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I just started my first injection of MS medication Copaxone(40mg) 3x a week besides the steriods. Is there anything I should be aware of or look out for. Like extreme fatigue. I did my arm and it is still sore! I will try stomach next time.....
I was on it for a few months and only had site reactions. Would get hives at injection site and knots. But they would go down after a few days. There is a thing called IPIR (immediate post injection reaction) some people get where you may feel heart palpitations and chest discomfort. Your Shared Solutions nurse should be able to explain if they haven't already. I never had it, but was glad to know about it so I wouldn't panic if it happened. I don't think it's really common, but they did mention it to me as a possibility.
@A MyMSTeam Member - I started Copaxone about 2-3 months ago. I have benign heart arrhythmia so deal with palpitations and chest pains anyways - so really don't know if it is the Copaxone or my arrhythmia. I have been on Avonex, Rebif, and Tecfidera - - Tecfidera was technically the most tolerable of those three, although I had a good measure of itching and flushing (about 2 years). Later Tecfidera cause a complete lack of appetite, so had to stop it. Avonex caused seizures and severe pain (5 years). Rebif wasn't too bad, but I looked like I had large mosquito bites all the time and the site reactions began not to disappear even after a week and the injections began to be more painful over time (about 3 years). Would have tolerated Rebif a bit longer, but insurance wouldn't cover it, which is when I switched to Tecfidera. I've been told that Copaxone is the safest one and actually, it has been the mildest for me in terms of side effects.
Just know that the chest pains and palpitations can happen any time, not just immediately after injections. I just stopped taking Copaxone, after about 1 1/2 years, because of these side effects. Anybody know of another, relatively mild drug I can try?
I don't do cop action, do beta. But as far shots go it pretty much the same. I do shots in my stomach and butt or hip. I skip my arms. They are too thin. I keep a calendar of each shot and put ice on the spot about 10 to 15 min, before shot. I have had site reactions, Just skip that area for about a month.
I am doing them with out the autoinject. I was dreading the injections almost having a panic attack before giving them. And I don't get the welts now and it does not hurt. You should try that @A MyMSTeam Member
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