Worsening Symptoms with a cold or flu?

[MSJimmy]

I was diagnosed with MS three years ago right after I retired from the Army. Throughout the years I had little warning signs or symptoms I just wrote off as a result of parachuting or some other physical activity. Long story so I’ll stick to the short one; my MS has been progressing fairly steadily and I have gone from an occasional drop foot to walking full time with a cane and the distance is very short. I have been fighting off the rollator/walker and am worried that the wheel chair is in my future.

My question is, does anyone experience increased debilitating symptoms when you get a cold or the flu? Other than MS I rarely get sick, but I seem to get a yearly cold which really knocks me for a loop. This morning when I awoke I was almost unable to get out of bed. Trying to get to the bathroom before an accident happened was almost catastrophic in that I couldn’t get my legs to work so I could walk. This happened once before when I also had a severe cold and it just seemed to really exaggerate my symptoms tenfold.

There was no reason for me to go to the emergency room I figure since I doubt I would be able to get the steroids due to the fact I had a cold and it would limit my body’s ability to fight it. Just wondered if anyone else experiences these enhanced symptoms when they get a cold or the flu?

Thanks, Jimmy

[CougarMama]

Yes! Often my MS gets worse before my cold or flu symptoms even start. From what I have learned from others posts, UTI's and other infections can also cause worsening of MS symptoms or even a flare (if your RRMS.)

Rest and take care of yourself!

[Redwings]

Hi Jimmy:
Yes, it's very common for symptoms to get worse during a cold or flu. Body temperature rises as part of fighting off the infection, which can lead to a pseudoexacerbation, which resolves when the illness resolves. Pseudoexacerbations are so common that the "official" definition of a relapse disallows the effects of fever/infection:

"An attack (relapse, exacerbation) is defined as patient-reported or objectively observed events typical of an acute inflammatory demyelinating event in the CNS, current or historical, with duration of at least 24 hours, in the absence of fever or infection." [emphasis mine] From: Diagnostic Criteria for Multiple Sclerosis: 2010 Revisions to the McDonald Criteria; Polman, CH et al.; Ann Neurol 2011;69:292–302

[there]

Yes, my symptoms always get worse if I have a cold, the flu, surgery etc and it seems like I progress a tiny bit afterwards as well.

[Thinkimjob]

Yes indeed. Fortunately, I've not had the 'flu since I started having vaccinations 3 years ago.
The same thing happens to me with any increase in body temperature - hot baths, showers, electric blankets, hot humid days etc.
Summers here are usually 40C.
Cold showers, and air conditioning set to freeze helps.
I hope you start feeling better.

[kittysmith]

Yep!

I think that is what's happening with me. I've had bronchitis for almost 2 months now. I noticed that I have to use my cane more b/c I'm getting a spacticity flare up. I can hardly move when I get up in the morning. Don't get me started about coughing and having a neurogenic bladder. Glad you brought this up. I was wondering the same thing. Hope you feel better soon.

[Flug]

This happened to me for my first time 2 weeks ago when I had a a fever of just over a 100, my fingers (which have about some numbness in the tips normally) started to get more numb and started traveling farther down my fingers, my fingers felt like sausages. As soon as the temp went down they went back to feeling "my normal" again.