I’ve recently been diagnosed with MS and started on Avonex. It’s been a long process and I see a lot of people talking about Limbo land which I can relate to. I ended up waiting 4 months from my hospital admission to seeing a Neurology consultant. On admission MS was mentioned several times. At first I was to have an MRI and see the neurologist as an inpatient, it was then decided to discharge me and make an outpatients appointment. My symptoms did improve slightly without any treatment after discharge but my mobility is now much worse than it was and I walk with a stick. I also have tingling and numbness continually in my right hand. On seeing the Consultant I was given a large oral dose of Methylprednisolone and commenced on Avonex. The steroids did not seem to improve things at all.
My query is about steroid treatment. is the recovery likely to be better if it is given at the time of the relapse?
Hi. Sorry about your diagnosis. I am a new recruit too and I too was started on Methylprednisolone. It did nothing for me, other than cause a Urinary Tract Infection (but that’s another chapter). The purpose of steroids is to reduce inflammation and suppress the body’s immune system , so they are given at the time of a relapse. Remember that in MS, your brain/ spinal chord are experiencing areas of inflammation and your body’s immune system is attacking itself, so steroids are a logical inital treatment. Good luck xx
Hi. Sorry about your diagnosis. I am a new recruit too and I too was started on Methylprednisolone. It did nothing for me, other than cause a Urinary Tract Infection (but that’s another chapter). The purpose of steroids is to reduce inflammation and suppress the body’s immune system , so they are given at the time of a relapse. Remember that in MS, your brain/ spinal chord are experiencing areas of inflammation and your body’s immune system is attacking itself, so steroids are a logical inital treatment. Good luck xx
I think steroid treatment is most effective when given within 3 weeks of the onset of a relapse - having said that they don’t work for everyone and do not change the end result just help you get there faster. So yes more important to have it sooner rather than later.
Thank you for the info, it really is a learning curve! I’m just dipping in now as i think my initial reaction was to bury my head. It’s reassuring to see so many people living “normal” lives and staying positive.
Mrs. P- Of course, ‘Anonymous’ hit the spot straight away and, actually, answered your specific question. I gave you some information, but didn’t even answer the question you asked. Problem I have at the present time is that I read the question and then whilst compiling the answer forgot the original question. Fuzzy MS brain still persists, me thinks! It would be really interesting to post your experience with Avonex, once you get going. xx