how is a flare defined? please

[michelerenee]

Hi. How is a flare defined? how do you know when its over? I have had symptoms coming and going for over a year. sometimes my numbness is worse than others. sometimes the trembling in my hands is worse than others.

I just don't know that they every completely go away.

any thoughts? thanks,

Michele

[22cyclist]

A flare is defined by MS symptoms that are present constantly for 24-48 hours continuously. It is not that they come and go, these are regular MS symptoms, not really a FLARE. Also weakness is a symptom but must be present >24-48 hours and must be continuous. You can call your doc at that time.

Hope you feel better, but it sounds like you are having garden variety MS symptoms that come and go. We all get those. They are not an exacerbation.

Good luck, feel better soon
Lisa
Moderation Team

[Whimpurr]

I have this same problem trying to sort out what is what. I am using an online symptom tracker but I still can't see any truly obvious breaks.

There are times when I have a certain set of symptoms and then times when it is more pronounced other symptoms. As far as truly feeling what I would call semi-normal again ... it looks like that is only up to about one week per month.

My appointment with the MS specialist is one week from today and I'm not sure how to describe all of this.

[MSer102]

A flare isn't just symptoms but new or worsening symptoms that last at least 24 to 48 hours. A lot of people have constant symptoms so that isn't enough to be a flare. It has to be something new or worse than usual.

It's harder to tell when a flare is over because a flare sometimes leaves symptoms left over after the flare is done. A flare might start with, say, tingling, but some amount of tingling might remain after the inflammation is gone. That doesn't mean the person is still in a flare. And somebody might lose vision from optic neuritis that doesn't come back. That doesn't mean that the person still has ON and is still in a flare two years later.

In relapsing MS, flares always go away (that's why it's relapsing and remitting), but the symptoms they cause might not. And there can be good days and bad days with symptoms that come and go but those aren't flares. I think that's one of the hardest things about MS to understand.