Bottom Line:
Symptoms have to be pretty bad to prescribe a course of Solu-Medrol, in most cases. However (and this is a big “HOWEVER”), there are many doctors out there who use Solu-Medrol differently from these recommendations.Your doctor may see no problem with giving you a course at the least discomfort. You could be on “pulse treatment,” meaning that your doctor is trying to keep things under control by giving you a regular dose of Solu-Medrol at certain intervals (usually one to three months, but this approach also differs in frequency).
You could have a doc that thinks Solu-Medrol is not a good idea in any situation, in only the very most dire cases, or only for certain symptoms but not others.
Keep in mind, also, that if the potential side effects of Solu-Medtrol are scarier or more unpleasant to you than the symptoms the drug is aiming to treat, you can discuss this with your doctor. While there is clear evidence that Solu-Medrol helps lessen symptoms that you are having during a relapse, there is no evidence that there is long-term benefit. This means that if you can stand having the symptom (or trying to treat it some other way) and waiting out the relapse instead of taking Solu-Medrol, it does not mean that you are more likely to have permanent damage or residual effects from the relapse (than you would be if you did take the course of Solu-Medrol).
Related Articles:
- Solu-Medrol Treatment: Side Effects and Tips
- The Solu-Medrol Experience
- Solu-Medrol and Anxiety
- Solu-Medrol and Acne
Want to learn more? See UpToDate’s topic, "Treatment of acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis in adults," for additional in-depth, current and unbiased medical information on multiple sclerosis in adults, including expert physician recommendations.
Source:
Michael J Olek, DO. Treatment of acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis in adults. UpToDate. Accessed: February 2009.
