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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER AN MS RELAPSE?

Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 3:15 am
by mlkos
It took my neurologist 8 months after my first symptoms, 2 lumbar puncures, endless blood tests and 4 MRIs to dignose me with MS on September 04.
My last and more serious relapse was last August. I was given the IV 5 day shape of cortisone followed by 20 days of tapering.
Its been now close to 4 weeks since my first IV cortisone and a week since I finished with the tapering but the initial symptoms are still there:
Numbness in both hands and right arm-right foot, pain in the waist and spine, torso, dizziness...
I still ride my bike to work, I still work my split shift as a business GM/administrator and I still look forward to the day I shall wake up and.....go!!!
I dont expect to run a marathon but at least to feel some noticealbe improvement.
So far the improvement has been very slow, ie now I can write, I can type with both hands, I can walk short distances without getting dizzy.
Next week I start with interferon B injections.
Can somebody share his/her experiences with me? I know there is not specific recovery time schedule and this depends on each individual but it will be good to have a clue about the recovery time, never mind how short or how long.
Thank you.

Re: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER AN MS RELAPSE?

Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:24 am
by BadKittyCat
If it gives you any idea, I had a relapse early August, and I am finally feeling almost totally myself.

I was told roughly 4 to 6 weeks. Mostly it was just very slow, and there was daily improvement for the last month. From my experience, some symptoms take 6 months to die down; some are permament. This is all minus steroids....

Hope it helps, and good luck on the inerferons (they don't remove all relapes; just less frequent and less intense, at least for myself)

Re: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER AN MS RELAPSE?

Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:12 am
by dlynn
hi mlkos,
I was diagnosed with RRMS 20 years ago. I chose no drugs for the first 10 yrs., and my mild undetected symptoms always lasted two weeks and never interfered with my job, jogging, everyday life, etc. Then after a dx of ON, I let my Dr. talk me into an MS drug. My disease progressed anyway, and (MS drugs) made me very sick. I stopped taking all MS drugs 6 yrs. ago. I feel so much better off the drugs than on. There is wonderful , helpful info. on http://www.ccsvi.org and Facebook ccsvi in ms. The only therapy that ever helped me was angioplasty for CCSVI. MS drugs do not slow disease progression, I learned this on the sites I mentioned. I'm sorry I cannot provide both links, but I'll answer any questions you have and I hope this has been helpful.

Re: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER AN MS RELAPSE?

Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:33 pm
by Cammie
I am going through a mild relapse now, my first since I got on Copaxone. It's been about two weeks so far. I have heard that relapses are different for every person, so going through one is an education for each of us! I'm just grateful that what is happening is mild compared to my initial episode.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER AN MS RELAPSE?

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:07 am
by mlkos
Sure I know that it is different for each individual and I dont expect a fixed deadline, just some comments from people who experienced this for me to know what to expect. Some people said 4-8 weeks others more others less.
So if I hear that what I am facing after 4 weeks since the first cortisone IV, is normal, understandably this will make me feel better psychologically.
This can only come out by fellow MS patients.

Re: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER AN MS RELAPSE?

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:45 am
by mmpetunia
it is all variable. at the time of my diagnosis i had severe, diffuse lhermittes in both legs. walking was painful because the more i walked the more my legs tingled which would progress to pins and needles pain if i didn't stop. i was able to walk for about 10 minutes continuously before it became too much.

i was really scared that it was never going to go away. the neuro told me that if it didn't go away after 6 months or so then it was likely permanent. she offered me symptom meds but i didn't want to be on meds everyday so i turned them down. at the 6 month mark, i woke up one day and realized that the tingling had disappeared. a year after it started i would still get some occasional mild tingling and now more than two years later, i went a whole summer including a 20 mile backpacking trip in the heat (heat made the tingling worse) without any tingling.

other symptoms have taken less time, but still in the 8 week+ range for me. the best piece of advice i can give is to try to find ways to move on from that "waiting for things to get better" mindset. not that they won't, just that being there in that mindset can be really hard. the symptoms will likely get better and in my experience will continue to get better long after the docs tell you it will. its just slow.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER AN MS RELAPSE?

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:12 am
by mlkos
mmpetunia thanks for your advise.
I am new so I have a lot to learn along the way.
With a lot of goodwill and hope for the next day.
I have a wife and an one year old son to take care of.