Medication Reaction?

I guess I will give an update on my health.

I had to stop the steroids after one dose of 100 mg. A few hours after taking the drug, I was half asleep and suddenly jolted awake by my heart pounding. It was like nothing I have experienced.

My heart was pounding so hard that I seriously wondered if I might die. My head was spinning--vertigo, even though it was dark. I immediately suspected a medication reaction or interaction. I felt like everything was far away. And everything seemed big and small at the same time. Swollen. I do not know.

Then I remembered reading in a psychology book about panic attacks, that people think they are having a heart attack or will die. I remembered the advice to breathe through it. Just keep breathing. Wait for it to pass, because it will not continue forever.

And it did stop after a few minutes. But it happened again, three times in half an hour. Then I fell asleep. More like passed out: I had taken sleeping medicine.

I emailed my neurologist, describing the incident and saying that I thought I had had a panic attack. His response surprised me. He thought it was a medication reaction, because people do not have panic attacks when they are relaxed and almost asleep. He told me not to take the steroids for now. If I were to take them again, make sure it is in the morning.

Umm... I did not want steroids. But after I had resolved to take them, I wanted them. I expected to take the course and be done. I was disappointed stopping, because I was really hoping they would help. I considered taking them anyway. I still thought it might have just been panic attacks. But I was afraid that my doctor was right, and I might have a worse reaction and need medical attention; then my neurologist would not be able to trust me. We need to be able to trust each other.

I wonder if I got a bit better on Thursday and Friday because of the steroids? I took them Tuesday night. I do not know. MS is so unpredictable.

What I do know is that I have been sick for over a month, and I want to get better.