New and confused....

[kelmagic]

hey hey,
im kelly 36 and diagnosed 6 moths ago...I still have so many questions and hopefully speaking to people who actually go through what I go through might help me more...so here goes...
im pretty sure I am having a relapse, my leg has been burning again, my muscles ache all the time, my skin feels like it is crawling all the time and my leg feels like its magnetised to the floor when I start to walk.
when do I give in a see a doctor or my neurologist?
what happens to people and what sends people to hospital?
if you can shed some light please do
thanks Kelly

[jumangi]

all your neuro when...

hey hey,
im kelly 36 and diagnosed 6 moths ago...I still have so many questions and hopefully speaking to people who actually go through what I go through might help me more...so here goes...
im pretty sure I am having a relapse, my leg has been burning again, my muscles ache all the time, my skin feels like it is crawling all the time and my leg feels like its magnetised to the floor when I start to walk.
when do I give in a see a doctor or my neurologist?
what happens to people and what sends people to hospital?
if you can shed some light please do
thanks Kelly

According to the NMSS:

To be a true exacerbation, the attack must last at least 24 hours and be separated from the previous attack by at least 30 days. Most exacerbations last from a few days to several weeks or even months.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Tre...aging-Relapses

BUT, if you are worried about it, call your neuro. Not everyone who has a relapse has to be hospitalized. The neuro may be able to provide provide treatment without a hospital stay.

Best wishes,
Bill C.

[SNOOPY]

Hello kelmagic and welcome to MSWorld.

when do I give in a see a doctor or my neurologist?

Contact your Neurologist anytime you are uncertain or have questions. Your Neurologist will be the most reliable source for information. Your Neurologist would be able to evaluate your current functioning and make recommendations that would be beneficial for you.

what happens to people and what sends people to hospital?

I don't know, I have never been to the hospital due to MS except for the diagnostic process (testing).

[cjtmn]

Great question!

I am only Dx'd since November and am going through a very similar situation. My symptoms have started to worsen (they never went away to begin with, though) and I've been wondering if I should call the neurologist. I'm not sure anything is bad enough that meds are warranted, though, so then I wonder why I would call? Just to let her know? I haven't seen her since my Dx appointment and am not schedule to go back in until the end of March now.

Cheryl

[pennstater]

Aside from the NMSS guidelines, it is a good question for your neuro. Ask when you need to notify them, what you should expect as a call back timeframe, what if it is after hours ( is there an on call doctor), and severity for ER. It is always a good dialogue to have so you know expectations.

As far as going to a hospital for MS, I think some of it depends on where you live, how severe the relapse is. I have always had IV steroids at home, but know some people go to Infusion centers, and others are hospitalized.

Hope you feel better.

[carriefromMI]

MS is confusing and you've come to the right place. I've had MS for 12.5 yrs and still go ok is this an attack? Should I call my dr? Am I over thinking this? It can drive you crazy.

Yes call your doctor. If your ever unsure if you should call, just call. Your not the first to be confused about what's going on and what to do. We all go through it. Worse case it's a flare and you get treatment. Best case it's not and you are wiser and relieved for knowing.
Pseudo exacerbations, which aren't a new active flare, can be confused with a true flare up. Just happened to me this week. Fatigue and numbness...MRI said no activation and no new lesions....so it's probably a virus just making my "old" symptoms act up. Poor sleep or having a cold or being under stress can cause old issues to reappear. That's a pseudo exacerbation. But when it lasts for days like mine did I started to wonder if it actually was a real attack. So I called.