Page 1 of 1

SPMS

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:01 am
by 777
Do people with SPMS recover from attacks? I know RRMS we can. I recently had a MRI and it showed no enhanced lesions or activity yet I had a severe attack that lasted 7 months. I am better now but wouldn't something show up on my MRI? My neuro says I am RRMS still but I had this illness for 10 or so years. I find it odd I have no inflammtion. Isn't that assosicated with SPMS only?

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:22 am
by gwa
There was an article published within the past 6 months that described the new stronger MRI, I think it is a 7 Tesla. When patients are run through it, hundreds of lesions show up, even though no lesions showed up in a weaker MRI.

You should be able to Google for info on the machine. Now I discount any MRI that shows nothing and just assume it is weak. I don't know when the new 7 Tesla will be available nationwide, but as I remember there are only a few available now.

As far as SPMS people recovering from attacks, yes they do, but long term damage does not go away like when a patient was RRMS. SPMS patients tend to slowly go downhill without much improvement. The only time I have a bad relapse is when another problem such as a cold or the flu gets me.

Since I went from RRMS to SPMS in approx 1985 or so, I have gone from using a cane to using a walker constantly and a wheelchair outside of the house. During this time frame, I had very few attacks, just a slow decline that appears unstoppable. I think I am the norm for SPMS.

gwa

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:56 am
by SarahLonglands
777, when my MS became progressive, from about the turn of the century, I still could have relapses, from which I recovered to an increasingly lesser extent. Behind that there was constant eating away at abilities. Big white patches which are fluid due to inflammation would still populate my scans and this was with a definite diagnosis by a neurologist of SPMS.

Now, with my treatment I have had no new MS events for nearly five years, the white patches have all faded and some have disappeared. This has gone along with my mental and physical improvement so I can't in all honesty call self SPMS any longer. I am not yet brave enough to say that I used to have MS, though.

Sarah

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:09 am
by Lyon
.

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:39 am
by 777
I was happy to find out I had no progression, yet on the other hand when I had no inflammation thatrang some alarms. When I was first dx with MS years ago I didn't know there was SPMS and PPMS. The more Ilearn the more frightened I get.

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:55 am
by Lyon
.

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:55 am
by gwa
bob,

Mice experiments and MRI results are tied for first place on my list of mostly useless things to brag about when researching and prescribing for MS.

gwa

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:47 am
by 777
Well it's a little depressing because I was hoping to get on revimmune or one of the Stem Cell trials. This is when I learned about inflammation and RRMS and SPMS.

At first I thought great!! I have no new lesions, nothing acitve. I thought everything was going good. Then I after reading the trials and the requirments, then doing some research. I realized I may in fact be SPMS.

I understand why revimmune would not benefit those without inflammation, but I dont see why the SCT would not work.