PatientsLikeMe ™

MS
Skip over navigation
Join Now (It's free!)

Already a member? Log in

Share your real-world treatment experience
with patients just like you.
Select a community
MS
Find out more about the PatientsLikeMe
MS Community

See More Treatments

See all treatments in the PatientsLikeMe system shared by patients just like you.


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

1808 patients in the community are taking or have taken Glatiramer acetate.

Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Slow my MS progress 1460 80%
Other 92 5%
Stiffness/spasticity 22 1%
General health 19 1%
Fatigue 11 <1%
disease-related symptoms 9 <1%
Don't know 8 <1%
Pain 7 <1%
Bladder problems 7 <1%
Vision 4 <1%
Depression 3 <1%
Brain fog 3 <1%
Cognition 2 <1%
MS 2 <1%
Anxiety 2 <1%
Numbness, tingling, pins & needles (paresthesia) 1 <1%
Loss of coordination/balance 1 <1%
Numbness 1 <1%
numbness in left hand 1 <1%
Mood swings 1 <1%
Blurry vision 1 <1%
weakness in left losing use 1 <1%
Mobility 1 <1%
Support another treatment 1 <1%

Dosages

Based on the patients currently taking Glatiramer acetate.

Top 10 (Show all)

All (Show Top 10)

  0 mg Daily 0 Daily 20 mg As needed 20 mg Daily 20 mg Weekly 1 mL Weekly 0.2 mg Daily 1 g Daily 1 mg Daily 1 mL Daily 1 Daily 2 mg Daily 20 mg Weekly 5 mg Daily 10 mg Daily 10 mg Monthly 20 mg 13 mg Daily 15 mg Daily 20 mcg Daily 20 mg Daily 20 Daily 20 mg Weekly 22 mg Daily 25 mg Daily 30 mg Daily 40 mg Daily 44 mg Daily 50 mg Daily 60 mg Daily 81 mg Daily 100 mg Daily 120 mg Daily 200 mg Daily 250 mg Daily 300 mg Daily 1200 mg Daily
  263 Number of Patients: 263 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 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 44 Number of Patients: 44 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 13 Number of Patients: 13 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 1 Number of Patients: 1 943 Number of Patients: 943 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 6 Number of Patients: 6 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  

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
79
88
171
159
310

Stopped taking Glatiramer acetate

0-1 month 1-3 months 3-6 months 6 months-1year 1-2 years 2 years or more
23
45
66
84
86
126
Why Patients Stopped Taking Glatiramer acetate (multiple reasons could be selected)
Reason # Patients Percentage of patients
Did not seem to work 176 39% Did not seem to work: 39%
Side effects too severe 162 36% Side effects too severe: 36%
Doctor's advice 122 27% Doctor's advice: 27%
Other 85 19% Other: 19%
Expense 27 6% Expense: 6%
Personal research 20 4% Personal research: 4%
Not indicated 7 2% Not indicated: 2%
Course of treatment ended 3 1% Course of treatment ended: 1%

Patient Reported Evaluations

Results from 181 patient evaluations. See the overall results and all individual evaluations.

Efficacy (Effect based on reason taken)

Major 17% 28
Moderate 17% 28
Slight 11% 18
None 7% 11
Can't tell 50% 84

Slow my MS progress

Side-effects (as an overall problem)

Severe 7% 13
Moderate 12% 21
Mild 53% 96
None 28% 51

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

Summary results are based on 181 individual responses. For more information, see overall results for Adherence, Burden and Cost.

Individual Patient Reported Evaluations (2 of 181)

  • BrainStain4
    Sex: F
    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
    Sex: F
    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



Back to top