Originally Posted by Erika

misshayleesmom,

Argh...this is where the Canadian medical system really sucks. The wait for specialist appointments is a round a year here too. If you have to wait that long, at least try to get your PCP to refer you to an MS Clinic neuro, if there is one in Ontario. I waited for about a year to first see mine, but he is the head of the MS Clinic in B.C. The draw back is that he is super busy, is interested and involved in research and hasn't shown a great deal of interest in my situation since he determined that I am now SPMS.

When I first saw him though, it was because the body went into a relapse and didn't go into remission. He ordered all sorts of tests and evaluations to exclude secondary diseases or MS similars. That all took another year to complete and get back in to see him again. But at least I got some answers. I honestly don't think that I would have gotten that from a regular neuro...and I've seen quite a few over the years.

Also, depending on your financial situation, your PCP can write a request for an MRI that can then be done in a private clinic. The wait is usually under a week and the cost for a brain MRI is around $ 800.00.
Here's the listings for the ones in Ontario:

Ontario MRI Clinics for Private MRI Scans in Ontario
http://www.findprivateclinics.ca/Ont...-9-0-82-0.html

Raynaud's is a distinct possibility for your hands turning blue but it might be worth having a check on general circulatory system stuff as well. Have you had an ECG and blood work done?

Also, I'm a bit surprised that the doctor prescribed Flexeril. It really isn't recommended for chronic spasticity and is more often used for spasms due to acute conditions like post surgery and injury. It might help with a differential diagnosis though, because it does nothing for neurogenic spasticity, which is what causes most of the spasms in MS and other neuro-immune disorders. Baclofen is the most common drug used for MS spasticity.
Thus it will be interesting to see if Flexeril has an effect on the spasms that you are experiencing.

Flexeril is a sedative-type drug, so be careful and watchful for dizziness, in-coordination and weakness; especially in the first few days that you are taking it.

Here's some info from a pharmacy data base for prescribing practitioners:

FLEXERIL should be used only for short periods (up to two or three weeks) because adequate evidence of effectiveness for more prolonged use is not available and because muscle spasm associated with acute, painful musculo-skeletal conditions is generally of short duration and specific therapy for longer periods is seldom warranted.

FLEXERIL has not been found effective in the treatment of spasticity associated with cerebral or spinal cord disease, or in children with cerebral palsy.


With love, Erika