No! No! No! To Copaxone

Like the Amy Winehouse song..."No No No to Rehab", I am singing "No No No to Copaxone." It happen again last night, this time it forced me to the emergency room. Immediately after my injection my heart and chest felt tighten to the point I could not breath and became dizzy. I start itching like a heroin addict looking for a fix and my body broke out into hives. As much as I hate calling 911 for an ambulance to rush me to the hospital, last night was no time to be hating.

By the time they arrived, I was still struggling for air, itching like mad, and my blood pressure was off the charts. The EMT's were great they hooked me to some oxygen, put the IV in with one stick, shot me with some benadryl and rushed me to the hospital. I felt that I was dying...I obviously survived because I would not be writing this post.

After hours in the ER hooked to the machines while oxygen flowed through my nose and a shot of Medrol I pulled through. I do not care how rare this reaction one can have being on Copaxone is, I am through with Copaxone. I trusted my doctor the first time I had an IPIR reaction and she said, "Its so rare and random you will probably not experience it again. Copaxone is working so well for you I do not think you should stop taking it". Hell, the second time came less than six months from the first time and it was worse.

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me...No! No! No! to Copaxone

It is time for me to do research on the other disease modifying drugs except Avonex (been there done that). I have a feeling when I talk to her later today and she have me come in she will suggest Tysabri. Personally, I am not feeling Tysabri and I do not know enough about Rebif and Betaseron. I do know I want to continue to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis, so I have no choice put to select another disease-modifying drug.

I get so frustrated with MS and its unpredictability; I damn sure did not think my evening would end with an ER visit. I had romantic plans after receiving some unexpected roses and a beautiful card from my better half. Well, all is good now...if any of you have insight on Tysabri, Rebif, or Betaseron enlighten me. I still plan to research the drug, but it would be nice to know how it has been for any of you who are taking one of the three I have to choose from.

UPDATE

I was too chicken sh*t to try Tysabri and I did not want to go through the motion of taking Rebif or Betaseron. Therefore, I went back on Copaxone in May 2008. Hopefully, I will not have another IPIR.