OK; so I’ve been blessed with the kind of MS that only gives me relapses every 3-4 years. I should’ve been expecting this, because it’s right on time. But this is the first time they’ve given me steroids.
I don’t know how much of what I’m feeling is the side effects of the Solu Medrol and what’s part of the relapse, but I’m on the verge of insanity today.
The pain is worse than anything I’ve dealt with in several years, although I’m now beginning to think I just had a weird hug all day. My throat is sore, my glands feel swollen, and I’m just kind of flu-y all over. I’m sleeping a LOT. My b.p. keeps pounding in my head, but only after waking up in my armchair.
Is this all normal and I’m just being the impatient American? I finished the last steroid infusion on Friday, and they led me to believe that everything would be pretty normal by yesterday.
lol, Ziola. I couldn’t get a Covid test to save my soul. But given that I’ve carefully self-quarantined for 2 years until the last week of constant running to the hospital, I wouldn’t be the least surprised if I’d picked it up along the way.
Our testing method before each infusion consisted of: “Do you feel sick? Have you been around anyone with Covid? Is your temperature normal?” OK; you’re fine.
Steroids can take a while to leave your system. Give it a few more days. But, get a urine sample tested, just in case. Take a Covid test if possible (in the UK we’re encouraged to and get LFT tests easily on the NHS but I think it’s different ‘over there’). If you have an infection or a virus that will be way worse after steroids.
But, having said that, the 5-7 days after steroids have always been bad for me. I’ve likened it to feeling like I’ve been ‘kicked all over’. It’s like all my muscles feel bruised.
So be kind to yourself. Treat yourself like small baby. Swaddle up in soft clothes. Do very little. Eat chocolate.
in the USA IT IS NOT ENCOURAGED to have lateral flow tests and also you have to BUY THEM. They dont have same system as the UK when you can just pop to the PCR tent. The only time they test is if you physically go with covid symptoms. AS the symptoms of OMICRON which is taking over 75% of the USA cases.
According to Zoe the most reported symptoms of Omicron are:
Runny nose
Headache
Fatigue (either mild or severe)
Sneezing
Sore throat
getting confused with cold etc. Omicron more likely to have temperature.
However, one musnt forget we are in FLU season as well.
As NM will not be privvy to a test may I suggest you just assume it could be covid and stay away from people?
Ssssue mentioned a dip test but i am assuming as you had steroid infusion you would have already been checked for a water infection.
I would rest for a few days as Sssue DID MENTION, and see how you go. I know my husband when he had a hit of hard steroids would feel like he had been run over by a bus for a few days and would get a headache.
so REST, and hydrate.
uk tests for day 19th : 1468,502 million = 91,743 positive mostly will be omicron so out of those tested . 1,376,759 NEGATIVE.
In the USA…they still have severe test shortages. Also it depends on where you live in the USA its so vast.
Poor you - sounds horrid. I bug has caught you at a low ebb and made its move, by the sound of it. Little blighters: the lively opportunism of viruses would be impressive in another context! I hope that you feel better soon. At least the steroids will be getting in with their work regardless.
I thank everyone for the good thoughts, and I hope I didn’t offend anyone by laughing last night. I just find it so amusing that our methods of medical treatments are so vastly different. You often have to wait months for MRI’s and even doctor’s appointments, but you can get routine tests at the drop of a hat. I keep saying that I’m moving to England!
I still have Covid in the back of my mind and will take precautions, but I think Ssssue and CC were right and that I just had the steroid crash a bit later than expected. I feel human today! I’m doing my best to not dance around the house and just keep taking it easy for a few days.
And I should also ask about the urine tests you all talk about. Is it like the strips used by diabetics? Where do you get them, and what do they show? I don’t think I’ve ever had a urine test before any of my procedures, just blood work.
On a good note, our president has decided to acquire 500 million at-home Covid tests that we’ll be able to request by mail beginning next month. Now, if only they’re actually available to us…
Yes, urine test strips are available in the US. Actually you can buy them from the US site that (no advertising here ) sounds like a South American river. Just don’t get the ones that test your pets wee!!
They are like the test strips that diabetics use but with different tests included. What you need are the strips that include tests for:
Leucocytes (show inflammation)
Nitrites (show infection)
Protein (infection / blood)
Blood (sometimes infection)
So what you’re looking for primarily is nitrites and leucocytes. But sometimes you might find leucocytes, protein and/or blood can show infection (different bugs - e.coli which tends to be present in poop and is the most common cause of urinary tract infection, aka UTI shows as nitrites but other bacteria show up differently).
The test strips can be very cheap. Over here, the best are made by Siemens or Bayer. In the US I’m not sure you can get those brands. Just so long as they test for those things. But the very important thing is to keep the unused strips dry. So either not stored in the bathroom or in a sealable plastic bag.
You test for UTI by peeing on a strip or peeing in a clean utensil and dipping a strip in then waiting for the number of seconds it tells you on the canister the strips come in. You then compare the results on the canister. A positive result is generally quite clear, but occasionally leucocytes alone show up faintly pink when there is no infection. You get used to checking.
Generally, we are advised to test for UTI before beginning steroids for an MS relapse. This is because a) a UTI can resemble a relapse, and b) steroids will make an infection (or virus for that matter) a lot worse. Believe me, I’ve had steroids with a cold virus and it went bananas!
Generally in the U.K., if we have a UTI, we take a sample to the GP. The sample is analysed in the lab for the exact bacteria causing the infection and thus the correct antibiotics to counter the bacteria.
) sounds like a South American river. Just don’t get the ones that test your pets wee!!