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Possible Relapse from Infection?

I went to see my neuro's PA today in Denver.  I've been having new and increased symptoms for a little bit.
Since I had a fever when I went in today, she thinks that my symptoms could be related to that. And she said that if I have an infection somewhere, it could cause a relapse.  It seems kind of odd.  I guess when your internal body temperature is higher than normal, you can run into this.  Kind of interesting....

Thanks,
Kelly
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338416 tn?1420045702
Thanks, sweetie!  It really gets a lot easier to identify which is which with experience, sadly enough!  
Helpful - 0
559187 tn?1330782856
I loved your personal experiences with relapses vs. pseudo-relapses. It was very simpl/e to follow and a good guide as a frame of referece.  It helps and thank for adding this to Kelly's post.

Julie
Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
Definitely - in my experience, anything that raises your temp will cause problems.  This can be any part of your body, too.  My vision gets blurred when I'm in front of a campfire, or when I'm getting stuff out of the oven.  My hands get weak under hot water.

I had the flu a couple of years ago - aside from a temperature, there really wasn't anything wrong with me.  But that high temp made me weak, extremely fatigued, and I had a hard time walking.

My rule of thumb is to take my temperature, and if it's above 98.6, I'll take a fever reducer (aspirin or ibuprofen) to bring it down.

Now I don't know about anybody else, but whenever I have *anything* happen to me - flu, cold, blood clot, menses, ovulation - I have a pseudo-relapse.  For me the difference between a pseudo-relapse and a real relapse is the variety of new symptoms.  Mostly pseudo-relapses seem to be reruns of old problems, while a real relapse is a new problem.  I had three months of the right side of my face feeling ice-cold.  Aside from that I didn't have any problems (except for fatigue) but it counts as a relapse, because it's a new symptom.
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Avatar universal
Thanks guys, I really appreciate your input.  I think that maybe even if I didn't have an infection, and just had a low-grade fever for a while, then I'd still get the same effect.  I don't know. It's really weird, but I guess it's all connected together.  
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Avatar universal
I am recovering from a cold and my symptoms were all worse during the worst of it. I am still having bouts of severe dizziness, but yesterday when I leaned over to get something, I almost didn't stop. I'm feeling better today, cold symptom wise and have noticed the increased MS symptoms have eased up a little bit.
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559187 tn?1330782856
Just an add on to this discussion.  

I'm recoverinig from a relapse that was  likely triggered by a bad viral resporator infection.  I got a sinus infection along with bronchitis during Christmas and just as I thought I was getting better, it came back.  Within the next week, I noticed that I was having possible relapse symptoms as well in my right leg.  Like Lu said, sometimes when we can be sick and have pseudo-relapses and that is what I thought it was at first.  But, when each day was worse than the day before, I contacted my neuro and let him decide if this was the real thing or not.  

I learned form the neuro team that if infections are a trigger for a particular MS patient, that viral infections tend to be more of problem than bacterial infecftions.  He explained the reason why but I forgot not 5 minutes afterwards.  I will ask him again and have a pen and paper ready with the answer and pass that on to you.

Your question is a good one. Let's see if anyone else in the group and dig up more research information on it.


Julie
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Avatar universal
Thanks Ess and Lulu.
I'm not for sure how the PA ordered the urinalysis.  I know after having to go in a cup (sorry, I know that's gross), then I had to donate 4 viles of blood.

Every time I've been to the neuro since July, I've had a fever each time - just about 99.9. Which is very weird, since my temp has always ran about 97.5.  
I don't feel sick at all - just tired a lot. In fact, it's probably been several years since I've been sick.  Maybe it's something else that's making me have a slight fever.  

Thanks,
Kelly
Helpful - 0
572651 tn?1530999357
We're kicked this debate about a number of times - especially after my relapse this summer, due to a UTI.  Quix and I came to the agreement that my increased MS symptoms were pseudorelapse - when the source of infection and fever were controlled, the symtoms improved.  

Did the PA also do a urinalysis with blood culture?  That's the lesson I learned last summer -- just the dip stick in the urine is not enough.  


feel better, Lulu
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Avatar universal
Hi again, Kelly. Relapses vs. psuedo-relapses is an area that puzzles me too. Mostly it doesn't matter, though. If we find a way to shorten our symptoms, all to the good. Avoiding permanent disability is what counts, as does quality of life.

The way I understand it, the connection between infection and MS relapse is that any infection causes our immune systems to rev up. Our immune systems are weird to begin with, and are likely to over-react. Not good, if they wind up attacking the wrong stuff on the way to doing their proper jobs. So staying under the infection radar is something we should all be aiming for. That's why vaccinations are good for us in particular.

ess
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Avatar universal
Thanks Alex :-)
Helpful - 0
667078 tn?1316000935
Just as we do not tolerate heat we do not tolerate a rise in body temperature. I have a condition which causes me to run fevers often and when I do the MS symptoms are worse.

Alex
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well, now I'm not for sure if it's a relapse or a pseudo-relapse.  Hmmmm....  

She's running a bunch of labs on me checking my WBC, TSH, and Vitamin D (I told her that I already know that my Vitamin D runs low & that's why I take about 2000 IUs).  She told me if my labs comes back showing infection, then they'll treat me with antibiotics.  And in the mean time, and also if it doesn't show infection, then she just want me to take more Baclofen.

Taking more Baclofen doesn't make too much sense, especially since I already have too much weakness in my legs. Unless the weakness is related to an increase in spasticity. Usually my partner or one of my brothers goes with me. This time I went by myself, and apparenlty I can't remember everything on my own (even with my notes), and ask all the right questions. It's only after I leave, that I think about them.

Ho-hum. Kelly.  
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