed a bit of a barrier under the skin so that the medicine didn't rush back out the same way it went in. (which with rebif would burn if it touched the outside of the skin), but is a little leak back out onto the surface of the skin so much of a problem with copaxone?

I'm really not looking forward to all of this!

sienna
dx 1996/RR/currently taking no meds/Avonex and Rebif both in the past[/url]

Hi, I too just started on copax. Day 5 came and went.
As to the air bubbles, it said on the packaging NOT to eliminate those. Did not say why, but as a nurse there were times we use an air bubble to prevent back tracking of the solution when the needle was withdrawn.

The daily regimen is not new as to taking shots for me. I take 5 insulin injections a day. (two at bedtime as I take two diff insulins and one of them is not to mixed with any others) You just have to say ok this can't work if I don't take it. And then tell yourself to get your rear in gear and get down to bidniz. LOL

It really does become a very routine thing. I take my copax at bedtime. (I also take two pain tabs at bedtime so that helps me get over the pain/discomfort) It's like anything else really, you just accept it, do it, and then forget it for another day.

Hugs
Deb

On the question of the air bubble:

I was told by the nurse that the bubble is there to make sure all of the medicine gets ejected from the syringe. Without it, even after the plunger is all the way down, some bit of medicine would be left in the needle part. This made sense to me, since these medicines are so expensive you don't want to waste any. By the way, Avonex, an IM injection, also has the air bubble in the syringe.

Yes, but when I went on Avonex originally in '96 and received my Avonex training (was in the U.S. then, but am in the UK now) I was told by the nurse to definitely take the air bubble out.

And Deb, congrats on getting into the routine and it going well for you. I just know that I'm really not that pragmatic, so I am worried, once the pain, bumps and craters start to make it difficult for me. I'm a wimp. Not only that, I'm a vain wimp, so am anticiping feeling self conscious about the way I start to look!

Thanks for your replies.

Avonex is 30µg/mL. I have found that if I remove all of the air prior to injection, then there will be approximately 65-70 µL left in the syringe. This represents 1.9-2.1µg of the medication which is about a 7% loss. The air bubble will help to get nearly all of the medication out of the syringe and shouldn't be a problem for an IM injection.

NHE

I was also told to leave the bubble there for the same reasons as patienttx wrote.
Marsha