I’ve been having some issues with spasticity in my legs. It seems to be getting worse???? Very frustrating since everything else seems to be, either the same, or better. I can still walk as far as before, but I feel like I am working harder…it’s hard to explain why…just, that if I walk too fast, my legs can’t seem to ’coordinate’ and I fear stumbling (actually I sometimes do stumble). And then I have to concentrate on staying balanced. I’m just not smooth anymore…and I miss being smooth.
I went to see my neuro a couple of weeks ago to get the results of the MRI I had in January. Seems, whatever I have been doing is preventing those nasty T-cells (?) from passing through the blood-brain barrier, because I have no enhancing lesions! Yeah! My neuro attributed it to the medication she thought I was still on (I guess the MS nurses forgot to mention that I had gone off Copaxone last year!). When I told her I wasn’t on Copaxone, she asked me 3 times over the course of my appointment, ”when did you stop taking, Copaxone?” Hmmmm…if I’m not taking any Copaxone, what could be bolstering my blood-brain barrier???
Now, I haven’t told my neuro that I went to Germany and had the procedure done. That may be a bit childish, but if the neuros are arguing that CCSVI and MS are two separate conditions, then I feel its irrelevant to them whether I have/had CCSVI or not. Deep down, I know I should probably tell my neuro that I had the procedure done, especially in light of the fact that she thought it was the Copaxone that was preventing the blood-brain barrier leak. Just not quite ready to do that.
So, back to my legs. I told my neuro about the spasticity and she has me trying Tizanidine (Baclofen has the opposite effect on me). I thought I would give it a try, in the hopes that it could alleviate the stiffness in my legs (honestly, sometimes I feel like Forrest Gump…you know the scene… where he’s young and has to wear the braces?…well, that’s how it feels…although I sometimes think I can relate to Frankenstein as well. LOL)
So far, I’d say I’m not that impressed. I don’t like the way it makes me feel when it eventually kicks in…and let me tell you, I know when that is…I start feeling a bit ’woozy’…not really drowsy (which is one of the side effects) just…’woozy’ and I stumble around like I am drunk for the next hour! And then, when the medication wears off (after about 6 hours), my legs start feeling tighter than they did to start! I’m thinking, I’d rather deal with the stiffness than feel like a drunk for a few hours every day.
My neuro did suggest stretching, which I know I should be doing, but for some reason just can’t seem to make the commitment to do it. Oh well, I’ll give the meds a few more weeks, and I think a visit with the physiotherapist is in order. Maybe she can MAKE me do stretching exercises?! LOL
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