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Bad local reaction on 40mg

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    Bad local reaction on 40mg

    Hi, I haven't posted in a very long time. I was diagnosed on October 30, 2002 and have been on Copaxone since December 2002, recently switched to 40 mg 3x/week in February. For the most part, my MS is under control and life goes on pretty normal, so I don't come to the boards often. Believe me, I am very thankful and consider myself very fortunate.

    Just wondering if anyone has had an infection at an injection site and what it was like. I had a really weird reaction.

    To summarize, after injecting my hip I had a large area of redness spread across my hip about the size of my hand. A few days later, it became very painful, it was red as well as black & blue and there was a lump. Talked to SS nurse, iced it, reported to MS clinic nurse.

    About 2 weeks after the injection, I went to an urgent care clinic - it was Saturday and the pain seemed to be a bit worse and the area was still red and warm. There was still a good sized lump under the skin, that area looked a bit white under the redness. The doctor didn't think it was infected since the red area wasn't round, it's shaped very irregular. He did prescribe me Keflex, an antibiotic, just in case.

    I started the Keflex on Monday. I really didn't want to, but the area was still red, warm and there was still some pain. Tonight, I notice the skin is peeling and the area is itchy, the pain is gone unless I press on certain spots and it's still red and warm. I take a shower and afterward, I rub the area a bit trying to both gently scratch the area and remove some of the peeling skin. As I rub it, an area the size of a quarter just tears open. I put antibiotic ointment on it and bandaged it.

    Now I'm just really freaked out about this, and grossed out as well. I'm not a medical professional, but to me, red, warm, pain, sounds like an infection. My mother looked at it and she said it looked infected as well, and pushed me to see the doctor. Anyone else have anything like this happen?

    Now, I'm not sure who to contact, I guess I'll call Shared Solutions again and the MS clinic. Since I'm on an antibiotic, I don't think I need to worry too much about the open wound getting infected.
    Dx'd : 10/30/2002
    Started Copaxone 12/16/2002
    Currently on Rituxan

    #2
    I would go ASAP to your primary, urgent care or even the ER/ It definitely sounds like an infection, possibly the start of necrosis, which can be serious.

    Of course, I'm not a doc, either, but to me it sounds like something you need to have seen ASAP.

    Comment


      #3
      Yes, I would get to a doctor

      I hope this all works out for you. Call Shared Solutions as well. Please let us know what they have to say.

      Comment


        #4
        I spoke to a nurse at the MS clinic and told her what was happening. She said it's good that I'm on antibiotics and let them know if it happens at another injection site, the 40 mg dose may be too strong for me.

        I did tell her, in general, I'm noticing larger welts on the 40 mg and she said that is what patients are reporting.

        She didn't really tell me to do anything about the raw open area. She just said I did the right thing having it looked at.
        Dx'd : 10/30/2002
        Started Copaxone 12/16/2002
        Currently on Rituxan

        Comment


          #5
          Has the red raw open area

          improved at all? Someone should actually look at it.

          Comment


            #6
            It doesn't look too bad, it does appear to be starting to form a scab around the edges.

            The pain seems to be gone as well, just some itching every once in a while. Of course the open area is tender. I did apply antibiotic ointment and bandaged after my shower again today.

            I am keeping an eye on it. I think if I need to have it looked at, I'd prefer to see my dermatologist or his assistant. My neuro is about an hour away and my primary doc may still be on vacation. At the first sign of it worsening I will have a doctor look at it, even if I have to go back to urgent care or the e/r.
            Dx'd : 10/30/2002
            Started Copaxone 12/16/2002
            Currently on Rituxan

            Comment


              #7
              Glad to hear

              it looks better! Hope all continues to go well!

              Comment


                #8
                That was happening to me on the 20mg dose. I was getting 6 inch welts that lasted up to 3 weeks. While rotating injection sites I would have to avoid areas that were still inflamed. One the phone the nurse was encouraging me to continue shooting and things would calm down. This went on for a few months. When my neurologist finally saw the welts she immediately removed me from the medicine.

                Since you are injecting a greater volume of Copaxone it is even more important to follow all the rules.
                • You may have to inject deeper to prevent pooling at the skins surface. Ensure the area is completely dry before injecting. Ensure you are holding the injection upright when removing the cap to prevent a medication bubble outside the needle. If you are injecting manually try to slow down the injection rate.
                • Do you use cold/heat prior to or after the injection? If not, try warming the area for about 5 minutes prior to injecting and cold for 2 minutes after the injection. Some people respond better to cold or heat so you'll need to experiment.
                • Some people have done well using Preparation-H and Benadryl spray to control swelling and reactions, but that is not normally suggest by Shared Solutions.


                I really hope the area heals and you have no repeat incidents. Please keep us informed.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Marco

                  Can you explain what a "medication bubble outside the needle" is? How are you suppose to hold the auto-ject to prevent this? Thanks

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I think Marco means to prevent any medication from leaking out of the needle before you inject. Copaxone is a skin irritant, so you want to avoid it contacting your skin surface. After loading the autoject, I make sure the cap is pointing up before I pull it off to make sure no medication leaks out.

                    I did have a shared solutions nurse out back in October and she went over my autoject settings and said they were fine. I generally don't bother with heat or cold, before or after injecting. After 11+ years of doing this, I'm used to the discomfort and lazy, so I just suck it up and go to bed. I did take a shower right before injecting this time, which is unusual for me. I also may have had the autoject angled, instead of strait on and didn't realize, not sure.

                    I am going to see the dermatologist tomorrow morning and have him look at the area, just to be safe. I'd rather he see it to make sure it doesn't need any additional treatment.
                    Dx'd : 10/30/2002
                    Started Copaxone 12/16/2002
                    Currently on Rituxan

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Dermatologist said it looks okay, it just needs to heal.
                      Dx'd : 10/30/2002
                      Started Copaxone 12/16/2002
                      Currently on Rituxan

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Lynnada View Post
                        I think Marco means to prevent any medication from leaking out of the needle before you inject. Copaxone is a skin irritant, so you want to avoid it contacting your skin surface. After loading the autoject, I make sure the cap is pointing up before I pull it off to make sure no medication leaks out.
                        Lynnada said it much better than me.

                        Comment

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