What is Multiple Sclerosis MS
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease which affects the brain and spinal cord. MS can cause a variety of symptoms, including changes in sensation, visual problems, muscle we...
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Newly Diagnosed with MS/need to start a medication
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I am a 41 year old mother of one who is very active, at the gym every day and works a rather stressful job that I love. On 10/2/09 I woke up to my feet and hands being totally numb. The next day I woke up and I was numb from the chest down. I had surface level feeling everywhere but couldn't feel anything underneath the surface. No weakness or anything.
The symptoms never let up and in fact got more severe. I got referred to a neurologist who ordered a full 90 minute spinal MRI. It came back showing a large lesion in my neck area. He ordered a brain MRI to confirm possible MS diagnoses and did indeed find brain lesions so I now have an official diagnoses of MS. The regular course of steroids he started me did nothing to alleviate the symptoms, feel like I'm walking on blocks of wood and typing with pencils, etc....feels like cement block attached to my chest. Now he has started my on a day course of infusion steroids to hopefully alleviate the symptoms. But I now have to choose which medication to inject myself with for the rest of my life. One that I do weekly that can slow the progression but causes flu like symptoms, one that I do daily that doesn't slow the progress but no flu like symptoms or one that I every other day with flu like symptoms. I want to talk to people who are these different medications (Copaxone, Avonex, Betaseron, and Rebif) to get opinions from real people and to see what side affects they give, not what I'm reading from their marketing materials. Any input would be appreciated. Posted on 11/03/09, 09:11 am |
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I've been on Betaseron for years. Never had a relapse. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a mesg.
The 'flu' side effects you get at the start are very easy to manage, not a big deal at all. They go away, and for me, haven't been a problem in years. You are assigned a Beta nurse, and that nurse will be a great help as you start. Check their web site out for more info. 
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I was diagnosed 10 days before Christmas of 06. I woke up one morning, and couldn't walk. (having a family history of aneurysms, I was rushed in for an MRI.It came back as MS. Two weeks later, I started on Copaxone. I have not had a single flare-up since then. I'm still working full time. My numbness,& weird feelings went away after about 5 weeks. I still have spatial issues in wide-open spaces, and vertigo-like feelings in places I am unfamiliar with. I choose to use a cane, to keep from feeling like I'm going to fall. In the beginning, I thought, I'd rather die than take shots every day. Now its not so bad, I don't dread it any more than brushing my teeth. It may feel like it right now, but it is not the end of the world. I still work full time as a school bookkeeper(if that's not stress, I don't know what is!)Best of luck to you, You'll figure out what is right for you.
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I am currently on Avonex and according to my last MRI, I have had very little changes. I was stressed at work a few years ago and the fatigue kills me. I stopped being as active. My advice is push past the exhaustion and keep moving. Fatigue did not hit until the 8th or 9th year after my diagnosis. You may not have that problem at all. I am finally exercising 4x a week. But not nearly at the intensity that I used to. I do restorative yoga or pilates these days. Watch your stress level. It is toxic in my experience. Good luck and God bless.
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I was diagnosed in August 2009 and started Betaseron 2 weeks later. Every other day injections. The injection site "red circles" are less if you really massage the area right after the injection, for about a minute. On occasion I get chills at night, but they don't last very long, and no other side effects. The needle is tiny, 30g. I get liver function tests once a month for the first six months, first one came back fine, next one is Monday.
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