Been on Copaxone for just over 3 months now and yesterday I injected in my stomach and just as I put the needle in the sharps bin I felt my head go really tight and I remember saying to my husband oh god I think this is it… next thing I felt my head was going to explode, I could feel my face and chest burning, I couldn’t breathe properly and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of me.
I tried really hard to just sit back, close my eyes and try to breathe as deeply and slowly as I could and thank god after about 20 mins it started to get easier.
My hubby said that it looked like my face had been dipped in red paint and he was upset as he couldn’t do anything for me.
I never expected to get this reaction quite so soon and it is still leaving its mark, I’ve had a really bad headache since and feel very weak and wobbly. Up to bedtime yesterday I could not take a deep breath, you know the sort where you really need to fill your lungs, and I’m still wheezy this morning. It’s also made the “hug” a lot worse and today I can only shuffle around as my legs are so weak like they won’t hold me up.
I’ll talk to my ms nurse today and the connections nurse as they both said they would like to know if this ever occured.
I do wonder though if I actually caused this reaction as I had been doing a small bit of decorating and I’d just finished cleaning a little paint off the floor. I did my injection about five minutes later so wasn’t really relaxed and I also remember that I wasn’t sitting like I normally do when I do my stomach. which is the easiest place for me, so I’m thinking I was so silly to do it under these circumstances and I’m certainly going to learn a lesson from that.
I know that is has been said that this happens when you hit a blood vessel but I’m not so sure of that, there was no blood visible and when I inject into my legs or hips they sometimes pour with blood but there has been no adverse reactions.
Just wondering if anyone else suffered the reaction when they weren’t relaxed enough?
I have yet to experience it,but sorry it made you feel so bad.
The positive thing about you writing what it was like does give me the confidence to sit and ride it out if/when it does occur though so thank you for that.
I notice that if I have been rushing around,or if I’m very hot I can’t get up and carry on straight after the jab if its in my legs as it hurts to much.
As to if it brought the reaction on I doubt it I think its just a random reaction that any of us may face at any time.
Just dont let it freak you out next time you inject,remember you have 3 mnths behind you when it didn’t happen
Hi In a few years I have had this about 7 or 8 times? I can’t find any pattern or common theme so just accept it now. I inject in the morning as I feel I am less hot and bothered then. Only thing is I have to allow extra time in case I am late for anything! I get bored with doing injections occasionally but I just remind myself that without it I might have got much worse. Ill ever know but it is a small price to pay. Take care Chris
Hi Thanks for your replies. Bad news is that it happened again on Monday just six days after the last one!! I really didn’t expect it to happen again so soon. This time I made sure that I was calm and relaxed and I had to do my right leg. It really stung when it went in ( legs are my least favourite place ) and bled quite badly. Yet again within 20 seconds the reaction started, didn’t last quite as long as the first one but still intense. It just makes you feel terrible at the time and for hours afterwards. I’ve got to ring Connections again tomorrow to report it. I’m so dissapointed as I really don’t want to change to the interferons but I guess if this is going to keep happening they may take me off it.
Having only started the Copaxone injections last February, I haven’t had such a bad reaction, the worse being the bleeding (alittle), a big bump if not injected deep enough and once when it went straight into my muscle in my leg which took 4 days to recover from! Lesson learnt from that one.
I do find it hard to have a bit of relaxing pre and post the injection but I suppose health comes first (my excuse to get out of washing the evening dishes)
