Just injected myself...apparently into a vein or an artery.

Ohmygosh! It's only been a couple of minutes and I already have a HUGE bruise forming, and I had to actually clean up a bunch of blood. (sorry if that's TMI)

I didnt have a cotton ball ready. Is it cold water that cleans up blood stains on flannel sheets?

I just cant believe how fast it got nasty. It's the first time I've had it happen that way. I've come back with blood before, but never like this.

Now I feel like I've been shot in the leg with a pellet gun at close range. Owwie owwie owwie!

Now I feel sick.

<long dramatic angst-filled pause>

Someone told me once that if I were to ever have THE reaction to Copaxone, that I would know it immediately. Well, it wasnt quite immediately (about 3 minutes)

If anyone here taking C has ever had the reaction, does it make you feel like you want to be ill, and then start making you feel sore in various parts of your body, other than the injection site. Kinda like muscles in other parts of your body tensing up a bit?

oh geeze, that scared the crap out of me...and I think I scared my boyfriend too. (was talking to him on Skype at the time)

I'm all shaky now. I think I'll go ask my dad (a nurse) if I should be worried.

and, geeze, that bruise is getting big, I hope I dont end up with an abcess.

No, "THE" reaction is called a "postinjection reaction", and "characterized by flushing or chest tightness with heart palpitations, anxiety and difficulty breathing immediately after using COPAXONE"

Cherie

I did have anxiety and felt breathless...was pretty shaky too. I've never had that happen after giving myself a shot before. I felt like I was going to throw up too.

Maybe it might not have been THE reaction, it could have been just injecting into the vein and not feeling all that great from that. My dad said that judging from where I injected, and how quickly the blood was coming out of the injection site, he thought it was possible I hit a large vein. I felt pretty horrible for awhile after that.

This morning I've got a nasty headache that wont go away. Not sure if it has anything to do with last night's shot. Probably doesnt, I seem to get headaches like this a couple of times a week every few weeks. I havent had one for awhile, so it's probably just time for me to get a bad headache.

Too bad about the shot site hit Erin. When I was on Beta and Copax, I would do that occasionally and it hurt like a sob...first time it scared me and boy! did it leave a huge bruise!

I never did have "the" IPIR reaction to Copax but I did stop using it b/c of the severe fatigue I suffered while on it.

I hope you feel better soon!

Awww Erin
What a terrible experience you had. I've been on Avx, Copax and have done that a couple times. Owie Kablowie! Have ya tried ice for the bruise?

Hope you're better now. Just wantin ya to know you're not alone.

Oh yeah, I've got about 6 icepacks in my freezer (parents bought a lot when my mom had knee surgeries) I got one of the big ice packs out and laid on top of it on my side. I ended up having to put a bandaid on the injection site because it still wanted to bleed. The ice helped with that.

I think the ice helped keep the bruise from getting too nasty. But, my dad said that the bruise might take a day or two to end up looking icky. Oh well, war wounds from the C I guess.

Precisely why I chose to take Avonex.

One shot a week, intramuscular, and my wife did it alternating shoulders. Never had any site injection problems. Side effects of the med were pretty bad for two day of flu symptoms. Bummer!

That's why I chose Copaxone. I might have to get a shot every day, but no flu symptoms.

I'd rather bleed from injection sites and get the occasional bruise rather than have flu symptoms.

Hopefully your A is working on you, and hopefully my C is working for me.

I cant wait for the day they come up with something in pill form.

How's the bruise?

Surprisingly not too bad. It's only red and blue right now...hasnt turned the icky shades of green, purple and yellow yet.

Hurts a bit tho, but not like I thought it was going to. I got worse bruises roller skating into walls (on purpose...I was a strange child) when I was a kid at the skating rink every saturday.

I miss roller skating. My ankles cant handle that activity any more. (ruptured an achilles tendon in 2001) I dont like the in-line skates they have nowadays anyways. Still miss roller skating tho. I have dreams that I'm roller skating sometimes. That was the only athletic activity I was ever good at when I was younger.