new to Copaxone

[lmeiser45]

Finally got my meds, but boy does the med hurt!!!!!  Am I giving the shots wrong?

Shots using the injector.... none of the shots hurt, but 5 minutes after each injection it hurts like a son-of-a-gun!!!

Sat. Stomach - small dark purple bruise - hurt 25 min. or so
Sun. Right thigh - no bruise, hurt 25 min. or so.
Mon. Left inner thigh - no bruise, but ohhhhh my gosh!!! That hurt all the way from 7 last night until noon today.

Do your shots hurt like this? Do you do something special? I spray cortisone spray on it and it feels a lot better on top, and then use the heating gel thing they gave me. That helps a little.

Are there places you don't inject? places you avoid? special ways to inject? I might try to self inject tonight.

I'm glad I'm on the shots, I can't believe the energy levels have come back almost 90%. I'm excited about teaching again. I used to be pumped about every lesson I taught. 3 shots and it's amazing. Did you feel better after 3 shots, or did it take awhile?

Does anyone have any tips or tricks to giving the medicine?

[cainer]

  I THOUGHT I  WOULD  B   ONE  BIG  BUMP !!

TERRIBLE   BUT  DOESNT  BOTHER  ME  NOW    JUST  ONCE  N  A  WHILE

SHE  DOESNT  WANT  2  GET  N  MUSCLE   THAT  IS  VERY  PAINFUL  4  ME  ANYWAY

AND  HAD  FEW  TIMES  WHERE  MY  HEART  RACED  AND  FELT  BAD--  


BUT  NEVER  LASTED  LONG....        
           PUT  IT  N   A  SLANT ???    HUGS   TICK

[Geekboy]

I am on my third month of Copaxone and the pain is getting better. I can ignore the pain now. I never had enough pain to want to quit the med though.

Try heat before the shot and cold after. That helped me at first. Now I don't do anything but the alcohol swab.

The welts are expected but if you have bruising you probably aren't going deep enough. I usually have my injector set to 6 1/2 and that works for me.

[green924]

HI EVERBODY... THIS MIGHT NOT MAKE SENSE CAUSE I'M HAVING HUGE NEW PROBS WITH MY LEFT EYE, BUT HERE GOES.

I COULDN'T REALLY READ ANY OF THE STUFF ABOVE, BUT I'M JUST STARTING MY 2ND MONTH OF COPAXONE & I WISH I COULD SAY IT ISN'T THAT BAD, BUT I CANT!

I FEEL I WAS TOTALLY SCARED OF THE WRONG PART! LIKE IT SAID AT THE TOP, THE SHOT DOESN'T HURT, BUT THE NEXT 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL I FALL ASLEEP (WITH THE ICE PACK, OOPS!) IS HORRIBLE!

I'M USED TO PAIN, SEVERE PAIN, BUT THE FEELING THE MED GIVES ME IS UP THERE AT #1 (ALMOST). ENOUGH TO MAKE ME WANT TO SKIP IT ALL TOGETHER BUT I HAVEN'T SO FAR... I REALLY HATE THE HUGE LUMPS I AM HAVING, I THINK I CAN FIND ALMOST EVERY INJ SPOT FROM THE BEGINNING & I CANT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEM TO STOP OR GO AWAY...

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO IS DEALING WITH THIS! I ONLY WISH IT WASN'T SO HARD ALL THE TIME!

AGAIN, SO IF THIS MAKES NO SENSE, SEEMS LIKE NOTHING DOES RIGHT NOW, SORRY :)

[britinusa]

I just changed to avonex after being on copaxone for a little over a year. my reactions were bad though. orange sized lumps that were hot and sore and itchy and took well over the 7 days to go down. I did love copaxone though other than the reactions.I think I was def in the minority good luck. :)

[Heather3418]

Do not inject on the inner thigh or the inside skin of the arm.  These areas are too sensitive to inject.  Stick to the other part of am arm and in the fat, not the muscle.

AND...try as hard as you can to NOT scratch the area, after you have injected.  This will only make the injection site worse.  I know it's hard to resist.

And the injection stinging will diminish over time.  Every once in a while, you will get one that feels like dozens of bee stings.  This too, becomes less and less as time goes by.

I notice injection site reactions, whenever I use my legs.  If you inject in the butt, always go at least 2 to 3 inches below the waist, (on the sides) where there is more fat. (well in some of us)  Any higher up and you may hit a nerve.

Good luck with your shots.  It will get better.

Heather

[Deb61]

Lulu is right--the pain gets better as you go.  It took me a  little longer than Lulu for the pain after the shot to subside.  I've been on Copaxone for a year and 9 months.  The big welts started going away after about 3 or 4 months.  The autoinjector made the biggest welts and the needle comes out faster than a dart gun to take down an elephant.  Like you, it still hurt after the shot was given, but the welting reduced significantly.  Now, I don't notice the pain after the shot as much.  

Occasionally, especially if I get careless, I will inject in the muscle which I will notice pain with. I don't notice the pain after the shots at all now.   I have experimented with heating the area and cooling the area before and after the shots.  You may have to do the same thing to find the right combination for you.  For me, I still use an alcohol swab, but I dry it completely with a hair dryer (which also warms the area).  If I get the area warmed enough, I don't even feel the needle going in.  Afterwards, I do nothing but apply a cotton ball to the area for a minute or two.  The cold packs did nothing for me, but it's worth trying to see if it works for you.  Maybe in the beginning, it helped with decreasing the welting; however, I never get welts anymore, now.  

I noticed an improvement in brain MRIs (some lesions disappeared even) and with my walking abilities after 9 months of being on Copaxone.  It's supposed to only help slow the progression down, but for me I noticed improvement.  The neuro said that the medicine was allowing my brain to heal.  I had the prescription for a wheelchair, was using a shower chair, and could barely walk before the nine month mark on Copaxone.  

I did not notice an improvement with my migraine attacks until I got on the right medicines for that.  Are you taking any medicines to prevent your headaches?  I take a beta blocker (Propanolol).  I also got rid of the caffeine (which was extremely hard to do--not recommended to do during school time).  Once I got rid of caffeine (which took about a week and half to get rid of the headaches, my migraines have decreased from daily to twice a month (which occur in clusters).  

Also, there are some really good medicines out there for fatigue.  I would have had to apply for disability had I not started Provigil for my fatigue.  In addition to giving me more energy, it also helped me with thinking more clearly as a result.  I'm able to follow conversations much better (adult version of ADD--LOL).  

I teach, too.  The job in itself is hard enough (but I love it).  Add in MS, and it really is difficult!  

Best wishes!  
Deb

[HVAC]

I have been on it since April and still get the sting. I use ice. But I am committed to it.

Alex

[meg321]

I have been on copaxone ffor 6 mo. now and its much better, still get small site reactions here and there though..I agree about the thighs, whats with that, they are the worse.

The copaxone is suppose to slow down the progression and the flare ups...i did feel better after about 4 mo. i think. But is not suppose to stop all your symptoms, there has been damage done already and it is the cause of some of your symptoms however some symptoms will come and go anyway,,,i am not explaining this well but someone else will I am sure.

And everyone is different, nothing is the same for anyone of us.  I still have some fatigue, but its better now, i am still dizzy 24/7, still get headaches but they are also better, the cognative issues are the worst now.

just my two cents, from my muddled brain..

hugs, meg

[mayperl]

Well, not YET, but very excited to start battling these symptoms. I just sent in my Shared Solutions paperwork.  My Neurologist said he wanted to try me on this drug because I would have no symptoms.  It sounded too good to be true, but after reading about all of your experiences, I'd much rather have hornet sting last only 30-mins over these constant wave of headaches that last for days, aching pain in my legs and hips, burning arms, and shooting stabs in my heels, numb toes, etcetera, etcetera. My symptoms have been around since 10/24th and progressivly worsening. I am on IV steroids for optic neuritis that didn't cure with oral... one month of a gray cloud in one eye.

I would trade all this for 30-mins a day of hornet stings :(  not to mention, it sure sounds like an easier road than the Beta 1As, do you agree?  Have any of you tried the other drugs?

[michelleric]

I am about to finish my 3rd month of Copaxone. I have found similiar expereinece as you. My arms and thighs are the most painful.

The needle doesn't hurt, but  a couple minutes afterward the "hornet sting" begins and last for at least 1/2 hour. It FINALLY is starting to become more tolerable, but even last night, the thigh site welted up and began severely itchy. I took benedryl and even today, it is still red and welty.

The neuro and shared solutions just kept telling me to continue, so I am a "good" pat and am doing what I was told.

I tried every trick, heat, cold, benedryl cream, no alcohol swab, adjusting the depth, on and on. I think the only thing that helped is time and my body trying to adjust to it.

Good luck to you. I hope it will get easier for you,
Michelle

[lmeiser45]

Thank you for the info.  I appreciate it! I'm glad to know the site injections get better.  I'm going to go give my 4th in a little while.  I'm hoping or going to pray it is the meds giving me energy because the way I feel now, is like I felt when I first started teaching...way excited, motivated, and pumped up.  I haven't felt like this in months.  I also didn't know I had MS until a month ago.  I went in to the dr with headaches, she said get an mri and came out with ms!  I had no other symptoms, just tired.  Not fatigued.  I didn't feel fatigued until last week which was HORRIBLE! Ready to go to bed by noon.  Now, I can teach all day, make dinner, play with my family and give the shot.  I'm hoping this continues and the pain goes away.

Thanks,
Leah

[Lulu54]

Hello, from one copaxone user to another, please trust me when I say almost everyone gets better with the pain from these injections.  I described the pain as being like a hornet or wasp sting, and not just  a little bee sting.  It hurt like crazy.  About two months into my injections the stinging really became better and at about 3 months it virtually stopped hurting at all.

Now when I inject, and I 've been on copax for over a year, I rarely even notice it.

Lots of people use ice packs and heat packs to help with the stinging.  I found the ice worked for me.  And make sure it is room temperature and not chilled.

The people at shared solutions will also have other suggestions for you - they will be calling to check in on you and be sure to talk to them.  Or you can call - you don't have to wait for them.

As for it making you feel better - three injections is not going to do it.  The experts say it is a 6-9 month proposition before the copaxone does it trick in fooling our immune system.  It works as a decoy and tries to get the immune system to attack it instead of attacking our myelin.  

It is possible that you were in some sort of exacerbation and it stopped.  OR it could also be the psychological boost we get from knowing that we actually are doing something for ourself to help stop this disease.  

Whatever it is that is making you feel better, enjoy it!

be well,
Lulu