11th February 2008
Hi Englishteach. No problem in teaching you- and dont worry, thanks arent needed, they are part of the process. You havent been with us long, but I will tell you that this board and certain people on it, literally saved my sanity when I was first dx...I try to give back! Interesting that you teach online...I did both my BS and MBA online thru a University in Minnesota. It was the best education I could have gotten. I was dx with MS with 2 semesters left of my MBA, I was taking 18 credits a semester, and working fulltime, and still managed to graduate with a 4.0- talk about a challenge! But anyway, lets move onto you.
Parastesia is a term which neurologists use which is an actual medical term; although I might not be spelling it correctly. There are many stages of it, and they stages represent the permanence of the situation. Most parestastia is only temporary. In the case of MS, it all depends on the damage which is done and whether or not Steroids can help it. In many cases, they do...I believe that my situation was left alone too long. I was treated with Steroids months after the tingling, numbness started and it didnt help. However, Ive also had optical neuritis, which is common in MS, and it is basically inflamation of the Optic Nerve- in these cases, Steroids did help me and restore my eyesight.
I believe that what you are describing is a relapse. Its not uncommon to have them- in fact, its a normal part of MS. The fact that you have been on Betaseron for a year and have had 2 relapses since you started Beta makes me wonder if it is the right drug for you. You should be asking your Neuro who prescribes it if he feels that he might want to try a stronger interferon. Both Rebif and Avonex are stronger, but in the same class of drug. You also have Copaxone, which is not an interferon, works in a totally different way, and might be the drug of choice for you....only you and your Neuro can decide whats what. Have you had an MRI in the past year? You should have one at least a year from your Beta start date to see if new lesions have developed...in the case of an extreme relapse, its highly probable that something is developing as we speak. What can you do about it? Nothing that you arent already doing other than be really strong and tell it you will control it, and it WONT control you.
The antibiotics actually should be helping you to feel better. Studies have shown that antibiotics help to relieve MS symtoms, but the down side is you cant stay on them forever and usually they only help minimally...the fact that your body is fighting off an infection is probably why your MS is flaring up at this time. You asked about cold...actually MS ers do much better in cold then in heat...you might crave the heat- but it is actually bad for you. Have you suffered thru a hot summer yet? Im familir with where you live, I used to live in VA...the temp there is much like it is here in NJ and I do know we are having one heck of a cold snap right now. The extreme change in temps can also trigger a relapse, or make you just feel overall bad. Stay strong- spring is coming...spring and fall are usually the best times of year for us. Extreme cold, and extreme heat will make us flare up.
Sweetie, youre not missing anything. Youre having a bad couple of weeks, and feeling this way is to be expected. Also, Steroid use has also proven to wreck havoc on the emotions and make us feel gloomy! This will pass when they are out of your system. As for the drugs you are taking..Im not a huge fan of any drugs, so Im not the person to ask about them. From what I know, what you are taking sounds right. There are additional things you can look into, Flexeril for muscle spasms instead of Balcofan- Xanax for anxiety if you feel overwhelmed- these are things which can be taken as needed and dont have to be taken round the clock...but talk to your doctor. Let him or her make the decisions...and talk to them about the thought of Rebif or Avonex see if you can get an honest reason why you should stay on Betaseron after having 2 relapses that have left you feeling like this.
And most of all, please know you are NOT alone and that TONS of us are here, caring, and sharing and knowing what you are going thru. We wont leave you alone...if you need us, shout out.
Hugs
Nikki
Parastesia is a term which neurologists use which is an actual medical term; although I might not be spelling it correctly. There are many stages of it, and they stages represent the permanence of the situation. Most parestastia is only temporary. In the case of MS, it all depends on the damage which is done and whether or not Steroids can help it. In many cases, they do...I believe that my situation was left alone too long. I was treated with Steroids months after the tingling, numbness started and it didnt help. However, Ive also had optical neuritis, which is common in MS, and it is basically inflamation of the Optic Nerve- in these cases, Steroids did help me and restore my eyesight.
I believe that what you are describing is a relapse. Its not uncommon to have them- in fact, its a normal part of MS. The fact that you have been on Betaseron for a year and have had 2 relapses since you started Beta makes me wonder if it is the right drug for you. You should be asking your Neuro who prescribes it if he feels that he might want to try a stronger interferon. Both Rebif and Avonex are stronger, but in the same class of drug. You also have Copaxone, which is not an interferon, works in a totally different way, and might be the drug of choice for you....only you and your Neuro can decide whats what. Have you had an MRI in the past year? You should have one at least a year from your Beta start date to see if new lesions have developed...in the case of an extreme relapse, its highly probable that something is developing as we speak. What can you do about it? Nothing that you arent already doing other than be really strong and tell it you will control it, and it WONT control you.
The antibiotics actually should be helping you to feel better. Studies have shown that antibiotics help to relieve MS symtoms, but the down side is you cant stay on them forever and usually they only help minimally...the fact that your body is fighting off an infection is probably why your MS is flaring up at this time. You asked about cold...actually MS ers do much better in cold then in heat...you might crave the heat- but it is actually bad for you. Have you suffered thru a hot summer yet? Im familir with where you live, I used to live in VA...the temp there is much like it is here in NJ and I do know we are having one heck of a cold snap right now. The extreme change in temps can also trigger a relapse, or make you just feel overall bad. Stay strong- spring is coming...spring and fall are usually the best times of year for us. Extreme cold, and extreme heat will make us flare up.
Sweetie, youre not missing anything. Youre having a bad couple of weeks, and feeling this way is to be expected. Also, Steroid use has also proven to wreck havoc on the emotions and make us feel gloomy! This will pass when they are out of your system. As for the drugs you are taking..Im not a huge fan of any drugs, so Im not the person to ask about them. From what I know, what you are taking sounds right. There are additional things you can look into, Flexeril for muscle spasms instead of Balcofan- Xanax for anxiety if you feel overwhelmed- these are things which can be taken as needed and dont have to be taken round the clock...but talk to your doctor. Let him or her make the decisions...and talk to them about the thought of Rebif or Avonex see if you can get an honest reason why you should stay on Betaseron after having 2 relapses that have left you feeling like this.
And most of all, please know you are NOT alone and that TONS of us are here, caring, and sharing and knowing what you are going thru. We wont leave you alone...if you need us, shout out.
Hugs
Nikki