I am now an official Copaxone user!
 

I took my first shot tonight....!

I was NOT expecting that much itching or that much pain from the itching! I hope that gets better like yesterday!!!

The itching only lasted about 1/2 hour....the site is still a little little little bit sore!

(And the worst thing about all this!? I didn't get properly trained!! Whoops! I got tired of waiting on the nurse and I already was a pro with Rebif and Avonex! AM I going to be in trouble now???)

Naw, you aren't going to get into too much trouble. :D The itching should subside in a few days, or you could pre-medicate with benadryl before the shot. Welcome to the club! :D

Congrats! Before you know it you'll be a pro at it. Typing on NT to your board buds while shooting. LOL. Well, maybe not that good.

Glad you are doing well. It gets easier with time.

Don't worry about the training. You've heard my story on that one. I learned 2 things - 1) Don't let your brother (or any family member) train you to give yourself a shot and 2) let the medicine warm up before you inject, cold meds hurt more. LOL.

(OK, my brother meant well and really did a good job considering there were 3 kids under the age of 4 running around going wild, dinner on the stove, phone ringing, etc.) Bless his heart. So he forgot the warm it up 1st part. LOL:D

Get some Benadryl cream to put on the injection site after you do the shot. It'll help with the itching.

I have to disagree with Polar Express about icing it tho. My C nurse (and the people at Shared Solutions, and the pharmacy that sends me the C) has told me to put ice on the site for a little while after you do the injection.

I'm getting used to the pain, but I havent gotten used to the itch. But, it's only been about 6 months so far. I'm hoping that goes away eventually.

Oh yeah, make sure you get an extra autoject (if you're using one) My first one broke about 2 months ago, and my spare autoject has decided that it doesnt want to inject the entire syringe any more. So, tomorrow, I'll either have my dad inject me (he's a nurse), or I'm going to have to wait until I can get a new autoject. (this will allow the sore spots to heal at least if I wait to get a new autoject)

I'd have asked for a new autoject before now, but they always call me at the butt crack of dawn when I'm not awake yet to tell me that I need a new box of C. (I've been 3 months behind since I started because the stupid nurse didnt bother to call or come teach me for about 2 1/2 months after the Rx was given to me)


I'm always too groggy from sleep to tell them I need an injector and a new Sharps container.

Yeah, I remember those first weeks of shots: they itched and burned like the dickens! I agree, it gets better in time.

Not to put a damper on anything, but I went off Copaxone about 5 weeks ago. I feel so much more alive now! It slowed me down mentally and physically. I ached a lot too. Just some things to be aware of. Someone else said they felt worse going off Copaxone, so it might just be me.

Anyway, congrats to you, Robin, for taking charge and getting started. Good for you! :)

Oh, are you using the AutoJect? I found I experienced fewer unpleasant side-effects once I self-injected.

HEY Robin .. now we can do our shots together as we quilt!!

now - you were told:

1 - about the same time everyday ... AND

2 - do a different area each time .. and rotate:

this is my schedule I keep on a calendar .. I know the day now by the shot - will be 10 months on C already!

SUNDAY - LEFT ARM :: LA
MONDAY - RIGHT THIGH :: RT
TUESDAY - RIGHT ARM :: RA
WEDNESDAY - LEFT STOMACHE (LEFT OF BB) :: LS
THURSDAY - INTERCHANGE :: ONE WEEK RIGHT BACKSIDE HIP/ LEFT BACKSIDE HIP :: RH // LH
FRIDAY - LEFT THIGH :: LT
SATURDAY - RIGHT STOMACHE (RIGHT OF BB) :: RS

believe it or not .. the stomache is the less painful .. after you swipe the area down with pad ... hold the glass needle in your hand and count to 60 (so that it dries!! if it don't .. it WILL burn) ... and by holding it - it'll warm up .. I take mine out each day before I take a shower .. then - take my shower ... then shot ... it's all routine now.

email or call if you have questions my quilting buddy!! :hug:

OH .. and don't shoot by any scars (like appendix or c-section scars etc) ... and if you use the autoject ... turn it down to 4 when you do your legs - and the swelling and redness will go away .. it may itch/burn because the area wasn't dry enough before you stuck yourself ...

P.S. I LOVE COPAX ... and after 6 months on it - had my follow=up MRI - and the neurologist was happy to say that there are no NEW lesions ... so keep doing what I'm doing ...

Icing helped me...
 

Wish it was frosting (like on a cake!)

When I used C - I would ice after (I got a child's ice pack - small and covered in terry cloth - it was PERFECT) - also Shared Solutions sent me several ice packs too - small - which is good.

I iced after I did the shot - and it helped with the burning and pain.

As for the itching - shared solutions said I could rub or massage it but only 24 hours AFTER the shot was given.... I think you can use benadryl or cortisone cream right away. But you should check with them.

Good luck.

~Keri

I wish you luck Robin.

Copaxone didn't work for me, but then I'm just one of the unlucky ones who had reactions to all of the DMDs

I do wish you all the best.

Please keep us informed as to how you get on. :hug:

Ohhhhh! And don't use your arms for injections. They hurt too much afterwards...trust me!

Hey Robin. Hope Copaxone works for you. It does get better with time:hug:

You guys are great! I appreciate all of your advice!

Thanks!

The weird kind of soreness left in my sleep...so I'm up and thinking about tonight's itch attack! I'm really not looking forward to that!

I called Shared Solutions and told them I went ahead, I was tired of waiting on a nurse and they seemed to think that was humorous...maybe they'll get me one out here soon!

I at least watched that little DVD so I knew not to rub it....man did I want to! Rebif, you can rub all you want!!! LOL

Rochelle, I hope you are an oddball with feeling better not taking the shots!

I will call SS and ask about the Benadryl creme, that makes sense! Thanks Guys!

At least ya didn't get that weird breathing thing that some get. I hope it works for you girl! Jim's beta nurse never showed up either and they never sent the auto inject. Pee pee on them, we got it down just fine. lol

Hey, how come we haven't talked on the phone lately? I think a three way call with Becky is in order. Pronto! I am having southern talk withdrawl.

I have the autoinject, but I swear it looks like something from outerspace!!! I have manually injected that Avonex long enough that that little old needle on the Copaxone didn't look too scary!

Agreed, phone call in order!

I agree, after Avonex anyone can manually inject! :p

Ok, I will speak to Becky or you tell me when it's good to call.

I had three boxes of C in my refrigerator before the nurse even called me.

I'm finally getting all caught up on the backlog of those three boxes. I guess SS actually listened to me when I told them to not call me for a few weeks.

I need to call them because both of my autojects quit working. One, the spring snapped and you can hear it rattle inside...the other one, I think the spring is about to snap because it's not injecting the syringe totally. Last night after it stopped halfway. I took the syringe out of the autoject and squirted it into the sink to see how much was left. Almost half the syringe!

Oh, Birdie,

I was so hoping you would sail right on through the Copaxone since you did so well on Avonex. It's probably just going to take while but you are such a pro with all your injection experience. I would think the autoinject would hurt.

I sure don't jab my Avonex shot. I learned from you the slower, the better.:)

I don't know what Sandy means about southern accents, do you? She is the one with the Chi town accent. LOL:)

Becky:)

:)That's great bird that you've jumped on the C train. I've been on C for 4 months and I pray to GOD that this drug works for me too.

Shot number two was in my thigh....I used the 45 degree method, since I'm not really huge in that area! I was waiting on the bee sting effect....only really surprised - this time it down right HURT!!! The pain even effected my walk! I was stunned!! Again, the whole worst of it probably lasted 30 minutes, but I was really shocked!

And I have a little bruise from shot number one on my tummy!

This morning I am fine again...this Copaxone is going to take getting used to!

Thanks for your kind words everyone!

Kristi, has the bee sting gone away by now? I hope???!!!

I'm on my way to the doctor's office about my thyroid, again. I'll talk to you guys later!

Did you inject too quickly? or into a muscle?

My second shot with the autoject, I was just a bit too far down on my leg and injected into a muscle or something that you shouldnt inject into...my leg did not like that at all. I sat and cried because it hurt a LOT!

Hey,Bird the bee sting feeling I still get it sorry to say,I would say it's a little better now then in the beginning so that's good. OMG, I hate doing my shot in my thighs it hurts more and I've hit a couple of veins there :eek: in fact this morning was right thigh day and it took me forever to do it LOL. My stomach,hips don't bother me really at all,my arms sometimes bother me,but my thighs are the worst. I too have gotten small bruises on my stomach.

I am a s l o w injector! and piercer!

I don't think I hit muscle, but when the nurse shows up I'll let her check my thighs and see if maybe that was the problem!

Tonight, I'll have hubby do my top of my butt! I'm not looking forward to it!

LOL. I read this as "I'm looking forward to it!" and I thought, "Oh, Lord! Calm yourself girl."

That is my 2nd to least favorite spot only because it is hard to twist, pinch an inch, and inject.

Good luck tonight!

Hey guys!

Number three shot was top of but....hubby did it....it did hurt....but NOTHING like the leg and I think it was more tolerable than my tummy pain/itch!!!

I decided to try all the spots without intervention first to see what they all do....

So far all reactions seem to go away by 30 minutes....

I do have a bruise already from the butt (and if anyone dares to suggest I hit a muscle...clamp it up! I am well endowed in that area!!!! :D)

Copaxone two weeks so far - rotation today and yesterday thighs - lower down towards my knee hurt yesterday and got good lump - did it further up on thigh today without autoinjector and it was fine - injection in tummy hurts - not an option - upper arms and butt okay - get a spot of blood almost every time - only lumps are on my thighs - rest of me unlumped and unbruised - am well endowed in all subject areas -

Ok...number 4 shot....to the arm...compliments of hubby, manually... hurt like the dickens at first, calming down a bit faster than all the others...

Let me share with you a conversation with a SS nurse and myself today!

Nurse "How are your injections going?"
bird - all details of above lots of laughter
Nurse "I'm sure you hit a muscle on your leg and your tummy (since it bruised)"
bird - "I'm not so sure about my leg, but believe me I know fat on my tummy when I see it!!!" LOL
Nurse - "have you tried a warm compress before the shots?"
bird - ""Nope, I'm going to do each area first, so I can see what areas really feel like."
Nurse - silence
bird " I'm a gluton for punishment, aren't I?" LOL
Nurse - LOL "yes" LOL

But it is less than 7 hours since I spoke to her and I am changing my mind.... warm compress FIRST from now on!! I'm tired of the pain!!!

I love KarenMarie's documentation of her shots!

Karen, are you using the warm compress? Have the reactions already started to subside?

Hey,Bird
I've never have used a warm compress before I don't think:Hum:, I just wipe with the alcohol cloth let it dry and then shoot and then after the shot I use a cold washcloth on the site for a few minutes and then I put aloe vera gel on the injection site I think it helps alittle bit.

Twinkie's going to have to make a video of that one!!! LOL

As far as shots go and advice....all our bodies are a little bit different! Plus the more ideas there are, if one doesn't work, you just go on and try the next!!!