Starting Copaxone/Glatiramer

[Remy]

Based on some recent reports and this article, I decided to give daily glatiramer (Copaxone) injections a try.

A restoration of interleukin 10 production by peripheral B cells was observed in patients undergoing glatiramer acetate therapy as well as a significant reduction of interleukin 6 production in a subset of patients who received therapy for less than 32 months. Furthermore, proliferation in response to high-dose Cluster of Differentiation 40 Ligand (CD40L) was altered and immunoglobulin production was elevated in in vitro–activated B cells obtained from patients who received glatiramer acetate.
Conclusions and Relevance

Glatiramer acetate therapy remodels the composition of the B-cell compartment and influences cytokine secretion and immunoglobulin production. These data suggest that glatiramer acetate therapy affects several aspects of dysregulated B-cell function in MS that may contribute to the therapeutic mechanisms of glatiramer acetate.

There is also some evidence it elevates immunoglobulins, specifically subclasses 1 and 3, which I am low in and may also inhibit microglial activation.

I started last week and will post anything I notice one way or another here as time goes on!

 

[Remy]

So I can't say that I've noticed anything one way or another yet, but I do have some injection tips.
First of all, if you have ever given yourself a subcutaneous injection, consider throwing out their stupid autoinjector. It takes twice as long and hurts twice as much. There are YouTube Videos showing how to do it without the autoinjector, but it is simple to pull off the cap and inject normally.

The injection itself doesn't hurt, but it starts stinging a few minutes later, sometimes quite intensely, for some period of time afterwards.

Also, it does seem to make a big difference if it is room temperature in terms of how much it hurts. If it's cold, it's painful for 15+ min. At room temperature, it's painful for about 3 and mildly achy for a little longer.

The package instructions say it is good for 30 days at room temperature, so I am not sure why they call for it to be stored in the refrigerator, which for me increases the stinging. Obviously that keeps it much colder than if it sits at room temperature. I ended up taking out a weeks worth and putting those syringes in the cabinet inside. I'll verify this is OK with the pharmacist on refill, but I can't see why it would be an issue.

 

[Remy]

I stopped the trial. After three weeks, I was feeling noticeably more fatigued. Since my baseline is pretty good right now, I have less tolerance for any decline in function at all. It was nothing terrible, just feeling more sluggish than normal.

The shots stung more than I expected as well, and the potential for disfiguring injection site reactions also was a negative for me. If it had worked well, that possibility would be worth it, but not otherwise.

I wouldn't rule out trying it again in the future, if more evidence showed it to be beneficial, but at this early stage, it's a no go for me.

I'm still continuing on with the Vemlidy ARV...this is month 4, I believe.

 

[Farmgirl]

Thanks, Remy. We can learn from you, but be careful! All the best from Farmgirl.

 

[Cort]

I stopped the trial. After three weeks, I was feeling noticeably more fatigued. Since my baseline is pretty good right now, I have less tolerance for any decline in function at all. It was nothing terrible, just feeling more sluggish than normal.

The shots stung more than I expected as well, and the potential for disfiguring injection site reactions also was a negative for me. If it had worked well, that possibility would be worth it, but not otherwise.

I wouldn't rule out trying it again in the future, if more evidence showed it to be beneficial, but at this early stage, it's a no go for me.

I'm still continuing on with the Vemlidy ARV...this is month 4, I believe.

Glad you gave it a shot Remy!