Pulsed Steroids

[monkeybus]

I've looked into steroids before, usually searching "steroids for spasticity"

This time, I searched "for demyelination".

Get this...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/190...

This steroid regimen leads to significant improvement in weakness and disability in all patients treated and to off-treatment remission in 60% of patients. Treatment was fairly well tolerated, and only 1 patient discontinued treatment because of adverse effects. Steroid-induced osteoporosis remained a problem, especially in older patients.

Had never even heard of Pulsed Steroids before. I am prepared to give this a go.

methylprednisolone or dexamethasone are the meds in question.

More toxic drugs to pollute my temple with. A lot of people in the MS community take Prednisone.

How about this...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/704...

Prednisone improves chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy more than no treatment.

Abstract

Of 40 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), 28 completed a controlled three-month trial of prednisone. Prednisone was shown to cause a small but significant improvement over no treatment in scored neurological disability, some measures of computer-assisted sensory detection threshold, graded muscle strength, and some attributes of nerve conduction. No subset of patients was more likely than another to be responsive to prednisone; those with a progressive course were as likely to be responsive as recurrent cases. This finding provides further justification for classifying progressive with recurrent cases as CIDP and demonstrates that prednisone treatment should not be withheld from patients with progressive disease.

[StevenSims]

Hi, you need to be careful with these! In Addisons you are just replacing what's not being produced so no side effects! These are Hormones and control your blood sugar and blood pressure! They can cause water retention, weight gain and Oesteoporosis!

Take care

[monkeybus in reply to StevenSims]

Good god, almighty. Why can't they just invent a cure and be done with it?

[StevenSims in reply to monkeybus]

I've been taking them for 14 years for Addisons!

Have a look at this!

Use of corticosteroids has numerous side-effects, some of which may be severe:

Neuropsychiatric: steroid psychosis,[11] and anxiety,[12] depression. Therapeutic doses may cause a feeling of artificial well-being ("steroid euphoria").[13] The neuropsychiatric effects are partly mediated by sensitization of the body to the actions of adrenaline. Therapeutically, the bulk of corticosteroid dose is given in the morning to mimic the body's diurnal rhythm; if given at night, the feeling of being energized will interfere with sleep. An extensive review is provided by Flores and Gumina.[14]

Cardiovascular: Corticosteroids can cause sodium retention through a direct action on the kidney, in a manner analogous to the mineralocorticoid aldosterone. This can result in fluid retention and hypertension.

Metabolic: Corticosteroids cause a movement of body fat to the face and torso, resulting respectively in "moon face" and "buffalo hump". and away from the limbs. Due to the diversion of amino-acids to glucose, they are considered anti-anabolic, and long term therapy can cause muscle wasting[15]

Endocrine: By increasing the production of glucose from amino-acid breakdown and opposing the action of insulin, corticosteroids can cause hyperglycemia,[16] insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus.[17]

Skeletal: Steroid-induced osteoporosis may be a side-effect of long-term corticosteroid use. Use of inhaled corticosteroids among children with asthma may result in decreased height.[18]

Gastro-intestinal: While cases of colitis have been reported, corticosteroids are therapeutically employed when the colitis has an auto-immune nature, e.g. ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. While the evidence for corticosteroids causing peptic ulceration is relatively poor except for high doses taken for over a month,[19] the majority of doctors as of 2010 still believe this is the case, and would consider protective prophylactic measures.[20]

Eyes: chronic use may predispose to cataract and retinopathy.

Vulnerability to infection: By suppressing immune reactions (which is one of the main reasons for their use in allergies), steroids may cause infections to flare up, notably candidiasis.[21]

All the best

[monkeybus]

You are ruining my scheme here, StevenSims .

[StevenSims in reply to monkeybus]

I just want you to be safe! I applaud your enthusiasm though!

[SongStream]

I also use prednisone as a longer acting corticosteroid for Addison's. My brother and I both have osteoporosis unrelated to steroid use.

[monkeybus]

Saw an endocrinologist today (first time ever). He laid it all down for me, Addisons, Cushings, ADTH. Knew his stuff, unlike most AMN neurologists I've met.

Booked into hospital for a pile of hormone tests in January. Urine tests all day. I asked about pulsed steroids. He said at the right dose, could be helpful. Maybe he would say that. Steroids are his stock-in-trade. Still, he really knew his business

Had the results of my latest Brain MRI today as well. No change.

Got my referral for a Baclofen pump as well.

Got a load more Lyrica. If anything, to get me off the Valium . That Diazepam makes for getting up in the morning like murder. I asked the neurologist what the best med was, he said Valium. Trying to kill me.

[Andrew-432]

Hi again monkey bus I have been in touch with mod4all again and asked how you got your drugs in Australia when I could not get mine in Derbyshire and was told yours were shipped straight from Japan anyway we sorted our problems out and he is now waiting for a new shipment from Japan but in the mean time he has sent me some Modafinil but there is no instructions as I know you like this drug could you give me some advice on how much to take and how often looking forward to your reply.

[monkeybus in reply to Andrew-432]

Modalert? 200mg? If so, he sent the good stuff.

Take 1/4 of a pill (empty stomach) see how you feel 1hr later, take another 1/4 if you need it.

Modafinil is no joke. Watch yourself. I've been on it for years now. Powerful medicine.

Glad you got sorted in the end. Mod4all can be slow, but he's sick.

Report back. For me, it's Piracetam, 4-AP-3MeOH, Modafinil and Lyrica.

Works.

[Andrew-432 in reply to monkeybus]

I will take your advice and see how I get on and how do you take the 4-AP-3MeOH in what quantities as this is only a low dose,

[monkeybus in reply to Andrew-432]

0.5mg per capsule. That's low.

What I do with 4-ap is I take 15mg at bteakfast, then 5mg per time as and when.

I do much the same with the meoh. 1.5mg for breakfast, then 0.5 when I need it.

Until it runs out. Always runs out. Very different to 4-ap.