Anyone ever get a massive dose of prednesone? This week
I was given 3 days of IV steroids, 1,000mg/day, each morning 8/28, 29, 30. Now I
feel awful
Stiff, like, worse than before.
?
BERNARD
BUTCHER
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 12:29 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: tmic-list@eskimo.com
Subject: Re: [TMIC] Fw: CAUSES OF TM --CHECK OUT THE RED HIGHLITES
?? didn't we already know this information?
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: tmic-list@eskimo.com
Sent: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 10:42 AM
Subject: [TMIC] Fw: CAUSES OF TM --CHECK OUT THE RED HIGHLITES
Myelitis And Acute Transverse Myelitis
Myelitis, or inflammation of the spinal cord, can result from several
diseases. Poliomyelitis affects the cord's gray matter and produces motor
dysfunction; leukomyelitis affects only the white matter and produces sensory
dysfunction. These types of myelitis can attack any level of the spinal cord,
causing partial destruction or scattered lesions.
Acute transverse myelitis, which affects the entire thickness of the spinal
cord, produces both motor and sensory dysfunctions. This form of myelitis, which
has a rapid onset, is the most devastating.
The prognosis depends on the severity of cord damage and prevention of complications. If spinal cord necrosis occurs, the prognosis for complete recovery is poor. Even without necrosis, residual neurologic deficits usually persist after recovery. Patients who develop spastic reflexes early in the course of the illness are more likely to recover than those who don't.
The prognosis depends on the severity of cord damage and prevention of complications. If spinal cord necrosis occurs, the prognosis for complete recovery is poor. Even without necrosis, residual neurologic deficits usually persist after recovery. Patients who develop spastic reflexes early in the course of the illness are more likely to recover than those who don't.
Causes
Acute transverse myelitis has a variety of causes. It often follows acute
infectious diseases, such as measles or pneumonia (the inflammation occurs after
the infection has subsided), and primary infections of the spinal cord itself,
such as syphilis or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.
Acute transverse myelitis can accompany demyelinating diseases, such as
acute multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory and necrotizing disorders of the
spinal cord, such as hematomyelia.
Certain toxic agents (carbon monoxide, lead, and arsenic) can cause a type
of myelitis in which acute inflammation (followed by hemorrhage and possible
necrosis) destroys the entire circumference (myelin, axis cylinders, and
neurons) of the spinal cord.
Other forms of myelitis may result from
poliovirus, herpes zoster, herpesvirus B, or rabies virus; disorders that cause
meningeal inflammation, such as syphilis, abscesses and other suppurative
conditions, and tuberculosis; smallpox or polio vaccination; parasitic and
fungal infections; and chronic adhesive arachnoiditis.
Signs and symptoms
In acute transverse myelitis, onset is rapid, with motor and sensory
dysfunctions below the level of spinal cord damage appearing in 1 to 2
days.
Patients with acute transverse myelitis develop flaccid paralysis of the
legs (sometimes beginning in just one leg) with loss of sensory and sphincter
functions. Such sensory loss may follow pain in the legs or trunk. Reflexes
disappear in the early stages but may reappear later. The extent of damage
depends on which level of the spinal cord is affected; transverse myelitis
rarely involves the arms. If spinal cord damage is severe, it may cause shock
(hypotension and hypothermia).
Diagnosis
A doctor will suspect transverse myelitis in any patient with a rapid onset
of paralysis. Medical history, physical examination, brain and spinal cord
scans, myelogram, spinal tap, and blood tests are used to rule out other
neurological causes of symptoms, such as a tumor. If none of these tests suggest
a cause for the symptoms, the patient is presumed to have transverse myelitis.
Blood tests may be performed to rule out various disorders such as systemic
lupus erythematosus, HIV infection, and vitamin B12 deficiency. In some patients
with transverse myelitis, the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the spinal cord
and brain contains more protein than usual and an increased number of leukocytes
(white blood cells), indicating possible infection. A spinal tap may be
performed to obtain fluid to study these factors.
Treatment
No effective treatment exists for acute transverse myelitis. However, this condition requires appropriate treatment of any underlying infection. Some patients with postinfectious or multiple sclerosis-induced myelitis have received steroid therapy, but its benefits aren't clear.|
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