Treating Relapses
Steroids
During relapses (acute ‘attacks’ or exacerbations), the standard treatment is a course of corticosteroids. These are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs which reduce the length of the attack by combating inflammation in the area where demyelination is taking place. However, they cannot prevent new lesions from forming. Intravenous doses of the steroid methylprednisolone are commonly given for 3-5 days, and can be administered at an outpatient clinic or by a nurse visiting your home. It is not usually necessary to stay in hospital. Steroids can also be given in tablet form instead of by injection, or as a follow-up to a course of injections. Steroids do not have any effect on the long-term course of the disease.
Side-effects
Used long-term, steroids cause various unwanted changes in the body such as raised blood pressure. Intravenous steroids occasionally give rise to insomnia, restlessness, hallucinations or even psychosis. Because of this, most neurologists will only prescribe them for severe exacerbations, and will restrict their use to up to four episodes in any one year. Used in this way the more serious steroid side-effects are very rare.