Question: I am aware that as polio survivors recovered from the initial bout with polio, we went through a process called denervation. Does this process of losing anterior horn cells (AHCs) and establishing new nerve pathways continue with post-polio syndrome? A: Denervation is actually not a process but a condition of muscle that has lost its connection to a motor …
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Redness and Swelling in Foot of Polio Leg After Fracture
Question: I had been having redness, swelling and lot of pain in the foot of my polio leg, and then the knee-lock in my brace caliper collapsed, and I fell, resulting in a fracture at the base of the first metacarpal bone, extending into the joint surface (cuneiform bone) in the polio foot. There was no dislocation as the foot …
Cancer Chemotherapy Treatment (CCT) and Polio Survivors
Question: I was recently diagnosed with cancer. My oncologist has recommended chemotherapy. Are are there any specific concerns polio survivors should have regarding chemotherapy that my oncologist might not be aware of? How will it affect my post-polio weakened muscles? Are there specific side-effects that tend to be more severe among patients with a prior history of polio? Is there …
Any Study on the Long-term Usage of Gabapentin for Post-Polio Pain?
Question: I would like your take on using drugs such as gabapentin for use in treating PPS pain. With the new drug laws, my doctor has prescribed this drug for pain instead of the hydrocodone I was taking. (Editor’s Note: Under a final rule issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, hydrocodone combination products are now in a more restrictive …
Are Cortisone Injections Advisable for People with Post-Polio Syndrome?
Question: I am a 68-year-old paralytic polio survivor from the 1955 polio epidemic. I use two leg braces and a variety of assistive devices. My arms were also totally involved but recovered well. My main problem now is increased weakness and pain in my arms as I depend on them more for transfers. My primary care physician recommended using 600 …
Cortisone Shot Side Effects and Hip Replacement Anxiety
Question: Several years ago my right ankle muscles gave out after a cortisone shot. I wear a brace to steady this leg. Now, after two bad falls, my left hip will need replacement. My current orthopedic physician wanted to give me a cortisone shot, and I refused, recalling the reaction from my ankle. Now I am frightened about hip replacement, …
Rates of Diabetes in People with Post-Polio Syndrome and Spinal Cord Injuries
Question: My physiatrist says that paraplegics have a lot more diabetes, so I started wondering how post-polio and spinal cord injury compare with regard to the disease. Answer: You are right that people with chronic spinal cord injury paralysis do develop glucose metabolism abnormalities and diabetes (by criteria) more often than their age cohorts. I attended a 90-minute course on …
Why Would a Polio Survivor be at Risk When Taking Lodotra?
Question: I am a 1949 paralytic polio survivor (at 10 months old). I have rheumatoid arthritis and most of the typical drugs to control pain and progression have frightening side effects. I do well on a modest dose of prednisone and have read in Arthritis Today about a time-released prednisone called Lodotra®. One of Lodotra’s precautions, however, refers to patients …
Potential Side Effects of Specific Medications in Polio Survivors
Question: I am a polio survivor who has had untoward and paradoxical responses to muscle relaxants and meds in particular, but also possibly to lidocaine pain patches used for the first time this year. I was hospitalized, through the emergency room, with cellulitis of my stronger leg while on vacation. I don’t remember the first few days in the hospital, …
Antidepressants’ Potential for Relieving Muscular Pain and Fatigue
Question: Has there ever been a study of whether antidepressants help relieve muscular pain and fatigue? Is it a plausible treatment for people who have had polio? A: There have been studies showing reduction of fatigue and pain (not specifically muscular pain) among depressed patients treated with antidepressant medications, but none considered pain as a “primary treatment outcome.” Depressed mood …