Starting Solumedrol Thursday

[tyler175]

Hi Everyone

I start on my IV treatment for 5 days this Thursday, with 500mg of Solumedrol, I am worried about it, can anyone tell me what side affects i may experience, and how to prepare for it, and can i go to work right after the Treatment,

thanks

Tyler

[tyler175]

Hi All

my sleep was not affected last night, i actually think i slept better, and the awful cramps in my left leg every night with fail, did not come along and wake me up either,



so the treatment must have done something, though this morning i notice i have tremors ( very slight) i keep spilling my coffee cannot keep my hand steady lol

today i go back at 1pm, then sat, sun, and Mon, they are 7am treatments
will let you know at the end of the treatments if it made much difference, as i did wonder, if i was going to take all 5 to make me feel better

Tyler

[britinusa]

I wish I could remember ( memory is not my strongest attribute) I think it took till perhaps after the last dose before I noticed by symptoms had started to subside. ( I was numb down my right side) Maybe call the neuro in the am and ask him,they usually have a method in their madness. Does the clinic do an early morning or late evening? I felt worse due to the drugs before I felt better. I have done solumedrol twice now and I hate it :( I  hope you start to feel better soon.:)

Isabel

[doublevision1]

I have always had the 1000mg over one hour, no longer.  My vitals were only taken at the beginning as I recall.

I've had Solumedrol for three different relapses; twice the regimen was for 5 days; and one day only for three days.  It's just over a year since I had my last Solumedrol treatment.

I have never had an oral taper and never had any withdrawal issues.  My neurologist's opinion is that the value is questionable, and since I never had a problem, I've never asked for it.

If you have something to help you sleep, that is helpful if you find the insomnia is bad.  That for me was really the only negative side effect, plus the nasty taste in the mouth.  I don't recall mood swings, irritability, etc.

Good luck with the remaining days of your treatment.

[tyler175]

I really don't know why, the nuses were very nice, but said that the neuro was adamant that it should be four hours,

I think they said that he was worried about a bad reaction to it, so was being cautious, I asked them if they could speed it up a little tomorrow and they said no that he wanted it done over 4 hour hours all five days,

driving me crazy as i lose about 5 hours of work each day

and the crazy thing i dont feel any change in my symptoms, is this kinda normal with the first day

Tyler

[britinusa]

I think, although its been a year that I had 150mg, and I was usually in there about 2hours max although by day 2 the iv site was very inflamed so they put me a pick line in ( a more substancial iv in the upper inner arm which had to be put in with an ultrasound), I am wondering if he is concerned about any possible reactions,as I recall getting my vitals done at the beginning and end only. Maybe tomorrow now they know you were  OK they will get it in a little quicker.  My first night after the infusion was strange I had more energy than I could remember.,also  used to take my laptop to the infusion clinic.... :)

[tyler175]

Hi

I got my first infusion today, do not feel any different, but i need to ask a question, the nurses told me that they usually infuse 100 mg in one hour, I was only having 500mg, and the doctor had ordered it to be done over 4 hours, with vitals taken every 20 minutes,
the nurses told me they have never done a 500 or a thousand mg over 4 hours, can anyone tell me why the doc would have ordered this

I can tell you all i was never so bored in all my life sitting there all that time,

thanks
tyler

[tyler175]

Hi Lulu

Yes that made perfect sense to me, I will ask the infusion center tomorrow, if they will taper off, at the end of the 5 days

thanks again

Tyler

[Lulu54]

Hi Tyler,
A taper is a gradual increase or decrease in a drug dose.  This is normally done with drugs that may cause significant problems if introduced or withdrawn from your system too fast.  

Steroids should always be tapered, from what I know.  Even when the doctor gives me oral prednisone for poison ivy, I start out on a full dose and decrease the number of tablets every 3 days until over a course of 10 days I will get down to just one pill, and then none.  

My taper up on Baclofen took 18 days to get to the full dose - the neuro didn't want to introduce it into my system too fast.

I hope this makes sense.

my best,
Lulu

[tyler175]

Thanks, i had read somewhere i might have trouble sleeping the first few nights

I am kinda worried about being irritable as i work in retail, can I ask a silly question what is a taper, sorry i really do not understand medical talk at all

Thanks

Tyler

[britinusa]

I had trouble sleeping for the first night but I actually felt at my worst when I came off the IV - My Dr didnt give me a taper and I was very very irritable for about another 5 days....

[tyler175]

Hi

Thanks for that I was rather worried, and i will stay away from the sad movies etc, My hubby probably will not notice i am more grumpy lol, i have been grumpy all week

Tyler

[Geekboy]

I just started mine tonight. 1 gram (1000 mg) for five days. I plan on working. I've had it two times before and I get mild headaches and I had a loss of appetite but I understand that most people have an increase in appetite. It can give you trouble sleeping and sometimes nausea, but most of all is the emotional oversensitivity. Don't watch any sad movies. Romantic comedies will have you drowning in tears. You might want to warn everyone around you before hand. Overall it's not that bad. Good luck and I hope you feel better.

Kevin