The LP is about the same as the epidural for having a baby. Only you get to lay down on your side instead of having to sit up, and bend over.

The rule of thumb about MS flairs, and relapses is

Any new or worsening of an existing symptom. It needs to last 24 hours straight with no breaks in symptoms. (breaks in sx means its probably a flair, or you are over heated, overstressed, or overtired)

You have seven days to report the symptom to the MD for consideration of steroid treatments.

They have up to 14 days from the start of the first symptom that would allow steroids to be effective in the treatment of this relapse.


That being said "most" relapses will clear and recover with or without steroids. The steroids will help make it less severe, and make the probablity of permenant damage less likely. it will help reduce the swelling around the lesion that is eating on the mylin. The name of the game is to survive the relapses with as few disabilities as possible.

My MD calls this the 1/7/14 rule.

hope you feel better.

Unless the LP was misdone or they are looking for a tumour or something new, more than one LP is not necessary. After you have a firm DX, or you re in a Med trial, additional MRIs are, also, not necessary.

JMHO!!

Not all of us have had an LP. I was lucky and didnt need to get one to be diagnosed. (every doctor I saw during diagnosis told me that they didnt want to do the LP, they all thought it was too invasive)

So, I lucked out that they had enough evidence fairly quickly to say that it was MS.

I didn't have an LP either. But I did have an epidural with my second child and I don't remember it being painful at all.

I'd be terrified to have anyone stick anything into my spine. Several years ago, my mom was getting an epidural to help with back pain from spinal stenosis and her bad knees.

I took her up to the hospital my dad works at, and one of his anesthesiology buddies was her pain doctor. He put the needle in, and apparently something went wrong while he was trying to give the epidural. Not sure, but I think he accidentally got spinal fluid leaking out.

My mom's blood pressure spiked. I think it was at 200something over 150something and they were afraid she was going to stroke out. She had a really really bad headache from either the attempted epidural, or from the blood pressure spiking, probably both. They were about to admit her when her blood pressure suddenly went back to normal. (she had to use the potty, and my dad had come in to help her go do that...once she used the potty, her blood pressure went back to normal. It was weird)

They watched her for another hour, but her blood pressure stayed normal, and they decided to let her go home. After seeing how quickly something like that could go wrong, I've now got a phobia for anyone poking anything into my spine or my mom's spine ever again. (think my dad got the same phobia in relation to my mom getting any epidurals anymore...he refuses to let my mom get another epidural again...weird thing is, my dad gives epidurals to people all the time, he's a nurse anesthetist)

There should be no reason you should have to get another LP. Your neuro might order an MRI , but I highly doubt he'd see a reason to order another LP. You had one that helped you get your diagnosis of MS it looks like. The neuros don't order them for relapses, just to rule out other things when we're in the process of getting a diagnosis.

Feel better soon. The change in seasons can be hard on most of us it seems.

well i called my dr today and tried to make an app and the next open date is november 12th and he is the only one that deals with ms in lexington ky. so i dont know what i am going to do in the mean time. i told them if there is and opening to call me bc i have to get in to see him. they said that there were six people a head of me but they would let me know. so i guess i am stuck with this for the next month or so.

i would try to get a copy of your LP results and the report.
wherever you had it done. it's your right to get the report. you may just have to show your ID and sign a paper.

drs usually look at something called O-bands. 2 or more can indicate MS. i'm not sure what else they look at.

you DO NOT have to agree to have an LP again. if you have lesions on the MRI on the spinal cord or brain you can be dx'd without an LP.

i did have an LP early on. mine went well. it was done under flouroscopy so that the dr can see where the needle is. a radiology dr did mine in a wing of the hospital.

Where in Kentucky do you live, if it is all right to ask.
Where are you going for your treatments? I live in Ky. also. and been
fighting ms for 25yrs.

Jappy

I live in Lexington Kentucky and i am seeing dr. S. Houff at the UK Clinic