copaxone bruising

I'll start with the bad - I started back on Copaxone and it's been H*LL! When I first used Copaxone it was a breeze, not issues whatsoever. This time the pain from the injections is extreme and I have fist size bruises all over my thighs and tummy! I hate it! The good news is I went to see the Optic Neurologist this week and she is wonderful. I've never met a Doctor who takes such care to make sure I understand everything that is happening to me.

I switched to Rebif from Copaxone about 3 months ago (due to a pretty rough relapse while on the Copaxone, my neuro wanted to switch me to a more aggressive treatment.) I've had muscle aches, redness & bruising at the shot sites, and burning with the shot, but I've been ignoring those because I feel the pros of the medicine far outweigh the discomfort from the shots. I've always bruised pretty easily because I'm very pale-skinned.

I too bruise much easier, and sometimes they are really ugly, and don't hurt, and I can't remember when I would of hit myself.... so, I don't worry to much, I am on Copaxone, and I don't know if that contributes to it.....

I have found the deeper I inject, the less welting I get and/or bruising/itching. The Copaxone nurse at my neuro was who suggested that one. The "Shot" doesn't hurt, it's the medicine that gives the sting. I found that the closer to the top of my skin I inject (4-5) the medicine builds up under the skin and doesn't disperse as quickly. That is what caused my welts/itching. So... the deeper I went, the less welts/bruising I had. Good luck!

I got a call from my neuro a few hours ago. The pulmonologist I I saw yesterday made good on her promise to call and discuss my case with him. They both came up with the idea that the copaxone isn't working as well as they'd like and wants me to consider one of the interferons instead. I am definitely not happy with this news. I'm just now getting used to the copax routine even though the bruises all over my legs, arms, tummy still persist.

I was diagnosed with MS last week. I received my order of Copaxone last night, and have someone coming to show me how to use it in in a couple days. I know the basics on it and understand how it can cause "dimples" if you don't rotate the injection site daily, along with a couple of possible side effects. HOWEVER, I have not heard much from the "source" (those who actually use it).

I started Copaxone in January of this year. I have no side-effects from Copaxone, but do have alot of injection site reactions. I have a lump that itches under the skin, immediately after injection and it itches for days. Going just under the skin isn't too bad, but the itching can drive you crazy. Just like it did for 'ess.' I have found that by NOT using the auto-injector, I have less of an injection site reaction, but still have the lump and itching.

Hello all. I was just diagnosed with RRMS last week and my doc is recommending Copaxone. I've been trying to do my research to the best of my abilities through Google scholar and the various websites out there, but there is so much information it's a little overwhelming. I know many of you have been through this and may even have experience with Copaxone itself.

Thanks for sharing this. It's always good to hear from those having a good experience. Otherwise it is easy to think there is nothing but problems. JEN, thanks for sharing a great idea for the timing of injections. Distraction is a great technique and all of us would be smart to keep it in mind as a help in rough moments. The normal response to pain or unpleasant sensations seems to be to put activity on hold until it passes.

So I'm on my 4th week of Copaxone now. It's not too bad at all. I have some stinging that goes away in 10 minutes or so. But when I do my thighs it always hurts more, I always bleed a little bit and I seem to lose some of the medicine along with the blood. I'm shooting the thighs at a depth of 8 right now. Would decreasing it to 6 help this at all?

Anyone out here using Copaxone? And if so for how long. I think I am going to try it, and was interested in some first hand information. shots, side effects, if you think it is working, etc. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone. Craig gave himself the first Copaxone injection yesterday. He did not use the auto-injector, At the injection site he now has a large dark blue/purple looking bruise. I have read of members getting red welts but has anyone ever bruised from it? We put a call in to the "on call" nurse.

I have recently stopped using Avonex due to side effects and have done a lot of reading on alternatives. My neuro suggested Copaxone or Gilyena. I am leaning toward the Copaxone and am reaching out to you for your experiences with this treatment. 1. Side effects 2. Site reactions 3. Auto injector or not 4. Length of time on the med 5. Injection process (cold or hot packs etc) 6. Do you rotate sites 7. Any other info that may be helpful Thanks!!

I am sorry to hear that Copaxone did not work out for you. I am on Copaxone and notice the lumps too. I did not have the lumps until I started to use the auto-injector, so I have gone back to self-injecting. As to the Avonex or Rebif. These are Interferons and if you have a propencity towards depression, I caution you that you may want to be followed closely if you decide on either of these drugs. They have been known to cause depression in those that are susceptible to depression.

i have been using copaxone for two years now and seem to be getting some , well i call them bumps, under the skin where i inject. the top of my thighs and the back of my arms are real bad. i dont want to wear shorts or short sleeve shirts any more. i am doing the shot wrong? or is this a common side effect ? is this what they refer to as scar tissue build up? i know, lots of questions.

Hi there, Sounds like you may have some bruising going in. Do you use an auto injector? I don't think you need to stop, you just may have to adjust spots or injection technique. Hips and stomach are my best spots, and yes, I do have some soreness too but only once in awhile in my thigh. I only feel it if I push on the spot. So, it doesn't bother me because it's spots that don't get pushed too often. Question for you - are you injecting high in your thigh?

I was on Copaxone for a couple months, but stopped due to severe site reactions. I've been off for a couple months and now I'm nervous about not being on anything. (one mild flare since stopping) I am sort of in denial, but at the same time, I'm doing a great deal of research to see if there are alternative therapies that make sense for me.

I'm curious how long it took for those on Copaxone for the welts and redness to lessen. I've been on Copaxone since June and it seems they are getting worse. The first two or so weeks I did not have much of a problem. Then I started to get large red patches/lumps on my arms. They can run the length of my back arm where I give my shots. Weeks later they started to get large on my legs (the size on my entire hand at times). Eventually they started to get large on my hips and abdomen.

Curious if anyone else has had a post-injection reaction to Copaxone 40 (3x a day injection) .. it was only released by the FDA this year - as opposed to Copaxone 20 (daily) which has been out for 15-20 years. When I switched to 40, I asked about side effects and was told there are no new issues over the 20. It was a no brainer to switch to the 40. I started taking it at the beginning of June.

This was news to me. If Copaxone had said right up front that the IPIR was caused by hitting a blood vessel, I sure would have been more careful about where I injected. I was curious about why the body reacts this way to the medication in the bloodstream, but I haven't found anything. If they know they aren't telling. However, I did find an explanation for the mechanics of the IPIR, and how to avoid it.

I have been on Copaxone for about two weeks now and the only complaint I have is that there is sooo much pain after the shot. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and this makes me want to stop taking it. Does the pain ever stop? cause I don't know how long I can take this.

I guess it was just one of those days when I should have stayed in bed. I get up and my glasses are broken in the case, so I have to put on my contacts - I've been trying to give my eyes a break, but not today. I'm planning on mowing the yard, so I go into the living room to take my injection. For some reason the autoject was really slow, and it took a long time - when it finally injected, I started feeling the reaction come on.

Copaxone bruising

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