I'm in hospital with a swollen optic nerve

[penelopepipsqueak]

Auto immune disease coming out of my ears

No in hospital for 3 days with a swollen optic nerve on IV steroids .

Given everything so far - I'm thinking I've now got MS

Been having investigations for auto immune issues . Rheumatoid arthritis was the tentative diagnosis and I was waiting to start methotrexate

But I lost sight in right eye Monday . It's continuing so went to optometrist today and got sent straight to hospital.
I need a ct scan , lumbar puncture, MRI on my brain and IV steroids . It's a swollen optic nerve . That's the first symptom of MS. Also auto immune. I've got inflammatory markers in bloods - but thy couldn't tell why - just that I'm having an inflammatory reaction and bloods bear that out .

Anyone relate ?

It's a 9 month cocktail of drugs . And I aren't sure what long term damage it's done to my bones, or anything for that matter.

I'm just extremely grateful to the switched on consultant who tested - apparently its extremely rare for it to spread to spine .
Might buy a lottery ticket tomorrow.

@penelopepipsqueak I’m so sorry to read of everything you’ve been going through and hope that the lumbar puncture wasn’t too painful.

I’m pleased to hear that it’s something they are can treat and not something progressive .

I know two people who had TB in the Uk, a man in his 30s who works in retail and a woman in her 20s who works in an office. neither had been travelling anywhere exotic or worked with a high risk group eg homeless people or asylum seekers.

Both took a while to get a diagnosis and were quite unwell, the same as you. However they both made a complete recovery with no complications or long term problems.

I hope you feel better soon .

Thank you andy that's reassuring to read .

I'd feel a bit less pessimistic I think if it was "normal" TB but it's bypassed my lungs and gone straight to my spine . But I'm hopeful for treatment.

Thank you for the kind words, it means a lot xx

Thats excellent news! Hopefully you should very slowly but surely with lots of care make a full recovery! Nasty cocktail of drugs first though! TB in on the list of 'we dont know what this is but it looks nasty and its not classic of anything'
Sending lots of good luck x

wrt to tb - have you ever had raw milk or raw milk products? apparently that is the biggest cause if tb other than the pulmonary version in the uk.

Wow, TB ! Thanks for updating.
I am crossing fingers that they have at last made progress.

TB ! What a shock OP. Were you vaccinated at school? I know the treatment is lengthy but thank goodness there are treatments now.

One of my first ever patients as a student nurse had spinal TB, i've never seen it again since.

Fingers crossed that the drugs help soon. Thinking of you!

Thanks all

Yes I had the bcg vaccine
No I never have raw anything let alone milk - I'm an Aldi girl all the way . Everything I eat is pasteurised.

Getting confused as the literature says it's chemotherapy as treatment .

I'll be back at hospital next week so guess I just need to ask - I didn't ask much today as was a bit shell shocked

The treatment is BCG, the same type that is in the vaccination, it is used as a form of chemotherapy for bladder cancer, my dad had it for his. From what I can remember, he had no side effects from it.