NEVER AGAIN

From now on, I'll trust my gut.

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2:11pm
From what I can tell, it's new info.

I want to bring a copy of it with me to my next appointment and paper-cut to death the entire Neurology "team" I've had to deal with.

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Irreversible neurological worsening following high-dose corticosteroids in advanced progressive multiple sclerosis.
Koch M, De Keyser J.
Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. m.w.koch@neuro.umcg.nl

Abstract
BACKGROUND: A course of high-dose corticosteroids has been shown to hasten recovery from a relapse of multiple sclerosis (MS). Some patients with progressive MS ask for a course with corticosteroids outside a relapse, hoping to gain some functional improvement.

OBJECTIVE: To describe 4 patients with advanced progressive MS who experienced worsening of disability after treatment with high-dose corticosteroids.

RESULTS: All 4 patients had moderate to severe disability and asked for corticosteroid treatment because they were slowly progressing. None of them had a relapse. All experienced improvement by the end of the treatment course. One or 2 days after discontinuation of treatment, however, they deteriorated clinically and became more disabled than before treatment.

CONCLUSION: The use of high-dose corticosteroid therapy in progressive forms of MS outside relapses can be detrimental and worsen disability.

PMID: 16518129 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]