Hi Everyone,

I've been on copaxone for 3 weeks now - and it seems that 9 times out of 10, I bleed when I shoot up. (tee hee - how often do you get to say that you shoot up and you're not a junkie?!)

Okay - back to seriousness -

By bleeding, I mean more than just a drop or two....sometimes it's more than that. Also, I was used to the "welts" that can form from the copax - as I used to take it back in Jan/Feb. However, this go around, I end up with huge black and blue marks! I have one on my thigh from two weeks ago - and at its biggest, it was over 1inch by 1inch!

I look before I take the shot - and try my best to miss any veins....I'm not sure what else to do. I use an ice pack after the shot. I use the autoject - and there is NO way I can inject manually - I can not even fathom it!

Yes, I will try to call Shared Solutions tomorrow to check this out - but being that they don't actually use the med - sometimes better info comes from here!

So - any suggestions? Ideas?

Thx,

Keri

Hrm. It seems that I have 1 or 2 tiny drops of blood at most when I inject my Copaxone. I've been on it since mid to end of May of this year.

I always inject manually however. I'm tempted to try the autoinjector for a bit, just to see the difference in site reactions after.

In any event, I'd contact Shared Solutions and ask about the bleeding. Maybe a nurse can come out and watch your technique. Since you're using the AI, perhaps the setting in some areas needs to be adjusted.

Where on your thigh are you injecting?

I bleed when I inject too far back, or too far over from my thigh.

It actually happens to me more often now that I inject manually, probably because I'm actually trying to spread out the areas that are getting injected. Looking for areas that I havent already injected a few hundred times.

Also, how deep do you have the injector set for? Maybe you're injecting too deeply and hitting veins?

I bleed when I inject too far, or if I hit a capillary bed. When I hit a cap bed its ALOT of blood. it rolls down my arm, leg, or wherever I poked.

I used to winch and wait for the IPIR as its more likely if you clip a vein, but when it didnt come, I started to not be so panicked over it.

If your using an AI adjust the setting to less. After the injection PUSH straight into the area. DONT RUB! copaxone is a sharp crystal type med, and rubbing it breaks open the crystals. just PUSH firm hard pressure for 15 to 30 seconds. it pushes the meds from the upper layer of fat to the deeper layers. it was a miracle for me.

try ICE before hand. ICE will shrink those blood vessels and make them less of a target. It will also help with pain control. Some times SS says to use heat before, but I always found I bled like crazy.

DONT do it right after a hot shower. or use ICE before hand.

good luck.

Sorry that you've been bleeding so much from your shots Let us know what Shared Solutions says...

I seem only to get bleeders on my thighs if I inject too close to my knee or too far down my leg. I used to get bruises when I had the autoinject too shallow or too deep. I'm helped a little that I have some big freckles by the perfect areas to shoot the copax.

For the hips, I generally make my hand into a fist. I place the heel of my hand on the hip bone, and make sure that where I inject is close to where the knuckles of my fingers land within the injection site they give you for it. If I don't do that, I always get a bleeder there.

I haven't had problems with the other sites yet. Hope SS can give you some more ideas.

I have had bleeding issues too. It does depend on where I inject

My injections tend to bleed more in the hip area. Most of IPIRs occur when I inject my hip also. SO my neuro just said skip that area all together. Just rotate the other sites.

Good tips in the posts... I always learn so much from you guys!

great suggestions.
all i can add is to have that cotton ball ready to put down over the injection site as quickly as possible. no bleeding, no bruising. i agree with the ice.

don't use an alcohol wipe as that just makes bleeding worse.

I always have the cotton ball ready before I take the needle out. I just put the cotton ball right next to the needle, and as I pull it out, I just roll the cotton onto the site.