Hi Ellen, when you say hives are you breaking out all over? If so you need to call doc right away. I have been on C for a year no hives. I do get the welts after each shot. Also some of the old shot areas itch right after I take my new shot but I usually just put Benadryl cream on those.

I have allergic reaction also from copaxone also. I have quit taking it as my injections sites would swell to the size of a softball and get hot and itchy and be very painful,,,,like when I have hives.
I am waiting to see my neuro about this one myself...but can not take the shot because it take about 7 to 10 days for them to start to go down.
Hugz
Morgaine
ps benidryl and Zyrtec didn't help me either

Hi Ellen,
I've been on copaxone for yrs... no hives, but did get the 'lump' or welts. The lumps would never get the size of a softball.

I had an allergic reaction to Copaxone also. Hives initially and then I actually had an anaphalatic(sp?) reaction. Very scary. Call your doc right away if you don't think that the hives are environmental in some way like you rolled in the grass or jumped in leaves. Especially if benadryl isn't working. Your neuro needs to know. Hang in there. Hope you feel better soon.:)

HI ELLEN,
I WAS ON IT FOR 3 MONTHS AND THATS WHEN I HAD A VERY BAD REACTION, I COULD NOT BREATH WELL FOR ASMOST 25 MINTUES, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED,
THE NURSE SAYS THIS HAPPENS AFTER 3 OR 4 MONTHS ON IT. NOW I TAKE NO SHOTS WHAT SO EVER.
I FEEL GREAT. GOOD LUCK KITT

I'm reading your replies to Copaxone. I've been on Co. for almost 4 yrs. now without a problem. 2 1/2 weeks ago, I started with hives also. Either half of my top lip swells to 3x's the size and welts over the rest of my body, sometimes just my bottom lip swells, sometimes just the rash on my body.
I've been using the same box of Co. I'm just wondering after reading that your rashes and hives seem to have started around the same time, it could be a bad batch of Co.?
Very, very rarely do I get any reaction to Co. anymore. Only if I inject in a hurry or something & I'm not watching what I'm doing.

Hi! I'm bumping this topic because I started to have hives and I blamed it on the Copaxone. The original post is 4 years old and I was wondering if anyone is having this problem now. I am still open to the idea that I might be allergic to something else, but I do worry that it might be Copaxone. This is not just injection site swelling or itching. am taking Allegra right now to control the hives, but I don't think this is a long term solution. I fear having to change medication. Has anyone ever had to thange their MS med because of an allergic reaction? I did talk to my doctor and he suggested stopping injections for 2 weeks which I did but the itching did not subside during that time. Sorry if I'm not being specific but I'm just trying to understand what may be happening and see if anyone has a similar experience. Are you still on Copaxone or did you switch meds or will this go away?

Yes, I started C and 10 days later, after a few days of getting hives, I stopped it on my own. Contacting my neuro was useless, as he didn't call me right back. When you are getting hives on the outside of your body, hives are going haywire inside your body. When I reported my reaction to my new neuro, he said it was an allergic reaction, but was surprised that it took 10 days to develop. He assumed that an allergic reaction would have started right fom the beginning of taking C, not 10 days later. However, he switched me to Avonex. Now I'm on Tysabri. Stop taking the medication until you speak with your neuro. Like I said, hives on the outside, hives on the inside. What damage is being done? Could the hives turn worse? Yes, so stop taking it and reach your doctor. Even if you have to wait a week or so, it will not harm you to go without therapy for that long.

Hi ellen76,
It's me, SharonMom. I read your post and I understand how you feel. I am also into my 3rd month of taking copaxone. And while I have not gotten hives, after my daily shot, the area does get red and itchy, like a mosquito bite. I just put up with this because that and the other side effects are much less than they were with rebif, which I was on. I am not nearly as stiff as I used to be, and the shots hurt less. So, I just put up with the mosquito bite reactions. At least we all have each other for support with our M.S. in this group. Take care my friend!

TO Huanani,

I was never on Copaxone, but I saw a couple of people on it who had big welts where their injections sites were. They were like bee stings.

But if you are having any allergic reactions, I would say that you might have to stop.

I had an extreme allergic reaction to Tysabri. Within minutes of the injection, I got hives all over my body and they sent me to the ER. The infusion was stopped, the hives went away and I NEVER went on Tysabri again. The hives were gone in a couple of hours.

If it has been 2 weeks and the itching has not subsided, then maybe you are allergic to something else as well. I am now allergic to red meat and pork and get the hives from those as well.

If it doesn't go away, you may need to see an allergic to find out what the cause is. I always thought that allergies were part of my MS. Allergies run in my family. And these drugs we take can aggravate them.

I meant to say an allergist. Sorry for the typo, part of MS!!