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Brand Names: Copaxone
Generic Name: Glatiramer acetate

What is Glatiramer acetate? Glatiramer combines the amino acids L-alanine, L-glutamic acid, L-lysine and L-tyrosine. The mixture is similar to myelin basic protein, an important component of the myelin sheath of nerves. Available under the brand name Copaxone, it is used for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

See more information, including instructions, precautions, side effects, and interactions.


Reasons Taken

1685 patients in the community are taking or have taken Glatiramer acetate.

Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Slow my MS progress 1385 82%
Other 95 5%
Stiffness/spasticity 22 1%
General health 15 <1%
Fatigue 11 <1%
disease-related symptoms 9 <1%
Don't know 8 <1%
Bladder problems 7 <1%
Pain 6 <1%
Slow my ALS progress 4 <1%
Brain fog 3 <1%
Depression 3 <1%
Vision 3 <1%
Anxiety 2 <1%
Cognition 2 <1%
Blurry vision 1 <1%
Numbness 1 <1%
Numbness, tingling, pins & needles (paresthesia) 1 <1%
Mood swings 1 <1%
Mobility 1 <1%
Loss of coordination/balance 1 <1%
numbness in left hand 1 <1%

Dosages

Based on the patients currently taking Glatiramer acetate.

Top 10 (Show all)

All (Show Top 10)

  0 mg day 0 day 0 mg none 0 mg week 0.2 mg day 1 g day 1 mg day 1 mL day 1 day 2 mg day 2.8572 mg week 5 mg day 10 mg day 10 mg day 10 mg month 13 mg day 15 mg day 20 mcg day 20 mg day 20 day 20 mg week 22 mg day 25 mg day 30 mg day 40 mg day 44 mg day 50 mg day 60 mg day 81 mg day 100 mg day 120 mg day 200 mg day 250 mg day 300 mg day 400 mg day 1200 mg day
  269 Number of Patients: 269 2 Number of Patients: 2 2 Number of Patients: 2 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 47 Number of Patients: 47 2 Number of Patients: 2 6 Number of Patients: 6 2 Number of Patients: 2 2 Number of Patients: 2 2 Number of Patients: 2 14 Number of Patients: 14 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 848 Number of Patients: 848 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 5 Number of Patients: 5 6 Number of Patients: 6 9 Number of Patients: 9 2 Number of Patients: 2 3 Number of Patients: 3 6 Number of Patients: 6 1 Number of Patients: 1 3 Number of Patients: 3 1 Number of Patients: 1 9 Number of Patients: 9 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1  

Duration

How long current patients have been taking Glatiramer acetate or how long patients were taking Glatiramer acetate before stopping.

Currently taking Glatiramer acetate

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
28
56
95
167
152
300

Stopped taking Glatiramer acetate

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
22
41
62
73
78
115
Why Patients Stopped Taking Glatiramer acetate (multiple reasons could be selected)
Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Did not seem to work 158 39% Did not seem to work: 39%
Side effects too severe 152 38% Side effects too severe: 38%
Doctor's advice 108 27% Doctor's advice: 27%
Other 78 19% Other: 19%
Expense 23 6% Expense: 6%
Personal research 16 4% Personal research: 4%
Not indicated 6 1% Not indicated: 1%
Course of treatment ended 2 0% Course of treatment ended: 0%

Patient Reported Evaluations

Results from 135 patient evaluations. See the overall results and all individual evaluations.

Efficacy (Effect based on reason taken)

Major 17% 21
Moderate 16% 20
Slight 11% 14
None 6% 8
Can't tell 50% 63

Slow my MS progress

Side-effects (as an overall problem)

Severe 6% 8
Moderate 12% 16
Mild 53% 71
None 30% 40

Top reported side-effects include: injection site reaction, lumps, redness

Summary results are based on 135 individual responses. For more information, see overall results for Adherence, Burden and Cost.

Individual Patient Reported Evaluations (2 of 135)

  • BrainStain4
    Flare-up: Moderate
    Sensation: Moderate
    Overall: None
    Cognition: mild
    Vision: moderate
    Speech: none
    Swallowing: none
    Upper limb: none
    Walking: none
    See profile
  • BrainStain4
  • by BrainStain4
    Aug 18, 2008
  • EfficacyCan't tell
  • Side-effectsMild
  • Slow my MS progress
Advice/Tips
Doing the injections manually (rather than using the autoject) results in less site reactions. Read the included information, and make sure you are aware of the symptoms of the "reaction" that some experience immediately after injecting. It can be really scary when it happens if you don't know what it is. It happened to me once, after being on Copaxone for over 1.5 years.

  • JesswithMS
    Sensation: Moderate
    Overall: Moderate
    Cognition: moderate
    Vision: moderate
    Speech: moderate
    Swallowing: moderate
    Upper limb: moderate
    Walking: moderate
    See profile
  • JesswithMS
  • by JesswithMS
    Feb 10, 2005
  • EfficacyModerate
  • Side-effectsMild
  • Slow my MS progress
Advice/Tips
Ice down your injection site to help with the redness. I also found that self injecting prevented the welts I would get from the autoinjector.

See all evaluation results for Glatiramer acetate



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