my first Copaxone shot today

[Morwen of Dor-lomen]

OUCH!!!:mad: I must be a major wussy!

I used to come here a few years ago and read alot , it took me 5 years to get dx, but , dang, I don't remember anyone saying how owie the shots were.

Ugh! Maybe I'll get used to it.

The nurse said on fair skinned people it does seem to hurt more and I am prolly a direct descendant of Casper the Ghost.

[Jules A]

Hi and congratulations!

Yes you will get used to the stinging feeling. I have found that some spots hurt a bit more than others. I try to do the fatter parts and skip the skinnier ones.

[Morwen of Dor-lomen]

Thanks Jules, I sort of thought that maybe the fatter parts wouldn't hurt as much.

I started on my thigh and that's prolly the least fatty part of me...I should have started on my blobby belly pooch.:D

[agate]

I just started Copaxone too, and I've had 6 shots so far. The first one was in the upper arm and caused a somewhat sore lump that lasted over a week. None of the other sites have been bad in any way at all except for a bit of tingling and burning for about half an hour.

I'm going to have to do the other arm next because that's the only site I haven't done so far. I'm expecting it to be like the first shot--causing a large lump--but if that's all that happens, I'm one lucky duck because Avonex made me feel rotten for a day or two afterwards.

The nurse who instructed me with the first shot recommended either ice or heat before or after the shot if the pain or itching or burning is too much to stand. She also stressed not rubbing the lump until 24 hours after the shot. Then she said you can gently massage the lump to help the medicine spread itself around.

[newone]

afterwards. I get site reactions also, the worse are my arms and then my thighs. What needle depth are you using? Try taking an antihistamine as well to reduce the reaction. Good Luck!

[GardeningMSer]

Until your body is "familiar" (best word I can come up with) with C, the shots are going to TINGLE. I categorized my first shot as similar to the sting from an unhappy 6' long yellow jacket, for my first several months I had to get on my exercycle and work hard in order to distract me from the pain.

The good news is that the reaction goes away with time. I believe the shared solutions folks now recommend warming the area with a warm compress for a minute or two before shooting, whether this reduces the sting I can't say, the main goal is reducing site reactions.

Good luck.

[Morwen of Dor-lomen]

Oh, thanks so much everyone.

The nurse that visited me, told me to ice first, that helped alot and then I iced after and it didn't hurt as bad.

But the back of my head hurts and I feel a little light headed .

I'm not sure if that is stress though since I messed up with the autoinjector and forgot to take the darned cap off and wrecked a shot!!!

I think I may just ditch the autoinjector and just do it manually.

newone, the needle depth is 6 ... does that matter so much? I mean what if I do it on my own without the autoinjector and just stick the needle all the way in?

Thanks, Agate and Gardening MSer , for telling me the sting will reduce.

[newone]

The nurse who instructed me changed the needle depth to 8 since I had a reaction (quite a large welt on my stomach). She said I wouldn't have as severe a reaction if I injected deeper. I still get welts on my thighs, sometimes. Check with your nurse/instructor and see what they say about changing the depth.
I use the auto-ject and have on a couple of occasions forgot to take the end piece off as well when I first started. What a waste of money! I'm far from being a pro - I've been using Copaxone for just 7 months.
Good luck!
PS I've come a long way - I thought I'd never be able to get myself a shot!

[Jmak]

It will get better. I set my autoject at 5 for places that aren't so fat. I don't do my arms anymore because they always hurt too much. I do the sides of my thighs rather than the tops and the sides of my hips too.

Teva told me not to ice before a shot because it makes it tougher for the medicine to push through, and also to apply heat afterward to reduce lumps. You can request a heat pack from them. I haven't tried it yet though.

You can get a topical cream by perscription to numb the area before a shot. It takes about a half an hour to work though and it was too much trouble for me. I forget what it was called.
Good luck,
Jean

[agate]

Jean, would it be Emla cream?

I've seen it mentioned often but haven't tried it.

[Morwen of Dor-lomen]

I guess the fattiest parts hurt less, I just did my 'pooch' area on my stomach and it doesn't hurt much, just a slight sting.

I had a headache yesterday and nausea after my shot so I called shared solutions to see if it was a side effect but the nurse said it's probably anxiety from my hubby being out of town for work and being newly dx and having to give myself a shot .....

so they are going to send me a hot pack and cold pack and she also said they will replace the shot that I wasted free of charge and they are also going to send me another autoinjector to have as a spare.

It's amazing, I went from being ignored and treated like a hypochondriac by my old neuro and going without a dx for 5 years to compassion and such service and a new neuro that actually listens to me and does a full clinical exam....I feel like a queen :D

I'm starting to get a little less freaked out about giving myself the shot since it seems to be hurting less and less.

I wonder if it would be easier to just manually inject though.

I'm more nervous about missing a step with the autoinjector than I am afraid of the needle.

I guess it helps with the depth though.

Jean, thanks for mentioning that cream though, if I continue to have issues on my thighs, I will get it.

[Tweeker]

Hi Morwen of Dor-lomen

As I’ve mentioned before, the autoinject thingy isn’t for me. Don’t know why, but I get creeped out by the suddenness of the “click.” As to shooting an arm: no way soufflé! That still fricken hurts.

What I do – and this is merely my personal preference – is to manually inject in my thighs alternately. Of course I also attempt to try to inject at alternate thigh locations.

No medical professional with whom I’ve spoken recommends or condones my injection strategy. All I know is that it’s worked for me for nearly seven years.

Good luck,

Tweeker

[Morwen of Dor-lomen]

Tweeker, thanks for sharing your experience with me , it's good to hear from someone whose been on Copaxone for so long.

Tomorrow is my fifth shot and it will be my left hip area and then friday and saturday will be alternating my arms...ugh everyone seems to say they hurt, but I have to try it once I guess.

The autoinjector kinda freaks me out a little since I can't see the needle and am a control freak.

But I'm still scared , I think I will probably ditch the autoinjector...I don't know it's all still so new to me.