It stands for Immediate Post Injection Reaction. There's a reaction to Copax that hits about 16% of those on it (per the SS nurse I talked to yesterday, used to be quoted at 1%). Happens within the first few moments of taking the injection, so is literally right after the med is taken.

For me, I first feel like someone just punched me in the gut. Then there's shortness of breath, flushing, tightness in chest, heartbeat increases. Lasts about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool washcloth on back of neck helps a lot. Not laying down makes breathing easier. Having been through it so many times, everyone's surprised at how calm I am when I call. Little do they know it's because I learned the hard way that freaking out makes it ten times worse.

Hope this answered your question a little. My doc advises to take a day off from the shot, so today is a shot free day for me. I'll start up again tomorrow.

Well, it's offical. I'm gonna choose another treatment. Had another IPIR this morn. Less than a week from the last one.

Now to get researching....

Awww...Fin, I'm sorry. Those IPIR's just knock the wind right out of you. I hope you can find something that works for you. Maybe take a few weeks off to give your body a break.

My appointment with him is at the end of the month, so I'm weighing the pros and cons of other treatments. A part of me wants to try Rebif, but will have to talk with him in detail (or convince him) when I see him.

This one was particularly a bad one. I guess my bod is telling me it doesn't like copax anymore. I was pretty stable on it too.

Just glad we do have a choice of switching to something else.

Pretty much got to this point myself as well, and then decided that I can't attribute my 'being stable' to Copaxone at the end of the day.

Controlling every aspect of my life that I can, diet, exercise, lowering stress.... all that helps.

Does a drug with a 30% success rate (is that the current quoted %?) help? My thinking... it may. But for the price you pay is it worth it? For me, not so much.

I've heard a lot of good things about Ty, good luck with what you choose