Hi can someone help me with understand what this means ? My mother has had Ms for approx 30 , she has just been diagnosed with aggressive Ms and neither my mother or father are saying much about it and won’t let me talk to her dr. Her latest relapse has given her double vision which is why they gave her a new mri where the neurologist has diagnosed with aggressive Ms . And I have noticed that her memory has been really bad the last month . She has also been talking about Xmas being a long way a way and a lot can happen in that time . Can someone help my with understanding aggressive Ms ?
Sometimes people think the words Active and Aggressive are interchangeable. They’re not. Active means there are active lesions i.e. new and/or expanding focal lesions showing up on the MRI. Aggressive tends to refer to a sudden increase in the rate of activity. This may be borne out in symptoms or may just be observed on the MRI but not translating into worsening symptoms.
Worth asking the author of the report to clarify what THEY mean by it.
Graeme
I’ve had I aggressive RRMS for 20+ years, but it’s pretty well managed, and I don’t expect it to stop me writing my Christmas cards this year any more than it has the past 22 years.
Look, it’s a scary term, but MS I’d a scary term too and it can mean a lot of things, but few of them are immediately life-threatening. Please don’t assume the worst.
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Hi Kirsteen. Take heart from what Alison says in her reply. Plus, as I understand it there is actually no medically agreed definition of ‘Aggressive MS’ - I think it is just an often and loosely used term to say that the MS is developing faster than the average or that even with a Disease Modifying Treatment the person has still had a relapse or relapses.
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Hi Graeme I’ve read a few of your replies an have a few questions if you can help I’m recently diagnosed with ms just over a month I had my first ms nurse appointment on 9th of this month an explained about ms in more detail I’m approved for injection or intravenous DMT’s I’m to far gone for first line treatment and if these two don’t work that’s it is there a chance of further relapses on DMT’s and what am I looking at if they don’t work questions I forgot to ask the nurse as everything was a blur she seemed more worried than I did and felt she was holdin back but explained a real urgency to start treatment I’m booked in for another MRI this Friday that I wasn’t told about an when I asked her she didn’t know either I’m having new symptom every few weeks but because they don’t last longer than 24 to 48 hours there not classed as a relapse an they don’t seem to concerned by them but I am as that’s not normal
Hi Graeme, I don’t know what I mean by aggressive lol . That is all my parents told me …… Bad news I’m afraid your mums ms has now become aggressive and there is nothing that can be done. … that’s what dad told me and when I asked what that meant they just said she’s getting worse quickly.
I have great communication with my parents 
Thanks so much sorry new to this page , trying to work it out lol. Yes I am definitely an over thinker and thought worst case scenario, especially when you have parents who don’t give you much information. Thanks for understanding and replying 
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Hi Kirsteen, just wondering if your parents said ‘aggressive’ or ‘progressive’?
There is a treatment for progressive that slows down the ‘progression’
Hi , they said aggressive
Hi Kirsteen. I’ve been puzzled by the term ‘aggressive’ MS. Looking around I have found a few cases where ‘progressive’ MS is also referred to as aggressive. I guess that the only way you are going to find out is first to read up on ‘progressive MS’ and possible treatment ( sections on the MS Society website and also on the MS Trust) and then just ask your parents?
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