relapse??

What exactly consitutes a relapse as opposed to just symptoms? I have had a positive LP and MRI and currently still have double vision which has lasted coming up 6 months. I have no diagnosis and my next appt with the neuros is in December! Even then I don’t suppose I will get a diagnosis as I think I am classed as a CIS. Can an episode 8 years ago be ‘counted’?? Neuro says not. Anyway, I now have an area of numbness/altered sensation on my Left big toe which has been like that for 3 -4 weeks. It’s not causing me any problems walking and I don’t know if its worth mentioning to the docs. (told GP and he said not worth mentioning) I have also realised that I am quite clumsy. I ricochet round the house. I never feel dizzy or anything so I don’t know whether this is me being ‘clumsy’ and not taking my time or is it due to balance problems? Hubby has always said I walk like a crab! My memory is getting bad and I struggle to think of words and have to properly concentrate. Is this because I’m tired with having 2 small kids to sort or a symptom? All these questions!!! Not easy this Limbo lark! Nette x

Hi Nette. A relapse is anything neurological that last at least 24 hours and isn’t caused by an infection or virus. Symptoms are the things that are actually happening. For example, a relapse can involve just one symptom, a couple of symptoms, right through to loads of symptoms. I disagree with your GP. A numb toe may not sound terribly bad, but it is still not normal, is neurological and therefore of interest. Add to that the crab-like walking and banging into stuff (both problems that can happen in MS) and it sounds like there is something going on. Memory problems are tricky to pin down to MS or other factors - mostly because fatigue can play such a big role - but cognitive difficulties are now recognised to be experienced by many MSers, so your neuro should take it seriously. (Word finding problems are particularly common - and sometimes cause a lot of hilarity in this household for one!) BTW, I don’t see why an episode from 8 years ago shouldn’t be counted, especially if it is supported by objective evidence, for example, if you had ON eight years ago and you had VEPs now and they came back abnormal. That’s certainly the impression that the latest McDonald criteria gives anyway. If the episode was something more vague then it might be difficult though. Hth. Karen x