lipoatrophy

I haven't posted in a while, but tonight I have a question.  I am on Copaxone and have taken it for 6 months now without too much trouble.  I injected today as usual in my right thigh.  Tonight I have a dent in my leg where I injected.  Is this lipoatrophy?  I am very good about rotating my injection sites.  Do the indentations just occur out of the blue, or are they gradual?  I'm kind of freaking out because I was feeling great about my Copaxone and I don't want to have to stop taking it.

Thanks in advance for all the great advice.

Katie

[jensequitur]

I have lipoatrophy, and started seeing denting after about five months.  So I think it's possible that it's what you're experiencing.

There's been studies done on lipoatrophy with Copaxone, because it's the most complained-about side effect.  You must massage each injection site, keep it warm, and rotate the injection sites so that each site has time to recover.  If you don't, you'll end up like me!  I had problems with some of the sites, so only injected in the hips, thighs, and stomach.  After a while, the thighs ended up being so scarred that the injection would cause an IPIR.  I also have it in the hips and stomach, but after the thigh IPIR I switched to Betaseron.

[sllowe]

Hi Katie,

Your post slipped off the 1st page. I'm not on Copax, and don't get much indenting from rebif. I will say though that indents and tissue breakdown should be gradual at best.

Hope you don't have to stop taking it too - and giving your post a healthy bump for others to share thoughts.

-shell

[COBOB]

Lipoatrophy is not the result of just Copaxone, but a local tissue reaction from subcutaneous injections of many drugs.  It is pretty slow to develop, and may be more noticeable in leaner individuals.

Bob

[Lulu54]

My MSologist recently talked about lipoatrophy and he points out that this is also a problem that people who use daily insulin also have.  He said that true lipoatrophy takes a long while to develop, as Bob has pointed out, and that it usually is as long as 5-10 years after starting copaxone.    It would be pretty unlikely that what you have experienced in lipoatrophy.  

If the spot sticks around, be sure to show it to your doctor next time you are in their office.
best,
Lulu

[jensequitur]

I have lipoatrophy, and started seeing denting after about five months.  So I think it's possible that it's what you're experiencing.

There's been studies done on lipoatrophy with Copaxone, because it's the most complained-about side effect.  You must massage each injection site, keep it warm, and rotate the injection sites so that each site has time to recover.  If you don't, you'll end up like me!  I had problems with some of the sites, so only injected in the hips, thighs, and stomach.  After a while, the thighs ended up being so scarred that the injection would cause an IPIR.  I also have it in the hips and stomach, but after the thigh IPIR I switched to Betaseron.

[katie4242]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  My "dent" mysteriously disappeared the morning after I first noticed it.  It was definitely right where I had injected, but now the skin is smooth and you wouldn't know anything was ever different.  I am very cautious about rotating my injection sites and I use the little dry erase chart that Shared Solutions gave me religiously.  I always make sure to mark where I injected and where the next week's injection should be.  I was glad to hear that lipoatrophy takes 5-10 years to develop.  My hope is that there will be a host of oral drugs to choose from 5 years from now and daily injections will be a thing of the past.  I am going to a dinner put on by Shared Solutions on 06/09.  I'll be sure to post any new information.  Thanks again and take care ....

Katie

[Lulu54]

there should be a Q&A session after  the presentation at the dinner - be sure to ask your question about lipoatrophy and how quickly it might appear.... I'll watch for your update.

[jensequitur]

Hey, perhaps you were seeing a little bit of swelling?  

I don't know about the 5-10 year thing, but then again I had to limit my injection sites because of the IPIR.  I was on it for about three years.