How Long Does Inflammation Last?
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:25 pm
Hi Guys
Quick pick of the brains & experience here, if that is ok?
Background: MS diagnosed in 1999 - mild relapses periodically up until 2006.
Had bad relapse in nov 2006 & I had an MRI of brain and spine in Dec 2006 - result:
one non-enhancing lesion in c-spine at c2;
Three non-enhancing lesions in brain, one glad-enhancing lesion in brain;
Two glad-enhancing lesions in c-spine at c3-c4 (inflammation here caused bulging of spinal cord it was so bad) and c5-c6 - had course of IV steroids. Another (nasty) relapse late Jan 2007, so started Avonex in Feb. and had more IV steroids. Another relapse April - more IV steroids.
Had another MRI June 2007 to check effectiveness of Avonex - all previous lesions were still visible but not enhancing, except the nasty one at c3-c4, it was still enhancing, though the cord was no longer bulging.
I have had no further relapses, but had an exacerbation early this new year. My symptoms of numbness, weakness, L'Hermittes, spasms, pain, fatigue, poor balance and co-ordination, poor fine motor skills, mental fuzziness etc are all still there - they have not resolved and it is now over a year since they first appeared...
Question - how long does inflammation typically take to go away? Surely a lesion should not still be enhancing from December until June?
I think it might still light up the film even now as my L'Hermittes is hideous (though I suppose that could just be due to permanent damage now)!
I still have a lot of fatigue, yet my neuro, based on the June MRI which showed only one still enhancing lesion, says that I don't have enough 'active' disease to account for my fatigue and slight mental fuzziness, and that ms doesn't cause pain (I know I have mentioned this part before!).
But I am really curious to know if others have had lesions that have been inflammed for that long a period of time - over 6 months? Do any of you think the length of time it was present could account for the fact that I haven't recovered from those relapses and still have deficits, whereas previously I usually recovered functonality within a few weeks or a couple of months?
Quick pick of the brains & experience here, if that is ok?
Background: MS diagnosed in 1999 - mild relapses periodically up until 2006.
Had bad relapse in nov 2006 & I had an MRI of brain and spine in Dec 2006 - result:
one non-enhancing lesion in c-spine at c2;
Three non-enhancing lesions in brain, one glad-enhancing lesion in brain;
Two glad-enhancing lesions in c-spine at c3-c4 (inflammation here caused bulging of spinal cord it was so bad) and c5-c6 - had course of IV steroids. Another (nasty) relapse late Jan 2007, so started Avonex in Feb. and had more IV steroids. Another relapse April - more IV steroids.
Had another MRI June 2007 to check effectiveness of Avonex - all previous lesions were still visible but not enhancing, except the nasty one at c3-c4, it was still enhancing, though the cord was no longer bulging.
I have had no further relapses, but had an exacerbation early this new year. My symptoms of numbness, weakness, L'Hermittes, spasms, pain, fatigue, poor balance and co-ordination, poor fine motor skills, mental fuzziness etc are all still there - they have not resolved and it is now over a year since they first appeared...
Question - how long does inflammation typically take to go away? Surely a lesion should not still be enhancing from December until June?
I think it might still light up the film even now as my L'Hermittes is hideous (though I suppose that could just be due to permanent damage now)!
I still have a lot of fatigue, yet my neuro, based on the June MRI which showed only one still enhancing lesion, says that I don't have enough 'active' disease to account for my fatigue and slight mental fuzziness, and that ms doesn't cause pain (I know I have mentioned this part before!).
But I am really curious to know if others have had lesions that have been inflammed for that long a period of time - over 6 months? Do any of you think the length of time it was present could account for the fact that I haven't recovered from those relapses and still have deficits, whereas previously I usually recovered functonality within a few weeks or a couple of months?