Chronically Something

Spasticity, or aches, or pains, or whatever you want to call it.

this has been happening to me more and more frequently. This past month it was unbearable a lot of the time. I talked to my neuro about how much worse its getting and if it could be a side effect of my medication, fatigue, or something else.  Its both a tightening, electric shocking like pain that moves up and down and an over all body ache from muscles to bones. SUCKS. My knuckles hurt. He seems to be sure its the MS. After reading some message boards I read a lot about what people call “spasticity”. There seems to be varying ideas of what this means but this is one of them at the “lesser” extremes. So today my neuro prescribed me Baclofen. Its some sort of muscle relaxant type deal you take 3x a day. Haven’t tried it but I’m aching right now so I might just take my first dose now. Not sure this is helpful but its definitely a pretty common symptom and not directly fatigue related (though really it all works together to fuck up our days heh) 

pepperminteyecandy:

Does anyone else get the aches in relation to MS? I’m not sure if it’s basic MS pain or it’s related to fatigue. It makes my wrists, arms and shoulders and sometimes in my legs and say, the backs of my knees. 

(Source: boundunbound)

12 October 2011 ·

• Tags
• pain
• aches
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Baclofen
• sucktastic

Thanks and an update

I just want to thank everyone for their advice, support, thoughts, and just reading this darn blog. I can’t tell you how helpful its been for me to write about this and touch base with so many of you that are (unfortunately) going through so much of the same crap. 

So after reading and writing and posting I had my appointment today. It wasn’t so bad. I’m pretty exhausted and achey today so I won’t go on the rant about how amazing it is to have a great doctor that you respect and you feel respects you. Its only been a couple months but the differences is beyond words. Anyway, I decided that if I’m sticking to injections I’m going to stay on the copaxone since the others are generally intolerable to me (side effects wise) but that this will just be until I complete all the testing for the other medication options. I’m almost totally leaning towards Tysabri after reading, talking to everyone, and talking to my neuro today. That is, we both agree switching to tysabri is a great plan…. as long as I test negative for the JC virus (which having increases the risk of brain infection a TON statistically speaking ..hahha I like to make the former statistician in me twitch). Anyway, If I test positive for the virus (which is not unusual) I am not at a critical mass quite yet that its worth risking a brain infection. In that case I’ll be taking my chances with Gylenia. I had my blood drawn and we’ll find out 3 weeks from now. 

In other news my usual neuro exam showed some dramatic weakness in my right side (arm especially) which oddly enough I didn’t list as a major new issue for me. Guess all the aches and shock pain and muscle cramping made that seem unimportant. So due to that weakness, and the increase in pain, I’m scheduled for another MRI in Mid November (had one in sept.) and my doc has put me on Baclofen for the muscle/joint/ pain. I’m still reading about it but it seems to be a muscle relaxant of sorts. Not thrilled about more meds but that really pales in comparison to the joy at potentially getting some relif from this pain and from having a doctor actually listen to me describe my symptoms and not look at me like I’m nuts, making it up, or whatever and actually trying to help! 

So following all that I went to the RMV to get my placard only to realize after an hour of waiting (cause I’m slow) that I was supposed to mail it in. So they did that for me and I came home and collapsed on the couch. So now I’m gonna try to make that collapse some sort of sleep hah. Wanted to thank you all again. You rule! <3

12 October 2011 ·

• Tags
• multiple sclerosis
• Neurologist
• The importance of a good doctor
• Copaxone
• Tysabri
• Gylenia
• Chronic Illness
• Chronic Pain
• Muscle Spasticity
• Aches
• Weak right side
• pain
• Baclofen
• Thank you