Hello again!

So my son's neuro decided to start him on a five-day course of Solu Medrol last week. Its an IV infusion that I was supposed to administer to him at home. The nurse came to the house this past Monday to set the IV and stayed with him while he received the first dose. About an hour or so after the nurse left, my son started complaining of back pain, a sharp pain between the shoulder blades, weakness in his legs, then fell asleep for four hours. He was pale and he looked ill. I was aprehensive about starting this treatment in the first place since he doesn't have a definite diagnosis and he was improving rapidly on his own, walking without the walker, climbing up and down stairs, etc.

The following day I made a decision to stop the Solu Medrol and removed the IV from his arm. My daughter works in the neurodiagnostics section of the neurologist's office and when she told him what I did, he had a fit and told her that I was making a big mistake, "What if he has another episode of leg weakness in 4 or 5 weeks, does your mother want him to end up in a wheelchair or in the hospital again?" and so forth.

I'm happy to report that my son has bounced back from this episode of "whatever-it-is" (still no definite diagnosis) and is walking without the walker, going up and down stairs and seems to be back on track again. There's some tightness and pain in his hamstrings, but I feel this is a result of being in bed for two weeks and can be worked out with some stretching exercizes and his PT agreed with me.

I don't understand why his neuro is insisting on a five day course of Solu Medrol when the child is getting better on his own, and according to one of the nurses I spoke to in his office, this medication doesn't prevent a flare-up from happening, it's used to treat a flare-up that's already happening.

Soooo...I'm expecting a call from his neurologist later on this evening and I don't think it's going to be a pleasant phonecall. I'm sure that he's going to insist on this treatment and my mother's intuition is telling me that my son doesn't need it. I feel really uncomfortable about going against his orders, but I know I have a right to refuse treatment if I feel it's unnecessary and that's what I'm going to do.

As I said it my previous post, I will be taking my son to a pediatric neurologist next month for a second opinion.

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to get this off my chest. I'm wondering if anyone else thinks that a five-day course of Solu Medrol is a bit excessive for a 10 year old child with an undiagnosed neurological condition who seems to be getting well on his own?

Thanks in advance-
Sally