Good and bad!

[Mummy76]

I'll start with the bad - I started back on Copaxone and it's been H*LL!  When I first used Copaxone it was a breeze, not issues whatsoever.  This time the pain from the injections is extreme and I have fist size bruises all over my thighs and tummy!  I hate it!

The good news is I went to see the Optic Neurologist this week and she is wonderful.  I've never met a Doctor who takes such care to make sure I understand everything that is happening to me.  Anyways, she said she thinks I'm doing great.  My eye that was affected by the ON has recovered completely and she thinks it bodes well for the type of MS I have - I hope she's right.  Finally some good news in this journey!!

[1Duckie]

Hi All,

I've been on Copaxone since 2005.  My tip - learn to inject without using the auto gadget.  I found it tough to do it the first time (trained and supervised by the nurse), but have never used the auto inject gadget since!  I found that the bruising was less immediately.  My theory - because you have to press firmly with the gadget, and the end is surrounding the hole where the needle goes in, the pressure leads makes bruising more likely.  Doing it "clean" means there is no pressure around the wound.

For the rest - despite the above for the first 6 months or so I had itchy, red, swollen areas that lasted a few days each, and I used to treat with witch hazel gel.  Nowadays though, I generally can't find the site after about 10 minutes!  So from my experience I'd say persevere.  It's not fun, never will be, but it does get better to the point of being pretty much meaningless.

Oh, and I haven't had a full-on relapse since I started taking it.  That's got to be a good thing!

All the best to all...

[meg321]

I have always had the same problems and I have seen SS nurses 3 times in the last 3 years, I am on a 4  with all my injections.  I have used so many different ways of doing this with different results that I gave up.

meg

[candy158]

Hi Mummy, I am having the very same problems as you with my Copaxone.  I have huge bruises, and lumps, and it seems to go out for about 3 inches from where I actually injected.  Is that happening to you too?

I have been in touch with Shared Solutions, my nurse, and my neuro's, and the MS clinics, it seems to be what we have to do again in the beginning, and it is supposed to get better.  

I am using the Autoject at #6, for ALL my sites.  It still leaves welts, hives, and bruises and lumps, but not as bad as when it was 8 ..... I may go down to the 4 if it keeps up.  

I have been on the Copaxone for about 2 1/2 months, and hoping it will get eastier..... I'm good about the injections, that does not bother me, it just starts about 1 minutes after the injection.... same for you???

Hope this helps, and that it gets better for you,

((hugs))
Candy

[JaneK1975]

Hi Mummy! I's so sorry to hear about your difficulties with Copaxone. Please do use Shared Solutions as a resource to help you make your injections go as smoothly as possible. Call them for help as many times as you want to. And also ask them to send the nurse out again to look at your reactions and talk about your technique. When you have the nurse out, show her your bruises and have her feel your lumps. Those nurses usually see many patients who are taking Copaxone over the long term, so he or she would be able to give you the best feedback regarding whether your reactions are typical or not.

I had bruising when I first started, but it wasn't very dark bruising. Sometimes I only noticed it when I inspected my reaction sites in bright light. I'm not sure if you're having the same type of bruising, but mine stopped after a while. Now, I only get bruising if I accidentally hit a blood vessel, which is rare. When that happens, I get dark bruises from the vessel bleeding. It's a totally different type of bruise from the large, light-colored bruises I got when I first started.

I hope the injections gets easier for you, but I would definitely recommend you call SS and get a nurse back out to review your injection sites. Don't feel bad about having the nurse come out again. I had mine out three times in the first four months I was on Copaxone because I wanted to be SURE I was doing things right and I wanted a trained professional to look at my reactions so I could have peace of mind hat they were "normal" reactions.

Best,
Jane

[Lulu54]

That's great news from the optho....  bad news about the copaxone.  I am going to assume that you know all the injection tips of heat and ice and Tucks/witch hazel on the injection site to help with pain and swelling.  But those are more for the lumps that form.  I am trying to remember if I heard conversations about bruises - that is different.

Are you using the autoinjector?  If so, perhaps the settings are wrong (I would guess too shallow, but I'm no medical person.  

Be sure to call the nurse at Shared Solutions to discuss this - I imagine you are quite discouraged.