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Copaxone and How to do shots with Autoject?

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    Copaxone and How to do shots with Autoject?

    I'm a newbie to Copaxone having started three weeks ago. I'm using the autoject (not good with needles at all). The Copaxone nurse who came out to train me suggested setting the autoject at 6 and that's what I've used everywhere. The site she trained me on injecting was my right arm (I'm right handed) and didn't discuss any other sites.

    At first, my site reactions were the stinging and some pain within a couple minutes of injecting that depending on the site would last up to about 2 hours. Everything disappeared by morning.

    Yesterday morning I woke up with red marks, hot to touch and a bruised feeling to touch for the three prior night's sites (arm, stomach and thigh). Today all are reduced except the arm from two nights ago which is now itching. I inject at night, use the alcohol swab but wait until it dries to inject. Calls to Shared Solutions are worthless because all they seem to do is quote the results of studies.

    I have questions about injecting to reduce these side effects. Should I be using different autoject settings at different sites? If so, what would you recommend? I am average size for a 49 yo. I can pinch a bit on my stomach and have larger thighs, but not huge. My arms have something to inject into, but are not huge either.

    My second question is, when you do the injections with autoject, should you pinch the skin where you can and inject? If so, when do you let go pinching and does it help?

    #2
    wow!

    Woodstock, It sounds like you got a really bad nurse, so sorry! I would call SS and ask for them to send another nurse for training!

    No pinching with autoject. They should have gave you a guide with it, read it!! If you have x" of skin to pinch, use x setting, etc.

    I'm now 3 months in and learned certain areas (inside thighs, soft skin under arm near elbow, etc.) will cause that raised, hot, red, sore spot for several days...I just move around those and find the tougher skin areas, but follow the guide and rotations.

    Good luck!!
    Prob MS 9-14-04; Dx PPMS 9-16-11; RRMS 12-15-11
    Ampyra 10mg 2xday
    Copaxone 1/20/12

    Comment


      #3
      Hi woodstock,

      I was on Copaxone for about 2 years (am currently taking Tysabri). I know that it is probably different for you, but in general I would make the autoject inject more shallow in areas where there was little fat (backs of the arms primarily for me). It just hurt like crazy if I would inject too deeply and hit the muscle.

      Also, I know that it probably freaks you out (it did for me at first!), but I found that doing the injections myself rather than with the Autoject actually helped lessen some of the pain and site reactions. I still used the Autoject for the back of my arms since I couldn't really twist around that way. Is trying to do it yourself just out of the question for you?

      Hope that you get things figured out

      Comment


        #4
        I agree with jbell -- the nurse should have at least given you some guidelines for the autoject depth setting. My nurse actually pinched each of the zones herself and gave me numbers to try. And you don't pinch using the autoject.

        My skin is apparently pretty thin (if you know what I mean ), because I ended up settling on numbers 1-2 lower than her suggestions. If you're willing to experiment, try subtracting 1 for a week and see how it goes...

        Mostly because it's faster, I manually inject in my stomach & thighs (because for manual you do pinch & need 2 hands), and I've had to adjust the angle a bit for that, too.
        1st sx 11/26/09; Copaxone from 12/1/11 to 7/13/18
        NOT ALL SX ARE MS!

        Comment


          #5
          I am surprised they did not talk to you about changing the depth depending on where you are injecting, and how much fat is there...i myself do my stomach at an 8...and a 6..on my arms....the way the shared solutions nurse explained it to me was that if you can pinch more than 2 inches of fat, go with a higher number....and where there is less fat, go with a lower number...can you call shared solutions and ask to have a nurse come and help you out!!!!

          Can you have someone help you to manually inject? I know you said that needles scare you, (i used to faint at the sight of them before this) BUT for me it GREATLY reduces the stinging because it is not quickly administered when you are doing it manually.....I still use the autoject when i dont think i can do it but it is definitely something worth checking out.....Shared Solutions has a gripper that helps with manual injections too. if you ask they will send it

          Comment


            #6
            No one mentioned this, but I learned a lot from a video on Copaxone that Shared Solutions sent me. It was so long, it took 3 nights to get through all the chapters.

            It was sort of sales pitchy, but they explained a LOT and I may even watch it again to review shot technique and placement, etc.

            You should call for another round of training. A thorough session with a nurse would give you a lot more confidence.
            Dx: 2/3/12. 6-8 lesions right medulla/cervical spine. GLATIRAMER ACETATE 40 mg 1/19, medical marijuana 1/18. Modafinil 7/18, Women's multivitamin, Caltrate + D3, Iron, Vitamin C, Super B Complex, Probiotics, Magnesium, Biotin.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by LisaL77 View Post
              No one mentioned this, but I learned a lot from a video on Copaxone that Shared Solutions sent me. It was so long, it took 3 nights to get through all the chapters.

              It was sort of sales pitchy, but they explained a LOT and I may even watch it again to review shot technique and placement, etc.

              You should call for another round of training. A thorough session with a nurse would give you a lot more confidence.
              Before I started on the Copaxone, I heard about the video and called Shared Solutions. They said they were out of them. Another reason why I'm not too pleased with their services.

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