Hello and questions...
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:06 pm
Hello all,
I've been reading this site since I was diagnosed with MS in October 2004. I thought I would finally intoduce myself and try to find out some practical answers to my questions.
My symptoms were/are numbness/tingling from the abdomen down through both legs. My right knee was also fairly weak and unstable. I had painful cramping feelings in my feet as if my toes were tied in knots. Initially, the docs thought I had a slipped disc or something, but Xrays and MRI's revealed nothing in the lumbar area. More MRI's were done that revealed two lesions on my spinal cord (one active) and a small lesion on my brain. Spinal taps and blood tests also showed positive for the MS markers.
Months previous to this, I had a bout with very hypersensitive and painful skin sensations on my chest and back. Even a shirt ar blanket would cause severe pain when it fisrt touched my skin. I'm assuming that this was my first attack.
When diagnosed, my neuro tried to stop/reduce the attack that was occuring by putting me on a Prednisone taper. While on the Prednisone, the numbness went completely away. After about a week off the Prednisone, the tingling started back in my right foot and continued to get worse until my abdomen and legs were numb again. My neuro then put me on another round of Prednisone, thinking we were close to knocking the current attack down but not out. The second Prednisone taper worked as well as the first, getting rid of almost all the symptoms completely (except for some weakness still in the knee and some abdominal numbness). Again, this lasted for about a week before the symptoms began to return. This time, he decided to pull out "the big guns" and put me on Solu-medrol (a three day taper (1000/750/500) followed by the Prednisone taper). Again, most symptoms disappeared after the Solu-medrol IV and the first 6 days of the Prednisone taper. This time, however, the tingling is returning to the right foot while I am still on the Prednisone (5 days left on the taper).
Is this normal for people taking the steroids? Do they not necessarily halt the attack but simply mask it for a while? Being new to this whole thing, I don't exactly know what to expect. I've been under a lot of stress the last 3 months that I think may be adding to the issues (dx, 2 grandparents passing away, pet passing away, building a new house, other health problems, and of course "the holidays").
BTW, I'm supposed to be starting Tysabri as soon as insurance/neuro/drug company get things figured out.
Thanks in advance,
Aaron
I've been reading this site since I was diagnosed with MS in October 2004. I thought I would finally intoduce myself and try to find out some practical answers to my questions.
My symptoms were/are numbness/tingling from the abdomen down through both legs. My right knee was also fairly weak and unstable. I had painful cramping feelings in my feet as if my toes were tied in knots. Initially, the docs thought I had a slipped disc or something, but Xrays and MRI's revealed nothing in the lumbar area. More MRI's were done that revealed two lesions on my spinal cord (one active) and a small lesion on my brain. Spinal taps and blood tests also showed positive for the MS markers.
Months previous to this, I had a bout with very hypersensitive and painful skin sensations on my chest and back. Even a shirt ar blanket would cause severe pain when it fisrt touched my skin. I'm assuming that this was my first attack.
When diagnosed, my neuro tried to stop/reduce the attack that was occuring by putting me on a Prednisone taper. While on the Prednisone, the numbness went completely away. After about a week off the Prednisone, the tingling started back in my right foot and continued to get worse until my abdomen and legs were numb again. My neuro then put me on another round of Prednisone, thinking we were close to knocking the current attack down but not out. The second Prednisone taper worked as well as the first, getting rid of almost all the symptoms completely (except for some weakness still in the knee and some abdominal numbness). Again, this lasted for about a week before the symptoms began to return. This time, he decided to pull out "the big guns" and put me on Solu-medrol (a three day taper (1000/750/500) followed by the Prednisone taper). Again, most symptoms disappeared after the Solu-medrol IV and the first 6 days of the Prednisone taper. This time, however, the tingling is returning to the right foot while I am still on the Prednisone (5 days left on the taper).
Is this normal for people taking the steroids? Do they not necessarily halt the attack but simply mask it for a while? Being new to this whole thing, I don't exactly know what to expect. I've been under a lot of stress the last 3 months that I think may be adding to the issues (dx, 2 grandparents passing away, pet passing away, building a new house, other health problems, and of course "the holidays").
BTW, I'm supposed to be starting Tysabri as soon as insurance/neuro/drug company get things figured out.
Thanks in advance,
Aaron