Steroids
Hello all from Canada. I am so surprised when reading postings about PWMS in the US about how early on and how frequently you are put on steroids. Here it is a rare thing and only used if the exacerbation is pretty severe - like if you can't walk or see. Tingling and numbness are simply not treated except by rest.
I often wonder if my general quality of life would be improved if when I was laid low by fatigue or some other symptom I was to take steroids, but then I worry about the side effects (as our doctors seem most concerned about here). Does it seem to help overall? Do you think it is making a difference to the progress of your disease? Do you ask for steroids for flare-ups or does the doctor suggest them?
I'm just curious about the difference in treatment as if seems so definitive.
HI Dabble58! Thanks for your input. It's always helpful to get perspective from our international members. It does sound like diagnosing steroids may be a little more common her in the USA, based on what you shared. I do hope you get some personal input from our members as well. Here's a little information on relapses and steroid use in managing relapse situations -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/multiple-sclerosis-101-relapses/. I cannot answer for certain whether prescribing steroids for a relapse is standard operating procedure among the USA medical community or not. Thanks for reaching out with your questions and for sharing your own experiences with the community! We're glad to have you here! Best, Erin, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member.
I live in the US and was just placed on 50 mg 20 tabs in one sitting of PREDNISONE. After 3 rd dose I became worse than I was with relapse. Has anyone else experienced this high dose for RMS? I have contact my physician and had no reply. Pharmacist said STOP now.
Hi Dzblond56. We are so sorry that this is happening to you! I would definitely encourage you to continue to try to speak with your physician, as he or she knows more about your medical history to see what they say about it. Hoping that some community members will be able to reach out with some personal experiences as well. Thank you for commenting and being a part of our community!
Meagan, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member
