Question:
I started taking Copaxone this week after my 2nd MS attack. First attack was "numb fingers" in Nov 2001, easy to pass of as "something else" but this year got the classic "Optic Neuritis" attack in May 2005 - hard to "hide" in denial after this one! Long and short of it, the docs have me started on Copaxone, a much better choice than interferons as my natural tendency towards depression might send me over the edge (of the local high enough bridge, that is). I started taking Copaxone daily injections Tuesday. Wednesday afternoon, my friend notices the same thing I had earlier that day - an ugly, bulbous varicose vein (not a spider vein, but a bulging raised vein) in the middle of the calf muscle, and a smaller bulge just a bit further down the leg. I didnt notice this before this week. Additionally, there is a slight discomfort/pain associated with it, so I wonder, "did I get this after I started injecting Copaxone?" Or had it been there and not been noticed before? I think its new, especially on account of the funny "pinching" feeling Im getting occasionally throughout the day in my leg, reminding me of the "new addition" on my leg. I read that varicose veins are an "infrequent" cardiovascular side effect. Has anyone else noticed varicose veins as a side effect of taking Copaxone?

Answer: -Vericose veins take months, or years, to develop. I doubt it could be caused by something so recent. -Which begs the question of whether it is something else entirely or if Copaxone could possibly speed that process up phenomenally...I don't know much of anything about varicose veins though... Shared Solutions, in my experience, is VERY willing to answer these kinds of questions if you give them a call at 8.800.887.8100. They even have on-call nurses that will call you back if you leave a message after-hours. -Not me. But I hadn't had them before. I have been doing copaxone for over 5 years now, the only side effect, I am still walking.Well, I do occasionally get the nasty injection site reaction, but I am not going to worry about it.