Lesions on spine

[hreynolds29]

I got diagnosed in August this year (2013) and I have one lesion on my lower spinal cord and some on my brain. The doctor started me on the IV infusion of steroids to get rid of my numbness and help heal up the lesion but I still feel the tingling when I look down especially when I'm laying down and I have to flex my neck to look down towards my feet. The other night I was laying down and I went to look down and then get up and I got the vibration throughout my body and now my toes are numb again and I feel like my left fingers are as well. Are there cases where lesions don't ever heel?? I started on Copaxone about 2 weeks ago and I believe the doctor said it takes up to 3 months for it to start working?? UGH I'm just so sick of feeling the vibrations anytime I look down...am I causing damage when I do?

[anon07072023]

The lesions in my spine have never stopped causing me symptoms. In fact, for me, my symptoms just continue to get worse.

I'm not for sure what you can take for what you're describing. Copaxone will not help cure this symptom that you have. It works on trying to prevent future lesions from happening. This lesion/your symptoms is already there.

You don't have to worry that you are causing more damage by flexing your neck.  

Take care,
Kelly

[Lulu54]

Hi hreynolds and welcome to this little corner of the web.  

Yes, there are times when the lesions don't heal at all,but when they do, the  healing for this is totally different.  Here's how I would describe lesions - they are like potholes and the body continuously tries to patch them .  We all know potholes that are patched on the road don't always hold and are never as good as the original surface - the same goes for our healed lesions.  They may get a new layer of myelin to help but they are never the same.  The holy grail of research right now with MS is finding a way to heal the myelin damage (lesions).

welcome again and I hope we'll see you around,
Laura

[kwarendorf]

Hi HR

No, you are not doing any damage when you look down. What you are describing sounds like L'Hermitte's sign/phenomenon. It is a fairly common MS symptom. It is caused by a lesion(s) in the spine. My version of it was fairy minor and seems to have dissipated over time. I don't know if there are any current meds aimed specifically at L'Hermitte's, maybe others here can help.

As far as lesions healing, they don't in the way a cut can heal and leave no evidence. Nerves that have been attacked by MS typically scar over (multiple sclerosis=many scars). In some cases the scars allow for normal, or nearly normal, messages from the brain to reach their targets. In others, the scars continue to impeded the flow of information. There is no way to predict which way things will go. We all have our very own version of MS, so the only information available will be based on individual experiences.

The goal of the Copaxone is not to heal existing lesions, but to prevent new ones from developing. They steroids that you were receiving in August is aimed at reducing the inflammation of active lesions. Once the inflammation is reduced Major symptoms like fatigue, muscle weakness heat intolerance tend to subside. But the damage remains in place.

Kyle