Lipoatrophy and Copaxone

glh222 · Post by **glh222** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 6:27 am

Hi all...

I have a quick question. Does Lipoatrophy always occur with using Copaxone? I know SS recomends rotating injecting sites, but does following their guidlines always prevent lipoatrophy from occuring or is it total luck? Any input would be very appreciated. thanks!

daverestonvirginia · Post by **daverestonvirginia** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 5:47 am

Men in general do not have as much of a problem with Lipoatrophy so I have not had much of a problem I beleive as a result. But, I still rotate my shots because the area where I give myself a shot will get hard at times and it seems not to happen if you rotate. 5 years on Copaxone.

DizzyDean · Post by **DizzyDean** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:49 am

I am male, have been on copaxone over 3 yrs now, have gotten some nasty bruises and lumps but no lipoatrophy. I'm on every other day dosing now.

Lipoatrophy has been discussed before on this site. I put a few links below including a study that was done in Canada.

http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-391.html
http://www.thisisms.com/ftopic-13198-next.html
http://www.thisisms.com/ftopic-5201-0.html

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/Apr2 ... axone.html

Diane1949 · Post by **Diane1949** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:08 am

I was on Copaxene for at least 2 years and my skin will never be the same. There are craters and dimples in the areas of injections....

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Sun Aug 22, 2010 10:16 am

As far as my experience has been it is just luck as to who will develop lipoatrophy - or at least, it is due to something that SS have not yet told us about or discovered.

I have been on Copaxone for nearly 6 years, 5 years Rebif before that. I developed only one tiny lipo area on Rebif.

On Copaxone my legs, butt, lower back and stomach are really destroyed with extensive lipo....but I am still persevering with Copaxone because my MS has improved over the time I've been on it. If anything it continues to improve, so it's lipo vs. good health, I feel.

I ALWAYS rotated. I had something like 55+ sites during Rebif and about 40+ sites on Copaxone and I keep a diary. I think lipo has NOTHING to do with rotating and I'm angry with Teva that they keep trotting out the BS about rotation....I think they know that is not the reason lipo happens.