Copaxone itching driving me nuts

[essdipity]

I've been on Copaxone almost 2 months. For the first several weeks the only reaction I had was moderately painful stinging and aching after the shot, lasting about half an hour, plus some tenderness at the site. Now that part is only 5 or 10 minutes. In the meantime, though, other reactions have REALLY set in.

The thigh area is the worst, but all injections give me big red spots, lumps, welts, and sometimes bruises, lasting nearly a week. This is all ugly, but manageable. The itching, though, is what I can barely stand. That starts a day or so after the shot and continues for 2 or 3 days. So I always have several areas that really want to be scratched. Yikes.

I take an antihistamine for airborne allergies, and that does nothing for the itching. I use Benedryl spray, which helps for a couple of hours. The Copaxone people have no other recommendations.

Because of my allergies I'm an itchy person generally, and my nerve endings seem to be hypersensitive. Sometimes it feels that my bod has issued to general alarm to scratch everywhere.

I don't plan to stop Copaxone so I'll just have to bear it, but I sure would appreciate any suggestions for dealing with this maddening problem. My body is trying to tell me something!

ess

[Deb61]

This is an old post, but I've been on Copaxone since 2008.  Some itching after the shot in the first several months is pretty common.  I no longer have any injection site reactions at all (including the itching).  It's been a great drug.

In the middle of January, the medicine will most likely be approved to be offered 3 times a week at double doses.  I'm supposed to contact my neurologist February 1st to see about getting the new treatment option for Copaxone.  My neurologist told me that the efficacy is the same, I can still get the co-pay assistance as it is still the same company, and it's the same drug.  

[loverofbrd]

I too was having the same symptoms, but have been using a deeper needle depth and that has helped so much that I never have the itching anymore.  Maybe it's the fact that I've been on Copaxone for about three months, but I really think the deeper needle depth makes it so the medicine is not just sitting under my skin causing the itch because it immediately got better when I started using 6.5 - 8 depending on the area.

[kimas]

I have been on Copaxone for about two months.  I have horrible, horrible itching and red welts like many of you that last for 2-3 days.  It is driving me nuts.  I spoke with the Shared Solutions nurse that did my in-home training for the injections and she was not able to offer any real solution aside from the OTC creams, which don't work.  I read that a mix of two parts baking soda and one part water helps relieve itching - as a homeopathic remedy - but I have not tried it.  I called my neuro today who is one of the foremost MS doctors in the country and his suggestion (through his nurse) was Benedryl pills so basically he was able to offer no solution.  His nurse also suggested witch hazel (which is essentially a Tucks pad).  I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to.  I sure hope that this itching subsides in the next few months.  Also, the FDA is currently reviewing a double dose of Copaxone to be taken every other day, instead of every day.  My doctor's office believes that the FDA will approve this in early 2014.  I have heard that some doctors already allow their patients to do a double dose every other day.  I really hope it gets approved for every itchy person's sake!

[Becster1971]

I too have itching, welts redness and bruises.  Drives me nuts too!  Right now I'm using Caldyphen (Calamine Lotion) it seems to work on the itching.

[babyemma85]

I often get itchy sites the same day after injecting, but i also get random areas that itch like mad, i have scabs on my leg that ive caused from scratching but the more worrying one is in the pubic region - Bit like shaving rash but it drives me nuts - Does anyone else get this? I took myself to docs just in case it as something else but all is fine, just wondering if its only me??

[twopack]

Hi Warren.  Welcome to the community and congrats on keeping up with your fight against the MS nasties.  

I think one of the best ideas we've heard around here to help stop Copaxone itch came from a member's MS neuro.  He suggested Tuck's pads.  They're disposable witch hazel pads normally used to treat hemorroids.  Generics are cheaper of course.  Cotton balls (or make up squares) and a bottle of witch hazel are probably the best bargain.  I keep some in the refrigerator for the occasional injector stinger but we've used them for bug bites too.  Results were best when I plopped a small ice bag on top for a few minutes - witch hazel a la mode ;)

We've had quite a few discussions about Copaxone and injection reactions around here.  I'm including links to three of them but you'll find others if you enter your search criteria in the "Search this Community" area toward the top right of any community page.  (Don't go all the way to the top or you might plug into the "Search MedHelp" area. That's a bigger library than most of us want to tackle.)

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Injection-site-reactions--can-you-tell-me-if-this-is-normal/show/1354717

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Injecting-Copaxone-into-arm/show/1418784?personal_page_id=781750#post_6481467

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Copaxone/show/1432531