For three and a half years on Copaxone I had a reaction no bigger than a quarter and it disappeared in ten minutes. No problems, ever.

I stopped for two years.

I went on it again in July 2007. This is the reaction that occurred, in the picture of my legs. My arms, my hips and all sites for 14 shots. My Neuro sent me to Allergist, Immunologists, Vascular specialist, Rheumatologist, Dermatologist, every OLOGIST she could send me to.

No one knew why this happened. They all tested it. I did take some allergy meds and used some cream from the skin doctor. It finally went away.

I called TEVA Pharma who transferred me to their direct drug manufacturer Pharmacy plant. I spoke to their Pharmacist for Copaxone. They told me they changed the Mannitol, it is made now from corn-sugar alcohol, from China.

I am allergic to corn. I was injecting a substance that I had a known allergy to.

No one ever said, or wrote, on the Copaxone label or insert, what the Mannitol was made from. They just say, if you are allergic to Copaxone or Mannitol, then don't use this product. They don't say what is in the Mannitol.

I think it was made from beets, or pomegranates originally, but don't hold me to that. She didn't know what they used in prior years. She just had the formula for this year 2007/8.

I haven't been on it since that July, but went to so many doctors. I thought it would be a piece of cake like it was before.

So if you are not allergic to corn or Mannitol in it's many forms (Google it) then you should not have any problem of bad reactions with it. Sometimes the drug in fine and the filler is the problem.

Or in this case the Mannitol was the drug for the method of action used. I believe it shrinks the epithelial cells to improve drug delivery across epithelial barriers. It opens the blood-brain barrier to allow Copaxone to enter. JMO and thoughts on this matter.

I felt the drug work originally in about 5 months. It slowed my 4 a year relapses to 2 a year. Then it stopped working for me as it should, and allowed an opportunist infection to get through it's surveillance system. I had to stop the "C" and deal with that one. in 2006.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Lady (being candid)