2007 July - Side effects

My personal troubles with MS and

my side effects of prophylaxis against it..:

Troubles with the illness are unique. Here come mine, starting from head to toe… and mostly one can't define if it's troubles or side effects, or normal problems healthy people have too:

1.      fast weariness/fatigue, condition of exhaustion, combined with sleepinessI need to take a lot of breaks during the day, sums up to not even 3 hours max. of energy I have left per day; I'm tired as can be, as if I had done heavy housework, or had worked a long day at the office, and then on the other hand I can't sleep, lie awake at night time!

2.      aches (head, neck, back)they appear out of the blue, mostly when I 'overdid' something, didn't take enough breaks, didn't rest long enough etc.

3.      nausea

4.      cognitive deficitslack of concentration (I jump from one subject to the other), can't read or telephone then, can't even handle music or loud noises; ability of remembrance shrinks; memory problems; it's hard to find solutions to solve problems; loss of multi tasking;

5.      bowel and bladder malfunctionsability 'to hold it back' shrank, the capacity of bladder and intestines reduced

6.      disturbance of balanceyou have a gait like drunks (a friend of mine wears a t-shirt then, saying: 'No I'm not drunk, I have MS!' sad huh?)

7.      visual disturbancesblurry vision, or double vision, my eyes can't focus or zoom then

8.      disturbances of sensitivityon the skin for instance, lips, tongue, facial parts have a tingling sensation, or the extremities do

9.      difficulties in speechas if my tongue twists, words don't come to mind easily, or they blend together

10.  loss of feeling surfacesif I touch surfaces, they all feel the same (silk, cotton, sand, velvet), and I can't just grab into my purse or wallet, I'll have to look in it, to see what my hand feels, and being a cosmetician, chiropodist and office clerk, that's very bad when you can't depend on your hands, I tell ya!

11.  inflammations in the mouthas if you had too many sour foods (tomatoes, juices)

12. high body temperature and transpiration

13.  shivering fitI go to bed in my pajamas and socks, and have to take everything off during the night, because of heat waves going through my body

14.  rash, fungus, eczemamy dermatologist says it's my nerves, I should try to relax instead of scratching, but the 'Beipackzettel' (medicine note, explains which ingredients the medicine includes) says: changes of skin

15.  chest pressureit feels as if your upper body part is stuck in a vise, pressing you tighter and tighter together, only cure: lying down, using ice packs to 'freeze frame' the pain

16.  cycle difficultiesintervals, length and intensity of menstruation are very irregular

17. hurting knees

18.  heavy legsI used to love dancing, but some days I can barely lift my feet, let alone dance!

19. bad circulation, bruises

Let alone the flushes in the face one has sometimes (my face turns sweaty and red like a tomato), or when you give yourself the injection… I sometimes hit a vein, or muscle! Then it starts to swell, or even bleeding, if I didn't put it deep enough into my skin.

All this comes in various combinations, or not at all. Every day is different for me, and I have to adapt to my body's and the illness' needs.