Copaxone and vitamin d3

Hi,

I have been taking Copaxone now for two weeks and everything seems to be going OK. Physically, I cannot complain. However, I am getting some side effects; getting really hot, confusion, irritability, fatigue and slight nausea. Has anybody else had these side-effects? They are definitely not symptoms of MS. I have had the over heating side effect before and I know that this is from having too much vit d3 in my system. I have been taking 5000 iu for two years.

The question I want to ask is; does Copaxone elevate the levels of vitamin d3 in the body? I was looking at the symptoms of vit d3 toxicity and these include confusion, irritability, fatigue and nausea, so I am going to assume it does. I have already reduced my intake from 5000 iu to 1000 iu and I will be stopping from tomorrow and see how it goes.

So, I was just wondering if anyone on Copaxone have had these symptoms when taking with vitamin d3?

Thanks,

Adrian

hi adrian

my neuro who put me on copaxone is a strong advocate for vit D3.

get your blood tested and specifically ask for your vit D level to be checked.

carole x

also check the leaflet that comes with copaxone for possible side effects.

I’m curious why you feel the D3 is responsible for the “overheating” problem. This is a well known MS symptom. Tina x

Hi,

Thanks for your replies. Tina, I’m pretty sure that the over heating is due to the vit d3 supplement. At one point I was taking 10,000 iu, I started getting really hot. I read somewhere that vit d3 excess can cause this and it went away when I reduced my dose to 5000 iu. I know that Rebif causes an increase in vit d3, so I was just wondering if Copaxone is similar.

I will get my levels checked out. Do you have the address for the company that does that?

Thanks,

Adrian x

hi adrian

your gp should arrange for you to see the phlebotomist who will take your blood.

the results will get back to your gp within several days.

carole x

Thanks Carole. x

You need vitamin d and calcium. They should ask for both anyway and maybe parathyroid hormone x

My GP said they didn’t test for it! Guess I will be going it alone. lol

Hi,

I have been on Copaxone for 4 weeks and for the first 3 weeks I had a feeling of nausea after the injection. This has now passed.

I do not take any vitamin d3 supplements.

Marcie

Adrian,

l have my d3 test done every 6months. City Assays Vitamin D3 Test. Google them - lts a postal service - and is just a ‘blood spot’ test -so very easy to do. They will email your results. l take 20.000ius daily throughout the cooler months - and 10.000ius during the summer. My levels have never gone above 98nmols. Been taken a vitamin d3 supplement for over 6yrs. To begin with my levels were 10. l do not take dmds as l have SPMS. l think l will wait now for a once a year test as l have maintained this level for some time.

When l asked the ‘neuro’ for a d3 test - he said there was no such test!! Then eventually l did get the GP to arrange a blood test - but the results were not very comprehensive as they seemed to have added together d2 and d3. Also, there idea of a ‘normal result’ was way below current thinking. The same with B12.

thanks. I will get it done. I seem to go through this phase starting at about two o’clock where I am away with the fairies (not in that way ) and then about an hour later I get quite angsty and then I get really tired. Maybe it is just the side-effects of Copaxone. I will get my d3 tested anyway. Thanks for you replies. Really appreciated. x