Betaseron v. Copaxone

By KristinaYellow Friday, September 17, 2010

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I've been on Copaxone since early this year when I was finally diagnosed. Now I've been having some serious fatigue problems, dizziness/fainting, and terrible reactions to the shot (the flush/nausea/hard to breath stuff) plus some painful shots. So my doc wants me to try Betaseron thinking it'll be easier. Here's the catch--I'm a stay at home mom to a very active toddler and I am very concerned about the side effects of the other meds. I choose Copaxone since it was supposed to be the least terrible side effects and now it looks like I'm having problems with it. Any advice? Anyone else have this problem with Copaxone? I'm also concerned since I have some problems already with my marriage and the stress of being ill isn't helping--if I get worse, which apparently on this med can make depression and/or suicidal thoughts horrible, I'm not sure what to do. And of course, to boot, I have chronic daily migraines and one of the side effects of Betaseron is terrible headaches. Sigh--what do I do? I'm trying to get into the MS center here but looks like that will be at least a few months--and even then, I don't know what to do in the meantime. I'm on Keppra for the dizzy/fainting (I had an abnormal EEG) and that's making the fatigue worse.... I guess I just am looking for someone out there to help me find some answers. The sucky part of MS is that it's not one answer or one cure or one treatement--it's all different for everyone. I'm just lost.

IV Solumedral...nasty taste tip

Comments (8) | Add comment

momdukes

9/18/10 3:26pm

Hi Kristinia, this ia momdukes, I am now on Rebief 3 times a week because I get it free because I no longer have insurance, so for that I am very grafeful. But before when I did have inbsurance I was on Betasearone and I perfer it hands down. That is just my opinion. I did not have any side effect with it now with the Rebief I only experienced the flu like symptoms for maybe a day or so nothing else so it was not that bad. But when I start getting my SSI I am going to start back on the Betaserone again, I like it better. I hope this helps.

sherry/smomdukes

KristinaYellow

9/23/10 9:39pm

Thanks for letting me know that you didn't have any side effects--that is my main concern about the Betaseron. Copaxone had barely any (minus the immediate shot reaction that only last about an hour or so and it happened rarely at first and then got worse the past month or so) which was great. With a toddler to chase around, I can't be sick with flu-like symptoms every other day! :(

CrisR17

9/23/10 7:38am

Hello there. Firstly, well done! You have a young child and you've just kept going. I can only imagine the looking after of someone else, when i struggle to look after myself!

I was on Copaxone for about 18 months. The injections started to get very painful and was getting me down.

I have now been on Rebif for 3 months. The fluey symptons are fairly mild (I am only on 1/2 the dose) after a month or so. I did start getting migraines and take Migralieve at the onset (Fantastic stuff!!) I am fatigued a lot of the time, but the injections are far less painful and more importantly, only 3 days a week (usually Mon, Wed, Fri - or to suit you).

I hope that helps a little. Keep going, your doing well. Good luck

KristinaYellow

9/23/10 9:42pm

The migraines are definitely worrisome to me--most of the preventative or migraine targeting drugs don't work for me and since I already deal with daily migraines, I can't imagine getting more. At this rate, I'm already on so much pain killer that it's ridiculous. Sigh. I just wish that the Copaxone reaction would stop--the daily shots weren't bad after the first month and I wasn't getting any worse other than the fatigue and such. And I do wonder if maybe that was just the Keppra or if I was starting to have seizures or something. UGh. I hate having to be the one taking charge and figuring things out--isn't that why they went to med school?????

CrisR17

9/24/10 4:52am

Hi. So sorry to hear you are so poorly. I'm not sure the copaxone is the sole cause of your fatigue. Fatigue is very common in all MS patients, regardless of and DMDs they may or may not be taking. I have always suffered from it, still do, and i stopped the copaxone 4 months ago. Have you tried 'Modafinil' or 'Amitriptyline'?

I really hope you fine some relief soon. Keep in touch.

Cris17

Big Al

9/23/10 9:12pm

Dear Kristina: I have had MS for 35 yrs and my wife has had it for over 50 years. Back then the best doctors could offer was "Take an aspirin and call me in the morning." I was on Avonex for several years but gave it up for same reason as you are having. I was wiped out all the next day after shot. My doctor then changed me to Copaxone, which has no (none) (nada) side effects. I love it. Shot is only like a mosquito bite. Only trouble is I have no fatty place to take it. So Dr. said to take it every OTHER day so I do that. No problems. Have to establish a routine. Have you checked side effects of Keppra? Maybe that is the problem? I don`t know. Hang in there. Life is NOT over.

KristinaYellow

9/23/10 9:38pm

Wish my doc had given me the option of every other day--I have very little fatty areas too so that was making it worse. I'm really not happy about having to do Betaseron, mostly because of the side effects. I thought the Copaxone was doing ok other than the immediate shot reaction of feeling like my lung was collapsing, nausea, and getting really really hot. Sigh. Wish that the meds weren't as bad as the disease! LOL

Mary Anne Nagy

9/27/10 10:37pm

Kristina - be good to yourself and take pride in caring for your toddler and working on your marriage in the midst of coping with a chronic disease.

Pre-diagnosis, I suffered with fatigue my whole life, but after a concussion five years ago, it became unbearable and took me out of the workforce. Can't really work when you're asleep 18 hours at a shot.

When I was finally diagnosed with MS in 2008, I started Copaxone and never really had any trouble with it - zero problems at all. But it does nothing to cure fatigue and I had to attack that in different ways. I wonder if some of your reactions are due to other meds - just not sure. You're right - they went to med school, I didn't!

Two months ago, my doc suggested I switch to Betaseron, simply because I was having worsening cognitive problems and he thought Betaseron was better for cog issues. I gave it my best try. I already suffer from depression and with each dose my depression was becoming frighteningly life changing. After 6 weeks when I'd titrated up to the full dose, I finally call my neuro and said I just can't do it anymore. The depression (which led me to consider hospitalization at least twice) was way too much to handle, the flu like symptoms weren't horrible, but I never really felt "well," and I had bad site reactions flaring up with red splotches surrounding them, leaving me with few injection sites I could find. He told me to stop and that I could restart Copaxone. That was two weeks ago and I feel so so much better.

But that's just my experience with the two drugs. Some people (especially younger people) seem to do just fine on the interferons - I simply didn't and I'm older (55). Your experience on the med may be totally different and without problems - I hope so.

Just wanted to let you know my experience with it and wish you the best.

Betaseron v. Copaxone

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