What symptoms are considered a flare?

[cali1892]

What symptoms constitue a flair?
I have been having marked increase of spacicity, weakness and fatigue. And tremors. Sometimes I'm not sue if my legs are gonna make the next step. I just try and if they catch me I go on. I can't stop at work.
Anyway do you have to loose vision or use of your limbs to be considered a flair?

[heliotrope]

I think it depends on you. For me, extreme fatigue (thus far) is not a normal day-to-day thing, so bouts of it indicate to me that I'm having inflammation. If it's a normal, day-to-day thing, it's probably not. But if it's new... Call your doctor.

[cali1892]

That's kinda what I wad thinking. Fatigue is normal but not at this level. As well as spasicity. Sometimes I have none it just a little. But this is definitely increased.
Thank helio.

[SNOOPY]

An exacerbation (relapse, attack, flare-up) is an increase or worsening of old/new symptoms that are sustained for at least 48 hours. Symptoms that come and go are not considered an exacerbation.

Exacerbations can last days, weeks and even months. Some are mild and some can impact your quality of life.

Notevery symptom indicates inflamation, it can simply be life with MS.

Understanding exacerbations, an online presentation:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/download.aspx?id=20159

[cali1892]

[QUOTE=SNOOPY;1275553]An exacerbation (relapse, attack, flare-up) is an increase or worsening of old/new symptoms that are sustained for at least 48 hours. Symptoms that come and go are not considered an exacerbation.

Exacerbations can last days, weeks and even months. Some are mild and some can impact your quality of life.

Notevery symptom indicates inflamation, it can simply be life with MS.

Understanding exacerbations, an online presentation:


So, Snoopy are you saying that its probally not a flare? That its just normal life with this monster.
I understand the 48 hours thing. This has been markedly
increased since thursaday.
So for it to be considered a flare you need something more profound like loss of function or vision. Along those lines?

[heliotrope]

No, what she meant is that if it's less than 48 hrs (say a 2 hr patch), it's not a flare. Those are pseudo-flares. You've had symptoms for more. Call your doctor.

It's only time that tells if symptoms are permanent (my doctor says if you have it for a year, it's likely permanent)...

[SNOOPY]

So, Snoopy are you saying that its probally not a flare? That its just normal life with this monster.
I understand the 48 hours thing. This has been markedly
increased since thursaday.
So for it to be considered a flare you need something more profound like loss of function or vision. Along those lines?

I am not a medical profession and will not assume to know if you are having an exacerbation

You asked what symptoms are considered a flare, I gave a brief description.

Did you bother going to the URL I provided? It has a good explaination of an exacerbation.

Good grief...shoot the messenger

[cali1892]

No, no, no Snoopy. That's not how I meant that.
Please don't think that. I did go to the ms society web site.
I just can't seem to wrap my head around all of it.
I understand that no one can say truley if it's a flare except my neuro. Please understand I'm only asking for opinions and experiences of more experienced ms'ers than me.

I promise my post were in no way meant in any other way than to try to understand this thing.

Thank you all for responding.

[heliotrope]

I am not a medical profession and will not assume to know if you are having an exacerbation

You asked what symptoms are considered a flare, I gave a brief description.

Did you bother going to the URL I provided? It has a good explaination of an exacerbation.

Good grief...shoot the messenger

Just blame the newbie syndrome You want someone to tell you definitely whether or not your symptoms are normal, etc... I know... I do it too!

Snoopy, we appreciate the reminder of the medical definition!

[SNOOPY]

cali1892 and heliotrope,

No apologies...please.

Maybe I could have handled my response better.

An exacerbation is not easy to explain or understand regardless of how long you have had this disease.

Many of us who have had this disease a long time can be caught off gaurd by an exacerbation. It's easy to say to yourself --- same old symptom(s) coming out to play, what a pain in the butt...again. Sometimes you have a moment and think "huh, I'm having a relapse" didn't see that coming

Whenever in doubt always contact your neuro, he or she will be the best one to access your current symptoms.

There are no symptoms that indicate a relapse, each of us experience the disease differently. Relapses are more about your symptoms and the duration, but even that isn't cast in stone.

Not all relapses require steroids. Sometimes, for some people, symptom management meds and/or Physical Therapy can help.

The URL was provided to hopefully explain an exacerbation better than many of us are able to. There seems to be so much confusion about this topic.

I hope I did better this time