Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
324913 tn?1302869517

New to the forum - Opinions on Solu-Medrol please??

Hi everyone.
I'm new to this forum on medhelp and would really appreciate opinions on people in the know as I'm on my 2nd day of a my first 3-day run of Solu-Medrol (1000mg) and am a little concerned.
I've read lots about the various side effects but I'm still not sure about what's going on with me.
I'll try to keep this short but a brief history.
1st attack - 1997 - numbness in extremeties and my skin was numb all over from the neck down. Lasted about 5 weeks.  MRI was clear. Was not diagnosed as MS.
2nd attack - early 2004 - slight double vision. Lasted about 3 weeks.  MRI of the brain showed spots.  Was told was likely MS.
3rd attack - mid 2006 - numbness in skin (not all over) and fingertips.  MRI showed more spots with some previous ones gone.  Fingertip numbness still with me today.
4 days ago - double vision came back.  Did another MRI with contrast.  Seems I have more spots gone (compared to 2006) and 3 new ones.  All are apparently very small.  One was 'active' as per the contrast and so my neuro had me go on the Solu-Medrol.
Btw - my neuro is not convinced that my '06 attack was an attack and thinks my fingertip numbness is from Carpal Tunnel which I do have but I'm not convinced due to the numbness I had in '06 and the fact that it's all five fingers that are numb.
Anyway, that's besides the point.
The thing is, day 1 of Sol-Med went fine.  It just made my neck feel a bit weak and my head was a bit heavy.  Did it at 4pm.  Woke up next morning at 7am (way early for me) and my arms from the elbows down felt heavy but also as if I needed to weight them down due to mild discomfort.  Does that make sense?  I sleep on my back and tried tucking my hands under my bum to 'hold down' my arms but it didn't help the discomfort.  Fell back asleep and woke up at 8am and found my legs felt the same from the knees down.  Fell asleep again and got up at 9am and within half an hour it felt worse and I started to worry.  but then a half hour later it was entirely gone!
Then at 4pm did my second day of Sol-Med and my neck again felt weak and my head heavy. Now, 7 hours later they feel the same.
What is this?
I'm worried because I do have a bad back and neck and have always thought it was just that... a bad back and neck... for which I need and do receive chiropractic care. Now I'm worried that it's MS related and there isn't a damned thing I can do about it.  If it is MS related, would the steroids bring it out?  If not, could it be that the steroids can simply have a temporary effect on weaker muscles in the body?  It WAS temporary yesterday because I woke up and my neck and head were fine but since I did the second lot, it's back.
Any thoughts on this would be deeply appreciated.
Many thanks, in advance.
magda
2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
324913 tn?1302869517
Thank you!  Sincerely.
That helps a lot.
I was worried that it meant that my neck pain and back pain of many years was MS related and I had to just throw in the towel and accept it.  Knowing that steroids can cause muscle pain makes me feel SO relieved.
I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
Helpful - 0
147426 tn?1317265632
Hi, Welcome to the Forum.  I hope to look over your whole post soon and comment on it, but for right now I will tell you that Yes, the steroids can make your muscles feel weak and sore.  This is because one of the immediate effects of steroids is a shift in the electrolytes the blood.  As the sodium and potassium shift into and out of the cells you can feel weakness or cramping of the muscles.  I always do.  I also get sore all over in the first days of a steroid infusion.  I'm not sure why the soreness, but it happens every time with me.

So the neck and arm pain, I think is just a temporary effect of the steroids and doesn't really tell us if the problem is your back or the MS.

I hope this helps.

Quix
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Multiple Sclerosis Community

Top Neurology Answerers
987762 tn?1671273328
Australia
5265383 tn?1669040108
ON
1756321 tn?1547095325
Queensland, Australia
1780921 tn?1499301793
Queen Creek, AZ
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease