Quick help please

[football-mom]

I've been having a relapse which abruptly got even worse after I started a course of oral steroid this past weekend. I've only taken steroids once before and that 1st time I felt better very quickly. This time I have some very slight improvement but now I'm on my last day.

What is the best course of action here? Would it be to ask for another 5 days of steroids, or just make arrangements to check myself in to the hospital? I'm still walking pretty well, but what is making me reach for answers is a pretty severe migraine/occipital neuralgia kind of thing that is making me unable to see for hours at a time. I don't have a diagnosis on the head pain yet, so I'm not sure what the cause is.

I sent a fax into my neuro explaining what is going on with me, which is what I usually do because no one ever answers the phone there, and am waiting for a call back, but his office assistant says she is out today, so i don't know when he will get it.

[Fed Up]

If you haven't seen any M.D. for this headache, it would be wise to check into an E.R.. The ER doc can call your neuro doc and figure it out or, call in the neuro 'on call.'

Regardless, a headache with visual disturbance is not to be taken lightly, "Even IF, it is M.S"~~until you know for sure what is causing that headache. fed

[football-mom]

I did see my primary on Thursday, but it was getting a bit better by then. He did call me last night when he got my labs back because they're bad with a high wbc and glucose. I'm not concerned about the glucose since I was on steroids, but the high wbc is worrying since the Rebif has had them way too low for more than a year. Still waiting to hear from the neuro.

[football-mom]

So I haven't heard back from my on call neuro, but my pcp called me back and told me to quit fooling around and go to the hospital. I'm going to check myself in this evening.

[Fed Up]

Hope you had a spinal tap by now and have learned what is going on. That is what an ER is for! fed

[Seasha]

So sorry football-mom. Let us know how it goes and keep well We're thinking of you!

[football-mom]

Thank you all. I'm here. I have not had or been offered an LP, but I've always refused them anyway. I had a chest xray, urine and they've taken six tubes of blood. Extremely high wbc, but nothing specific. I've got an iv running with decadron and will have an mri in a few hours. I never thought the iv steroids would start working so fast! I am absolutely jittery and revving and wide awake at 430 am even after they put something for sleep in my bag. I'm still incredibly weak, but I at least have the gumption to try to sit up, which wasn't happening 12 hours ago when I checked in. Also I'm told I should definitely be getting out by Monday, so three days should do the trick.

Anything I should ask for for this acid stomach and horrible burning in my throat? All I've been using are tums and they're not helping at this stage.

[cvms]

The steroids will cause a high white count. I had labs done twice (different years) a day after iv steroids. Both times my white count was very high. I think it was 18 - 19. When I repeated labs a couple weeks later it was back to normal range. I always feel worse from the steroids for a couple days. It takes me a week or so after to see an improvement in my MS symptoms.

I had headaches pretty bad after my last steroid run. I do get migraines though. I have taken low dose prednisone in the past for migraines but the high dose iv steroids seems to make them worse. Something with the fluid shift I think.

I hope you start to feel better soon!!

[football-mom]

I feel like I will never sleep again, and right now I don't care too much. Every time I manage to doze off for an hour or two I wake with a vicious headache again. The stomach acid is better, but not gone. I think I'm doing more to hold it at bay by constantly smacking than with this prilosec they gave me. I just want to go home to my own bed, but my leg collapsed and I fell this morning getting up to go potty, so now I'm not even allowed to stand without calling for help first.

Sorry for all the whining, but I'm just truly whiny right now.

[Alicious]

If ever there is a time to whine, this is it. Seriously though, you're not being whiny. You're in a new situation and are asking for help. xoxo

[Fed Up]

football mom; pretty to read of your situation.

hugs and prayers coming your way

What a tuff thing to be going through. Sure glad you ARE where you NEED to be. fed

[football-mom]

Thank you all very much for the support, it really means the world to me right now.

I asked the doc to see my mri because he didn't have the comparison films yet. I myself spot one big new lesion in the occiput and one I think is new or just a bigger version of a pinpoint I had before. I'm not positive. I'm in a very active flare as my head is lit up like a Christmas tree. I felt a great deal better that the hospital neuro did not just dismiss me as a layman and listened to what I had to say.

I did get a personal call from my neuro, which at least makes me feel cared for. He's going to call the hospital and request they tweak my orders. He tried to talk me into staying two more days, and then my roid rage kicked in. So he said I could leave, come see him on Wednesday and we will talk about it.

So anyway, just some personal care and interest has improved my mood quite a bit today. My last bag has about an hour and I should be home by 9.

[Fed Up]

then my roid rage kicked in. So he said I could leave, come see him on Wednesday and we will talk about it.

So anyway, just some personal care and interest has improved my mood quite a bit today. My last bag has about an hour and I should be home by 9.

LOL You go football-ball mom!!!

Glad you are back at home! hopefully your roid rage will get you thru this! ha ha, I love that sentence.."My roid rage kicked in!" fed

[football-mom]

I do have one more question. How long will this steroid swelling last? I have moon face and my hands and feet are swelling too.

My doctor thinks they gave me to high a dose of steroids in the hospital, so he put me on a taper to bring me down, so I will still be taking them for three more days. Does the swelling go away fast? I'm going to go to work for half a day tomorrow and I'm kind of embarassed to be seen like this.

[22cyclist]

Not very fast, and it is from the pills mostly. They always make your face blow up like a balloon. Give it about 5 days.
Best of luck!

Lisa
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