Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

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/ Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

USING STEROIDS ONLY IN EXTREME EXACERBATIONS

gbugg7777
gbugg7777
MY MS SPECIALIST WILL ONLY USE STEROIDS ON EXTREME EXACERBATIONS LIKE IF I WAS BLIND IN ONE EYE. I HAVE HAD TWO EXCERBATION-THE FIRST WAS BY FAR THE WORSE OF THE TWO MY LEGS WENT 60% NUMB. I ASKED HER ABOUT GIVING ME STEROIDS AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD'NT BECAUSE OF THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS THEY HAVE ON THE BODY. SHE SAID I WAS ON AVONEX AND I SHOULD GET BETTER WITHIN THREE WEEKS AND SHE WAS RIGHT. AFTER THE SECOND FLARE-UP SHE SWITCHED ME TO REBIF AND I'VE BEEN FLARE-UP FREE FOR OVER ONE YEAR. I RESPECT HER AND HER OPINIONS SHE IS A GOOD DOCTOR AT ONE THE BEST HOSPITALS IN OREGON "OHSU" AND SHE'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS. AFTER READING EVERYONES POSTS ON DAILY STRENGTH IT SEEMS LIKE OTHER PEOPLES DOCTORS PRESCIBE STEROIDS FOR SOME VERY MINOR FLARE-UPS. MY QUESTION IS DO YOU THINK MY DOCTOR IS RIGHT IN RESERVING STEROIDS ONLY FOR EXTREME EXACERBATIONS AND WHAT IS TOUR DOCTORS TAKE ON THIS.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I had an interesting thing happen today for me concerning the steroid rx thing...when I was blind for 4 months, I was explicitly told there was NO WAY they would give me steroids. Since ON is my dominating sx, I manage it with vicodin and naproxen. Today, I had my 6 month check up with my neuro, and when I told her about a recent episode of mine where my right arm and leg "died"...felt heavy like someone was sitting on them, had limited range of motion, etc, she was very serious. Like all of my big sx's, it wasn't detrimental to my daily life and didn't last more than a couple months, so I gutted it out...it was no biggie. Plus, I kept telling my pals here on DS that my neuro wouldn't rx steroids anyway so why wake her from her nap? Big shocker came when the neuro explained to me how if/when that happened again, she'd treat it with 10 days of oral prednisone. So I was totally confused, it was like a contradiction of the policy that 2 neuros in that office told me that they will only do steroids in very extreme circumstances, so I don't know if it's an IV v. oral thing since IV solumedrol seems to be the thing to help heal ON. Who knows when and if to what capacity a neuro will rx steroids. Personally, I would rather wait on steroids for something very extreme to flare up, due to all the other things that the steroids can do. Of course, I am a steroid virgin, so I'm not one with a great opinion!! LOL!
LilMargie
LilMargie
My neuro said that the steroids would only treat the symptoms and so, if I could function without them, all the better. I think in times of extreme pain or disability, they are a good option, but my numbness is just an irritant and do not impact my ability to function (much), so I opted out of the steroid treatment.

If I had OptN like Julz, I would probably rush right to the pharmacy.
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