Hi. I’m newly diagnosed with rr. It’s been 2 years getting a diagnosis. I’m awaiting another mri and then neurologist will decide what treatment he wants me on. I have been having a relapse for quite sometime now started with my hand it went weak couldn’t hold a cup. That got better but at the end of that my legs started spasming doctor started medication 4 days ago. Tonight I had really bad pain and now my right leg won’t work. I can feel it is over sensitive but just won’t move. My question is this ok? Is this typical of a relapse? What do I do? I’m worried. Thank you.
Hi,
There is not really any such thing as a “typical” relapse, as symptoms depend on where in the CNS the lesions form - which is down to chance, really. So no two people may have exactly the same kind of relapse, and even the same person does not always have the same kind of relapse - i.e. your second could be quite different from your first.
But broadly speaking, symptoms can be sensory (pain, numbness, strange sensations etc.) or motor (movement), or both.
A relapse that is sensory only is usually considered milder and luckier, but motor (movement) involvement is not rare at all. If you’ve already started treatment - which I assume is steroids - I’m not sure anything further would be done.
If you hadn’t already started steroids, motor involvement might well be the cue for you to be offered some, but as you’ve already started, I think you’re on the only treatment there is. You could ring doctor or MS nurse on Monday, just for peace of mind (and to get it on record) but I suspect they’ll say to keep taking the tablets (unless finished by then) and to wait it out.
I’ve not been on them myself, but I gather from other folks here they can take a while to work.
The only other thing to check is that you’re on the right dose. If your GP prescribed, they are not always aware that the dose for an MS relapse is typically much higher than they might be used to prescribing for other things.
If you post what dose you’re on, somebody (but not me) will probably be able to confirm if it sounds right.
Hope you start to feel better soon!
Tina
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