Symptoms or Relapse?

Hello! I’m hoping someone can give me some advice! I’m finding my MS Nurse isn’t that approachable, feel like I just annoying him if I call, so now i just dont call. (I appreciate that he probaboy has a lot of paitents) I was diagnosed in April 2018 and have been on copaxone for 7 weeks. Now, I’m unsure if I’m having relapses or not and that makes me feel anxious. Since April I’ve have periods of numbness in my hands and thighs, this is on and off. When I first mentioned this to my nurse he said that it’s nothing time worry about its just a sensory issues and that I’ll be having a relapse when it’s something that effects my mobilty. Is this correct? Thank you for any advice!

mobility sure carries a lot of weight with neurology departments.

i was diagnosed with sensory symptoms, i’d had them for ages and one MRI was enough for them to diagnose me.

write down each new symptom as it occurs with the date.

then you have information for your neuro/nurse.

Hi Armed

There is some good info about recognising and responding to relapses here

which includes

“Any MS symptom could be associated with a relapse but the most common ones include issues with fatigue, dizziness, balance and coordination, eyesight, bladder, weakness in a leg or arm, areas of numbness, pins and needles or pain, memory and concentration, and mobility. You may experience one or several of these symptoms together during a relapse.”

So most definitely not just symptoms affecting mobility.

Thanks guys, I guess I should try and speak to my nurse again. I’m not seeing my neuro until April next year. I don’t want to find out in April I have a lot of new lesions!

I don’t know if this helps (also I am only newly diagnosed too - so definitely not an expert) but my Neurologist told me to go to A&E if I had any 1 of the following 3 symptoms:

  • weakness
  • bladder problems
  • vision changes

I also experience sensory symptoms like you, so I found it interesting that this wasn’t included in the list of things to look out for but maybe this is something we experience on-and-off as a result of lesions already created and doesn’t necessarily indicate new ones. I had some weird sensations in my left leg right before my last relapse (which was indicated by weakness in my right hand in line with Neurologists’ list of things to look out for) but she was certain that the sensory issues in my left leg were not a relapse indicator. However, the second opinion I got said it could’ve been related. So, all in all not very clear but thought I’d share in case the details help you at all!!