Dej, I had to stop the Copaxone too. Too many unwanted, unprovoked by me problems, and internal infections. A few Neuro's tried to tell me to keep trying it, sure--it wasn't their body being torn to pieces and miserable.

Then the GYN dr. got involved, and major yeastie beasties took over my body. 6 months and many medication tries to fix the Copaxone problems to no avail.

Finally GYN dr. gave up and he sent me to an Oncologist, to be sure, due to swelling and an untreatable infection, even thrush. The Oncologist was a scientist with his own staff and medical team, with testing right there in his lab/hospital.

He said after a few visits, looks and testing, he would try an oral shot gun of drug treatments all at once, and that it was the Copaxone that caused all my troubles. He had no big Pharma gain, so he was not reluctant to say that the Copaxone was my problem. He studied the "C" drug upon my first visit. It's chemcial make-up and structure.

I took his shot-gun, last try medication, after many months of other doctors medication, from Neuro, PCP, to my GYN dr.

So when the Oncologist tested all fluids under microscope and took biopsy of many skin areas, in and out, he made a medication combo, and it cured the problem with no side effects to me in two to three days. (yippee)

He said stop the "C", it is your problem. I wanted to kiss him on the last visit. I was so miserable and sick prior to seeing him. It wasn't cancer, just what "C" did to me over 3 1/2 years on it. Even the insert says it doesn't know how the "C" works, but people wanted a MS drug. I did too, after the Avonex flu.

Now maybe others don't have problems with it, or don't know it is involved with some of their other problems. Who knows, if it works or not? 32 percent is not worth my body becoming full body septic.

I just was very happy to stop the day he said, STOP the "C". I never looked bad or regretted it. This was not even counting the site reactions that made me not be able to wear anything but loose pants and tops and be in pain with redness and huge swellings of the skin. I took pictures and showed the doctors, redness, swelling and the huge hives, I had still, at the two week old sites.

My Neuro said he had a few people with the same problems I had. Duh! Why didn't you mention that before to me? He is not my Neuro anymore. My new Neuro of three years understands and agrees.

This is just my story. Many people on "C" or the interferons are afraid to stop for fear of progression. I had this MS disease since symptoms in 1978, that drs could see, to my dx in 1981. Long before any DMD's were around, like Tom said too.

Perhaps these drugs cause more problems than we realize, and the side effects we go through are self inflicted by taking these expensive shots.

I think everyone should be their own advocate and make their own decisions, the Neuro's don't take these shots, don't have MS, so they can really only guide us, not tell us what to do, unless it is an emergency situation.

Stepping down off the soap box now.
{{{{{ Dej }}}}}}