Jewels, I don't want to scare you off Copaxone either, and so please remember that I'm not really an ideal candidate for Copaxone because I have SPMS and because I'm so old and have had MS for so long (30+ years). They just don't know much about what Copaxone does to people like me, and there's been no evidence that it helps someone with SPMS.

But, like others, I wanted at least to give it a try. I took it without missing a shot for nearly 3 years.

Some of the side-effects began to get bad. "Bowel urgency" was the one that ended Copaxone for me. Spending a large part of nearly every day in the bathroom isn't my idea of "quality of life," though I might have put up with it if I believed Copaxone was helping me.

Now after a month without Copaxone I'm gradually feeling better--and my arms are starting to look like arms again.

The usual site reactions do subside for most people after a few months. They did for me, except for the arms to some extent.

And I never had even a hint of an IPIR.