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The effect of age on Secondary Progressive MS
I have had secondary progressive MS for 23 years. Progression seems to have stopped. I remember one doctor saying that as you age MS seems to "blow itself out". Has anyone else heard this? Or should I wait for the other shoe to drop. I am 60 years old.
Suzanne
Suzanne
Karen,
I take no medicines. (Believe it or not.) For 18 years, I tried medicines with really bad results. If there was a side effect, I would experience it. After a month and a half in rehab, and with nursing home placement looming, I discovered it was the medicines causing the problems. I was so week in rehab it was very difficult to get much out of therapy. I went home with assistant help and stopped most of my meds. Amazingly, I am so much better. Where I barely had enough energy to sit-up for 1 1/2 hours, now I stay up 13 or 14 hours without a break. I tried Betaseron 4 X with a smaller dose each time. This med made me so weak I could barely walk. For the last 10 years I have been eliminating one drug after another but rehab was the last straw. I have been told some of my metabolic pathways may not be fully developed or completely absent. The last time I needed something for a transient episode of muscle spasms, I took 1/10 of the dose 2 instead of 3 times a day. After 10 days the spasm had ceased and I stopped taking the drug.
Now, without getting knocked down over and over, I can concentrate on getting stronger.
Suzanne
I take no medicines. (Believe it or not.) For 18 years, I tried medicines with really bad results. If there was a side effect, I would experience it. After a month and a half in rehab, and with nursing home placement looming, I discovered it was the medicines causing the problems. I was so week in rehab it was very difficult to get much out of therapy. I went home with assistant help and stopped most of my meds. Amazingly, I am so much better. Where I barely had enough energy to sit-up for 1 1/2 hours, now I stay up 13 or 14 hours without a break. I tried Betaseron 4 X with a smaller dose each time. This med made me so weak I could barely walk. For the last 10 years I have been eliminating one drug after another but rehab was the last straw. I have been told some of my metabolic pathways may not be fully developed or completely absent. The last time I needed something for a transient episode of muscle spasms, I took 1/10 of the dose 2 instead of 3 times a day. After 10 days the spasm had ceased and I stopped taking the drug.
Now, without getting knocked down over and over, I can concentrate on getting stronger.
Suzanne
Hi Karen,
I have friends in the UK both of whom have spms. Mike has had spms for many years now, and he too seems to have reached a plateau where nothing seems to be happening to him anymore!
Georgie has just had a Baclofen pump fitted, as she is still having problems, but Mike however is marvelous. in fact when I spoke with him the other day, his speech was much improved, walking had got better etc., so maybe it does sort of stop, or like I said reach a plateau where nothing else happens - it's been the case for mike now for nearly 10 years.
Hope this info is of use to you,
Debs
I have friends in the UK both of whom have spms. Mike has had spms for many years now, and he too seems to have reached a plateau where nothing seems to be happening to him anymore!
Georgie has just had a Baclofen pump fitted, as she is still having problems, but Mike however is marvelous. in fact when I spoke with him the other day, his speech was much improved, walking had got better etc., so maybe it does sort of stop, or like I said reach a plateau where nothing else happens - it's been the case for mike now for nearly 10 years.
Hope this info is of use to you,
Debs
Hi. This is good news. How wonderful for you! I am not well versed with SPMS so I've not heard of this happening.
I have wondered the effect that menopause might have on MS, as I am peri-menopause. Maybe less estrogen can have a positive effect? Researchers have looked at estriadiol, the relapses that occur after childbirth, and how other hormones affect MS.
Please tell us more about the halt in your progression. Have you been on any DMD?
I have wondered the effect that menopause might have on MS, as I am peri-menopause. Maybe less estrogen can have a positive effect? Researchers have looked at estriadiol, the relapses that occur after childbirth, and how other hormones affect MS.
Please tell us more about the halt in your progression. Have you been on any DMD?
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