My Picasso face is back too

[opie74]

After responding to the other question about Picasso face, mine is back.  I am having symptoms of a new relaps.  For the first time places on my face and my ear are going numb.  It started Thursday with bad fatigue.   Then after a nap, my face began it's thing.  Every afternoon, I get tired.  My face is getting worse.  I was going to call my dr on Friday, but I really was not that bad.  The only thing other than my face and tiredness is a little cognitive disfunction.  If you red sunny todays thing about not finding the right words, that is me on a relapse!

Should I call my dr on Monday?  I do not want iv solumedrol.  Do you think that oral steroids will help if we start them early?

Ann

[Lulu54]

Hi Opie, I'm glad the picasso face is calming down for you.  I read your earlier comments about the memory problem and want to remind you that our minds are highly resistant to pressure (at least mine is!)  The harder I push to remember something or even worry about my ability to remember, the worse my memory becomes.

Try not to worry about it so much and see if relaxing will help the thought processes.

as always,
Lulu

[opie74]

Just an update... Day 5 of prednazone.  My face is still getting numb intermitantly, but the pain is gone.  I am suposed to call in to the dr's office today and get instructions for the weekend.  As long asthe apinis gone,I can live with the rest of it better than steroid side-effects.

[opie74]

Last night, the symptoms began to reverse. First, thenervs began to hurt again, then they began to burn.  This morning it feels normal.  My upper lip is not sagging now, it just turns under a little.

[opie74]

Thank you! My facel ooks a little better.

[Fluffysmom]

Hi there, I hope that the prednisone helps.  

I saw my vestibular PR this morning, and she noticed that my Picasso face had calmed down.  I said something about my eyes looking more normal, and she said that during my last visit the left side of my upper lip didn't move as much as my right side, but it seemed more normal now.

The Clinical Audiologist noticed the lip thing when I saw her on Friday for my vestibular testing, so it kind of faded away since then.

I hope your fatigue, forgetfulness and Picasso face fade quickly with the help of that prednisone.

Take care,

Kathy

[opie74]

Iexplainedsymptoms...TN,Picasso face(He saw it),forgetfulness and fatigue.  He said that he wanted to try prednisone.  He gave me 60 mg a day.  I am suposed to call back on Wednesday or thursday and tellhimif itis working.  He was a little leary to jump strait tothe solumedrol since i had a 5 day treatment in the middle of February.

[Fluffysmom]

Hi there from one picasso face to another!

How did your visit to your neuro's office go?  I know how troubling it can be to forget things that you've known for years.  I have a friend that tells me that it happens to everyone, but I'm not so sure about that, not all the times that I forget things.

BTW, my picasso face calmed down.  After two days on Tegretol, then my vestibular testing, I looked in the mirror and my left side of my face is back to normal; the eyes are like they are in pictures of me, not what i saw for that one week.

I'll check back...

Kathy

[opie74]

I am going to the neuro's office after my sons swimming lessons this morning.  I started having trouble remember peoples names last night.  I was having a conversation with a friend, and I could not remember our mutual friends names.  i am also having a week feeling in my right arm......

I will let you know what happens.  The mind trouble is more troubling than Picasso face.

[opie74]

Thanks!

I will call on Monday.  Tuesday I have an appointment with my inturnest.  I will bring it up with her also.  I have my Neuro's cell number, but I don't want to use it unless it is really bad.

[Quixotic1]

The reason they use megadose IV steroids is to push the blood level so high that enough gets into the brain.  This just doesn't happen with oral doses.  You would have to take such huge amount that it would likely be dangerous for your stomach - as in bleeding ulcers.  A very high oral dose is 80mg as opposed to the 1000mg we get in the IV.

I agree that your doc needs to know that bad things are afoot.  So that can be documented.  If he wants steroids and you don't then this is something you two need to discuss.  Sometimes they use just 3 days of them instead of five.

Quix

[Rena705]

Hi Ann...I understand that you don't want to have IV Steroids and I really don't blame you but they do help me and my drooping left eye when I have an attack...BUT...even if you don't want the steroids you are best off to notify your dr. of what is going on.  This is something that I think we all need to be more persistent with because when things go from bad to worse at least there is record of all of your symptoms and the dr. can't turn on you and say these things were not related to him and therefore couldn't have happened...there are doctors out there like that!!  

So, in my humble opinion I think that if you are worse tomorrow you should contact the office and see if you can leave a message or contact them 1st thing Monday a.m.  I hope that you won't have to undergo the IV steroids but in all seriousness I think that is up to your dr. to decide to ensure you don't get worse than where you are now.

Best of luck and let us know how you make out ok?

Lots of Hugs,
Rena

[Erin0313]

Ann,

  I think you jinxed yourself. Just kidding. You must be very frustrated and probably a little scared.

I'm not sure if oral steroids would do the trick or not. I'm with you about the Solumedrol though, yuck. Twice this year so far for me and I am swearing the stuff of until I lose the 20 pounds and forget how bad it made me feel!

I do think that if the symptoms are still there Monday, you should call the doctor just to check in and then you can go from there.

Take care
Erin :)