This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I finally saw the right doctor! And he has recommended copaxone (apparently beta interferons are not a great idea if you have a history of epilepsy & depression).

I see the MS nurse on tuesday next week and we'll see what happens from there - if anybody has any advice / thoughts / knowledge to share I would appreciate it.

I'm on week 3 of copaxone, nearing the end (last shot is tomorrow, then on to week 4!). What would you like to know? It's a very easy drug to manage from my experience. Side effects are minimal, injections are easy.

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Dx RRMS March 5, 2008.

Thanks!

The Dr told me that the shots are every day.

I guess my biggest concern is side effects. And I just would rather know what to expect.

In my experience, just site reaction for 20-25 min after. Feels like a burn. You can ice or warm before, and then after to reduce this feeling (or hope to!). I don't find it bad, but I have a big pain threshold.

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Dx RRMS March 5, 2008.

After a few months the side effects (wasp sting feeling) went away and I only have one now if I jab in the wrong place.

A quick way to help, if you don't want to bother with coldpacks, is a wet cold cloth, or hold a glass of cold water against the site for a minute.

If you want to get really scared, google Copaxone side effects. The list is long and very varied. Most people don't get them, but be prepared. I got swollen lymph nodes. My gyno panicked, he thought it was cancer, and sent me to hospital on the same day where they took some out to look at. They were perfectly innocent, my poor little lymph nodes. Now they swell up from time to time, but always go down again. I also have dark patches on my lower arms in summer, quite harmless, don't bother anyone but me. So if you get some strange symptom, check the list first and show it to your doctor if you think it could be relevant.

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Bibo ergo sum

Hi MrsGeorge

It is nice to meet you.

I can share my expereince with Copaxone. I just passed 10 years of using Copaxone. Prior to starting on Copaxone , I had 3 ms attacks in 8 months. Since I have been on Copaxone, I have had 2 ms attacks total.

Please utilize Shared Solutions. They are a great resource. They do provide the free training nurse that will come to your place. They will provide the autoject, lock boxes, travel cases, etc for free.

They also have a free program called "Peer Resources" where you can talk to somebody who is currently using Copaxone.

Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

Take Care, Bob

Look for the one having fewer side effects. Copaxone seems so. An extract i found for you about copaxone. It's basically stats based upon Copaxone;

-80 per cent of MS patients are still walking after the 15 years of being on copaxone,without any assistance and the same 80 per cent did not even in any way decline in disability...in fact 51 per cent of these people actually improved during the 15 year study.
-Copaxone reduced the number of lesions in patients by 63 percent, from the number that were detected during the initial dx.
-Copaxone repairs nerve damaged tissue
-Copaxone assists in the reduction of fatigue
-Copaxone has also been noted to assist the body in remylination and improvement in neuroprotectiveness
-Copaxone assists in the reduction of brain volume loss
-Copaxone reduces the number of relapses

There are lot of other stats that are available, but this gives a pretty good picture of what Copaxone can do for u...

I have been on copaxone for many, many years. While it's never happened to me, I always keep in the back of my mind the possibility of experiencing an immediate post-injection reaction. It apparently feels like you are having a heart attack, so I try to keep it in the back of my mind so I don't freak out if it ever happens (apparently it's benign and only feels scary but resides soon after it starts). It is listed as a possible side effect.

Also, routinely examine injection sites to be sure they are healing nicely and not looking unhealthy.