So sorry you are having the pain in the thighs! Me too. I have been on the lovely drug for 8 years now and after a year of crying and pain I gave up the thighs altogether. Now I just inject the belly (where I am totally numb anyway) and arse and every so often my arms (but the marks and lumps it leaves causes me not to inject the arms too much as no sleeveless - how vain, I know). I heard that the oral form of Copaxone (Liquinomod) is coming out 1st quarter 2011 so hopefully that will work for me and I can stop shooting so to speak. As for the lumps and bumps, unfortunately they are yours forever (a quiet reminder of the disease, as if you really needed one), at least they have been for me. But, on the bright side, many years ago there were NO drugs for this dreadful monster so I guess we should be grateful for something. Good luck and happy shooting!

I know giving the injections in the thighs are very painful at times. Usually when it's time for me to inject in my thighs I try to find a little bit of a fatty patch of skin like a little towards the inner thigh. Also you may want to set your auto inject to a lower setting like I do when I have to inject there, that way it's not as painful. My Dr. says you can also get a weeks worth of injections and put them in their travel case that they provide for free. This way they'll be warm when you inject. If you don't have a travel case call Shared Solutions (makers of Copaxone)and ask for the travel kit if you don't have one. According to my Dr. you can keep them out for 30 days if need to like if you're going on a trip and they will still be safe to use. I hope this helps you out a little.

Shannon

Thanks for the comments! I do take out five injections at a time so that I don't have to wait for them to warm to room temperature. I've tried both the deeper and more shallow injections--deeper works best for me. Inner thigh--the closer I get to the inner thigh, the greater the pain. I think that the most painful injections I've taken have been the thighs. Everyone is different, though. When I do the thighs I really dread the shot. As pointed out, however, I should feel lucky that there is some type of treatment! Sometimes I forget about how I have been Blessed in so many ways.

Do the bumps really last forever? I just started getting some of these.

I inject my arms (actually my husband does the arms and hips as I can't see these injection sites) and I'm not concerned about the marks it leaves (although I don't like them) because since getting M.S., for some reason, I now scar very easily and both of my arms bear many scars from plain old mosquito bites! I've used the scar removal cream w/o success.

Thanks again for the comments; I appreciate them! I do have the travel kit. Some people might not know about this though so it is good that you mentioned it.

When I was on Copaxone I had to change the setting on the autoinjector to a lighter setting for my legs. It also helped to put ice on the area prior to the injection. Make sure you inject into a fatter area on your leg. I had to stop copaxone due to the pits where I injected (everywhere) (It is due to the loss of fat). And if all else fails call the doctor. Hope this helps.

this might help when your ready to take the shot make sure you take it where it is showed on the directions I have learned that if you shoot it to close to your muscles it wil go into them and that hurts and the pain lasted about 2 days the best thing to do if you have any questions call shared solutions at 1-800-887-8100 these people are good and will help ease the pain good luck and take care...

I am new to copaxone also and yes my shots hurt in the thighs with red welts. after 24 hrs u can massage the welts and they do go away for the most part. I am ok with it hurting and itching b/c I know it is only for a little while!! thankfully!! I was on rebif and I had flu like symptoms for over a year... it was so depressing. I am glad to have something else to try. and have few side effects so far. I hope you do well on it and hang in there !! Sounds like you are doing everything right! rotate sites too!!!

Wow... First, I am NOT an autoinjector... I'm old school and just jab myself. After over 8 years on betaseron with open sores everywhere I gave shot, Copaxone is really a dream with very few side effects for me... I'm been on it over 11 months now, and love it! It has helped with my terrible neuropathy in my feet and they are basically pain free now...

One thigh shot on betaseron left me with a 4 inch scar after I had surgery to clean out the infection (it ate the tissue under my skin--that's when I finally quit it!). So thigh shots are not my fav. My MS nurse (who also has MS and it one Copaxone) showed me to take the thigh shot very high up on my thigh (either front or back, but someone else has to give it in the back--I'm a lone "shotter" in my house so I do the fronts). Most of the time, I can't even FEEL the shot going into the top of my thigh which is great!

My set pattern of shots goes like this: Left thigh Right thigh, L hip R hip, stomach, R arm L arm, then repeat... I alway feel for no lump for shot spot, and arms--I make sure I lift my arm to figure out where it continues to wave (looking for the loosest skin)--those I often don't feel either. I take a shower after my evening shot, start with cold water, switch to warm, and that usually brings the spot back to normal...

Hope this helps you darling!!! xoxoxo Cj (Cindyjo)

That was supposed to be "My MS nurse who has MS is also on Copaxone" so she is a pro... LOL xo Cj

I'm on Tysabri now for 8-9 months and still have knots in my belly from copaxone. It never got better for me. That's one of the resons I switched. I was building up to much scar tissue under the skin. I hope you get it worked out !!
Hugs,
CC

Thanks everyone! The loss of fat that Debbie mentioned...that's interesting because the lumps just started appearing when I started losing weight. I wonder if there is a correlation? I see my neuro. again in August so will be sure to ask him.

Thanks so much to all of you for the responses--I really appreciate all of the feedback. I love this site.

I was on Copaxone for a year, and the most painful shot site for me was the arms, and I have lumps all up and down the backs of my arms, even now after 3 yrs. I couldn't shoot in my belly: for some reason it was unbearably painful. In the end I could only do my thighs and my butt, and in my butt it never hurt at all. I asked my neuro if I could just shoot in my butt, but he said no. It stopped working for me, anyway, though, so I went to Avonex, and then ended up on Tysabri.

i enjoyed reading all your comments. i do the hot pack first; then the ice pack. but when it hurts, it hurts. i was so glad to read a bout the thighs cause i was having pain there too. i started sittig down and putting my leg out straight on the floor. with the muscle relaxed it is a little better--and i have a lot of extra fat.

i hate this disease--hate it---but we have a med at least.

my best to you all.

lorrie

The stomach area is the easiest for me--probably because there is the most fat there. The butt is also not as painful as the thighs and arms.

I shoot on both sides of my stomach giving me 8 total areas. I asked my neuro. if it was okay to do this and he said it was fine.

I started treatment with Avonex, but had to switch to Copaxone when after a year the Avonex side effects not only did not get better, but actually got worse.

Eloise,
I,ve been on copaxone for about a year, Currently my least fav spot is the stomach. It was the thighs until I talked to my shared sol nurse . She reccomended setting the autoject to 4 and using the side of the thigh. It has deeper fat befor you reach the muscle. I used to get large painful welts when i did the tops. No more!!!