Short-Term Safety of Pulse Steroid Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis Relapses Publisher Pubmed



Shaygannejad V¹ ; Ashtari F¹ ; Alinaghian M² ; Norouzi R¹ ; Salari M¹ ; Fatehi F³ Show Affiliations
Source: Clinical Neuropharmacology Published:2013

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the short-term safety of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone in acute attacks of multiple sclerosis (MS). METHOD: In a prospective study, we evaluated the patients with MS who received high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone for acute attacks. By repeated physical and laboratory examinations and history taking, patients were assessed for adverse effects that would be related to pulse therapy before, within, and 3 months after the treatment. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients with definite MS with acute attack were enrolled in the study in which 46 (71.9%) were female. Fifty-eight patients (90.6%) developed minor adverse effects of which the most common were palpitation, flashing, dyspepsia, insomnia, and virulent taste. On the other hand, 12 patients (18.75%) developed major adverse effects, and the most common was sinus tachycardia. Six patients (9.3%) were without any adverse effects. There was a significant relationship between the dosage of methylprednisolone (3 or 5 g) and the occurrence of major adverse effects (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: This study approved that high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone is a safe treatment in MS attacks and the short-term adverse effects were mostly minor and transient. Copyright © 2013 by Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.