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Houdini,

Your combination (Copaxone, Minocycline, Zocor) is pretty much what I’m aiming for. When I last spoke to my neuro in Canada, with the usual question (what would you do in my case?) she said she would take a combination therapy, specifically, Copaxone and Minocyline. Only she couldn’t give me the Copaxone because I didn’t meet the diagnostic criteria: I needed a second episode or evidence of enhancing lesions.

So I started ABX and left Canada without being diagnosed. Current plan is to take minocycline and lipitor (another statin) until a confirmed DX. That should be in a month.

I should point out that another ABX’er is also simultaneously on Copaxone and explained her rationale to me in almost exactly the same terms as you. She wants the 30% edge. I should similarly point out that one of the “gurus” of alternatives, the Australian MD Jelinek who promotes supplements combined with an extremely low fat diet, also covers his bases with Copaxone (its mentioned in passing on, like, page 65 of his book).

The reason I will regret taking a CRAB is (a) limited effect (b) feeling sick (c) potential side effect and (d) knowingly contributing to a pharma industry that is generally acknowledged to be about as corrupt as they come. We can debate that last part I guess, but, I think any analyst will agree that you cannot make profit unless you have a patentable (i.e. new molecule) drug and that drug is either (a) long term or (b) broad patient base. That’s the only way you’ll get the quarterly numbers that the market looks for.

LJM,

The reason I will regret taking a CRAB is (a) limited effect (b) feeling sick (c) potential side effect and (d) knowingly contributing to a pharma industry that is generally acknowledged to be about as corrupt as they come.

I won't (can't) argue with (a) and (d). As to (b) and (c), I can honestly tell you that, as a person who usually has every side effect one can have from a drug, I have absolutely no side effects from Copaxone. At first, I had the site reactions everyone complains about, but I would say these stopped after 90 days. I know others are not as lucky, and never shake the site reactions.

When the nurse was showing me how to give myself the Copaxone injections, she said, "In a few months, this will be just like brushing your teeth," and I responded, "Yeah, if your routine is to brush your teeth with a noxious chemical and a razor sharp implement!"

Two years later, I am happy to report that every time I brush my teeth, I think about what that nurse said and smile to myself. Not in a millenium did I think that I would get used to basically giving myself a nasty bee sting every morning, but it really has become as much of a non-event as brushing my teeth.

To head off the expected accusations, I am not a shill for Copaxone, just someone who is grateful to have insurance that covers it, and a body that seems to tolerate it.

An update of miscellany. I continue to take lipitor although in small amounts (5 mg - normal dosage 10-20). I'm taking less because it seems to make it harder to sleep through night and it makes me a little buzzed. Virtually everything will make me a little buzzed, I think I am completely lacking any BBB.

The positive effect of lipitor on my double vision continues. It is zero in situations that normally triggered it (ex. a moderate to hard cycling). It sort of trembles at the edge of my vision in situations that would have been been severe (ex. lung-burning , am-I-coughing-blood cycling up steep hills). I have now experienced this improvement for more than two months, I dont think it can be a freak coincidence.

Further, although I received MRI results more than a month ago I just spoke a few minutes ago with neuro about comparison with previous MRIs. The new MRI did not show any enhancing lesions ((to date, none of my three MRIs have any enhancing). But the new news is that the recnet MRI showed existing lessions had been reduced in size. One lesion (C1) failed entirely to show on new MRI but neuro advised that cervical area is notoriously difficult to film so hard to call.

I agree with my neuro's caution that the above is less good news than the absence of definite bad news, I'm falling in with his thinking (after rereading some posts, like loobie) that a period of inactivity doesn't mean much in long term.

So, I'm going to continue with with lipitor, minocycline, the range of supplements that everyone else is taking. But I'm pretty sure I'm gong to start on copaxone after next visit.

ljm wrote:I continue to take lipitor although in small amounts (5 mg - normal dosage 10-20).

When you say "normal dosage" I am guessing you mean for yourself?

ljm wrote:I'm taking less because it seems to make it harder to sleep through night and it makes me a little buzzed.

What time of day do you take the Lipitor? One of the reasons I prefer lipitor over other statins is that it can be taken any time of day. And i think it has a half life of only 12hrs.

Sorry. My dosage is 5mg. The normal adult dosage (as far as I know) is 10-20 mg. And, yes, its better for me to take in the morning than at night (though its better still for me to have a couple of days off it on the weekend and sleep like the dead). [/quote]

ljm wrote:The normal adult dosage (as far as I know) is 10-20 mg

For cholesterol control, the dosage is up to 80mg/day (with a prescription). I currently take around 60mg / day. I get 80mg tablets and break them up into a divided dose to give me about 60mg.

But i am lucky, i dont experience any "buzzy" feeling.

whaaat? there is no way I could take 80 mg

actually, just checked on internet, 10-20 is definitely low dose. maybe I was prescribed that because I was already taking daily niacin? or because I already had a low fat diet (thanks to melody) (:twisted:) ?

seriously, cureo, if you didn't have high cholesterol, and you;re taking so much, couldn't that be a problem? you need cholesterol to make hormones, etc