Confused

[Thankful2B]

I went to see my neurologist yesterday for a routine follow up. She is having me come in once a month for awhile.

As we were going over the last month of symptoms, I was telling her about several days that I experienced complete numbness of my nose and lips (always have loss of sensation on the left side of my face). She asked me how long the numbness stuck around each time. I told her it would come and go over a several days, but that it was consitant each day (no days without it until it completely stopped), but it wasn't non-stop. She told me that that would not be an MS symptom. She said if it were MS-related that it would become numb and stay numb. She said the same thing about vertigo when I told her I had it every day on and off throughout each day for over a week.

I guess I had it all wrong. I don't think I'm having a true flare necessarily when I have these off and on symptoms, but I certainly didn't think it wasn't related to MS.

Now, I'm completely confused. I don't know if I should be worried about these other things or what?!

Any thoughts?

[SNOOPY]

Thankful2B,

It is MS related and due to damage of the Central Nervous System (CNS).

When you have MS it is common for symptoms, such as you have described with your numbness, to come and go. Many of us live with symptoms that come and go or are permanent.

When symptoms come and go and are not constant for a few days it's not a relapse.

Either there was a misunderstanding with your doctor or your doctor doesn't understand MS very well.

[Thankful2B]

Well, there is a bit of a language barrier, but she clearly said "if it's not constant for a certain amount of time, it's not MS". Maybe she meant to say "it's not a relapse", which I understand. I'll be sure to ask her about it next time I see her.

Thank you Snoopy!