Guess so! Was nearly a year ago with the ON attack, now this round.

So this is day 2 oral steroids. Been through 5 on IV already. The good news is, not spastic! Apparently I'm just getting bad leg cramps.

I do, however, have some balance stuff going on my left side. Seems to be sensory more than else. Thankfully, neuro knew right away what I meant when I described the leg dropping/buckling feeling.

Still dizzy as heck and oral steroids give me wicked headaches! Overall though, the news, even as a relapse, isn't so bad.

Aww sorry to hear this dear...

At least your doc gives you something to take the nasty sxs away...mine only has prescribed IVSM once in almost 4 years...I don't even call anymore when something's up.

Hope you feel better soon...

I'm sorry you are having your annual flare. I hope you start to feel better soon. And, I get the legs dropping/buckling thing. It's a weird symptom and seems to be sensory only.

Hang in there, Laura and let us know how you are doing.

Thank you for this. Nice to hear I'm not alone! Yes it's truly weird! It started off slow (affecting me only it seemed at times when I'd be standing stationary doing something) and then progressed into affecting me while I'd be out walking - that's when I realized I needed to be seen (plus I had other sxs cropping up). Did you find yours also came along with dizziness/vertigo at all? That's ultimately (the dizzy/vertigo) what has me off work now, plus the side effects of the steroids (which are tragic, my body hates the junk, if I could avoid taking it I sure would).

Decided after talking with neuro to taper off Topiramate as well. It's not doing what it should be doing for me (migraine prevention) and the side effects are worse than the benefits. Not a good medication for me either. Sigh... Another failure in the books! One day I'll find something to control the migraines, I know it!

For now, let's get off what I don't need, get through these roids, and get back to work. Oh, and if relapse wasn't fun enough on its own, I get to go back to the doctor to see if I have a UTI. Weeeee! Fun never stops!

Sheesh Laura, enough is enough. Please feel better soon..

I cant decide if I should go to the hospital or not. I need some advice...
Im having a major flare up. The left side of my face went numb a month ago, and a week ago, I began experiencing Optic neuritis in my left eye. Now I feel like im getting a cold, and 2 days ago I began experiencing Vertigo. I feel super weak and feel like im gonna drop to the floor every 10 min.
My doctor seems too busy to get back to me, he did order an MRI last week and Ive taken 5 days of oral steroids, but things are just getting worse. I want to avoid any permanent damage to my eye. Any advice?
Thanks

I'm definitely not a professional, but if memory serves me correctly, the IV steroids seem to work best for Optic Neuritis (versus oral).

With that said, truth or not, vision is one element you don't want to mess with. You certainly don't want to permanently damage your eye! Things can get worse before they get better on steroids (from my experience), but where the eye's involved, I say it's best to contact your doctor asap for a follow up.

I have been on Topirimate (Topamax) for about 5 years. My old neuro told me it was for pain and headaches. New neuro (I really like her) said that she won't be able to tell if my cognitive function is from my MS or the Topamax until I come off of it! I was taking 200mg/day. She is a headache specialist also and said there are much better things than that out there.

I had some migraines but never went to the Dr. for them, I don't even know why he used this med on me. I remember lookin it up online and people call it Dopeamax because it makes you so stupid! Hopefully my brain will work better too!!

I was taking 150mg/day. My neurologist pretty much said the same thing - that he would not know if Topiramate or MS was causing cognitive. For me, now down to 25mg at night only (almost done!) it was definitely the medication causing cognitive for me. I noticed a 'turn around' once I had decreased by 50mg (to 100mg), and it got better from there.

I'm being sent to more specialists now. Rheumy, ophthalmologist, neurologist. Basically, my doctors don't know what's up with me, again. Back in limbo it feels like. Mid-August I developed literally overnight these dime to quarter sized red bumps on both my shins. I only had a couple at the time on either leg. I figured they were a result of the Topiramate, as when I was starting to taper off, these bumps started to also subside.

Wishful thinking. Fast forward to just over a week ago. October 5 to be exact. Woke, didn't notice a thing wrong. By noon, I had to descend/ascend the stairs to retrieve a package from UPS. I noticed then my legs from knees to ankles were hurting. Like when you've walked a lot in ill fitting shoes. By 5 pm, hubby gets in from work, and I check my legs which are now in dreadful pain. Fresh bumps, only a lot more than previously, and they're super inflamed. Same thing - red, no 'point' in the centre, hard lump under skin, tender to touch.

I'd shown the older ones to doctors previously who had NO idea what these were. But here I had a case that was starting up/fresh to show the doctor. Who was able to look and diagnose "Erythema Nodosum".

I then went to my GP, who looked them over and saw that my ankle (left) was swollen badly. When I read about E.N., I wasn't at all surprised to see it's associated with various conditions, but notably Bechet's Syndrome (Disease) which I've long suspected I may have, or something very similar, as I have the other hallmarks of this.

So... now we're investigating arthritis and other possible conditions that may be present. Ugh.. fun!

Considering I was on steroids for the MS relapse, one would think that they would help reduce the inflammation for the legs, but nope.

Now I am left wondering what is MS, what is mystery condition X? Are my symptoms attributed to MS alone? My headache/migraine pattern is certainly more indicative of Bechets.

Argh!!!