Hi all, I haven’t been on for a while but I need advice… This last week I’ve had a filthy cold and have been on antibiotics but the juddering in my legs is getting worse and they feel so tight and stiff, and the burning has intensified. My hands are getting worse with the tingling and they are now getting tight and stiff as well. I had steroids around six weeks ago and they haven’t really done anything this time. And I ache all over. I had two quite nasty falls last week as well. I have spoken to MS Nurse today who has got me to do urine test just incase there’s an infection but she is going to speak to neuro tomorrow (he had a day off today). My face is tingling tonight around my mouth and I have a numb patch on my check. Does anyone have any ideas as to what neuro might suggest or where we go from here. Sorry I’ve moaned and groaned but I feel absolutely awful and really fed up at the moment. Sarah 
Hi Sarah, I can tell you straight out what’s happened… you MS is reacting to the cold you had.
With MS our immune systems are highly active all of the time. Our immune systems see the damage that the MS has caused and think it is a foreign body… a bug or a virus… so it goes into full battle mode. Unfortunately it cannot correct the damage (like killing off a bug or a virus) so it stays in battle mode the whole time.
That’s why many of us feel unwell all of the time… feels a bit like having the flu.
When a real virus comes along, as with your cold, the immune system is pushed to extremes. It’s trying to fight the MS damage AND the cold virus and simply cannot cope.
Result? You feel absolutely dreadful and all your MS symptoms are much much worse than usual. And it does take a while before things settle down again. So even though you’ve got over the cold you are still feeling rough.
You really need to treat yourself as if you have still got a cold hon. Go to bed. Take Paracetamol or have Lemsip. Keep warm and drink plenty of liquids. Take it slowly and carefully and your MS symptoms will start to improve again.
Does any of that make sense? Hope so.
Got to bed hon and rest, rest, and then some more rest.
One more thing, the tingling on the face and numb patch on cheek is ‘normal for MS’. It feels awful and scary but it will go away again.
Take care and sorry I only just noticed your post and wished I’d answered sooner.
Pat x
Hi Pat Thank you so much. Am waiting to hear back from MS nurse she’s meant to be ringing me back tomorrow as she’s speaking tp consultant today as she’s concerned with how things r going, will let u know what they say!! Sarah 