What is Copaxone, and what is it used for?
Copaxone is a prescription medicine that is used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease, and active secondary progressive disease, in adults.
It is not known if Copaxone is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.
Who should not use Copaxone?
- Do not use Copaxone if you are allergic to glatiramer acetate, mannitol or any of the ingredients in Copaxone.
What are the side effects of Copaxone?
Common side effects of Copaxone include:
- injection site reactions (e.g., pain, redness, soreness, itching, swelling, or a hard lump),
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- chills,
- joint aches,
- body aches,
- neck pain,
- back pain,
- double vision,
- headache,
- increased urge to urinate,
- weakness,
- runny nose,
- swelling in your hands or feet,
- vaginal itching or discharge,
- fever,
- chills,
- flu symptoms,
- sore throat, or
- white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips.
Immediately after injection with Copaxone, you may experience:
- flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling),
- chest pain,
- fast heartbeat,
- anxiety,
- shortness of breath, or
- itching.
These symptoms usually disappear quickly and usually do not require treatment. Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Copaxone including:
- dizziness,
- fainting,
- infection (such as fever, persistent sore throat),
- mental/mood changes (such as depression),
- severe pain at the injection site,
- shakiness (tremor), or
- vision problems.
What is the dosage of Copaxone?
Copaxone is for subcutaneous use only. Do not administer intravenously. The dosing schedule depends on the product strength that is selected. The recommended doses are:
- Copaxone 20 mg per mL: administer once per day or
- Copaxone 40 mg per mL: administer three times per week and at least 48 hours apart
- Copaxone 20 mg per mL and Copaxone 40 mg per mL are not interchangeable.
What drugs interact with Copaxone?
Interactions between Copaxone and other drugs have not been fully evaluated. Results from existing clinical trials do not suggest any significant interactions of Copaxone with therapies commonly used in MS patients, including the concurrent use of corticosteroids for up to 28 days. Copaxone has not been formally evaluated in combination with interferon beta.
Is Copaxone safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Before you use Copaxone, tell your doctor if you:
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Copaxone will harm your unborn baby.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Copaxone passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby while using Copaxone.