3 day admission for lumbar puncture and steroids looming!

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hello all this my first post but have been reading round the forums for a while. I have been having symptoms since October 2013 mainly on the left side and some issues with memory, vision, balance etc. MRI has shown brain lesions and a c-spine lesion too. Neuro consultant is very non-commital and as I know is not unusual won’t talk about ‘the future’ till a firm diagnosis is made. So after a long wait (1st talked about 16th December '13) I have my date for admission to Southampton General for LP and trial by steroids. I know that methylprenisolone has some nasty side effects and would welcome your personal experiences.

2

Hi Just wanted to say , steroids worked great for me and only side effect was couldn’t sleep had so much energy, I wouldn’t hesitate to take again Gray x

3

I hope that you hospital visit for your LP goes as well as it can and you get some answers to your symptoms. Steroids i feel are a necessary medication to control. I have been on varying dose consistently for three years or so. I agree in part with Gray, on high doses i also don’t sleep and have spells of full of energy feelings. Please be wary of the other side, with me it is mania, feel i can do anything, i become loud, hyper and nothing fazes me. Then very quickly for short periods low down. At the minute i am on high dose due to a flare up, but I am quiet, don’t feel talkative but communicative in writing(?), alone due to being awake constantly and only sleeping 2 - 3 hours in a 24 hour day, not bored though or motivated to do or achieve anything. Subdued. I am usually a positive, carefree, motivating for others and motivated person, i am far from myself but recognise it is the steroids and just try to deal with it best I can.

best wishes

4

Hi, I was on IV steroids in hospital for a few days and the only side effects I had were sleepless nights, a bit of acne on my chest and increased appetite - nothing too bad. Good luck, I hope everything goes ok.

5

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, think it will be IV I’m having. Guess the way to go is plenty to keep me occupied at night if I can’t sleep!