What is an "exacerbation"?

I have no diagnoses right now.  But my PCP told me this week that now that I'm feeling better, we need to wait and see if I have an "exacerbation".  What exactly constitutes an exacerbation?  I am still having a few fleeting tingling sensations here and there on my left side every few days. Nothing like I was feeling a few weeks ago with the dizziness, fatigue, numbness. Will I have absolutely NO symptoms for a time, then get hit with major ones? Then I can consider that an exacerbation? Or will I have symptoms basically off and on indefinitely?  

Thanks so much for any help.

[Lauri8967]

Hey Deej -

Under the Health Pages is a section called "Anatomy of a Flare-up" which should help you.  A "flare" or "flare-up" is the same thing as an exaxcerbation.
Good luck -
Lauri

[Deej70]

Thanks Lauri

[Wobbly]

I would think it's when your symptoms come back... and you really know it...then he wants to check into things...

Have you had a MRI etc, sorry I can't rememeber??  

take care
andi
LL

[sllowe]

Welcome Dee!

Your Dr. may be looking for a prior event to diagnosis you with MS.  I know you were directed to look at anatomy of a flare, but I think you will find a lot of good info in the MS Diagnosis HP.  There you will see criteria used by Drs to diagnosis MS.

How are you feeling otherwise? What brought you to the Dr in the 1st place?
Thanks for coming along.  Hope to see you around!
-Shell

[sllowe]

Sorry, meant to say in addition to 'Anatomy of a Flare," peek at the Diagnosis related page, between the two, you'll understand what you should keep track of, and tell the Dr. about.  It's so hard to distingish MS symptoms sometimes from other body misfunctions, etc.
ttys,
Shell

[Deej70]

Thanks Shell and Andi.

Andi, I had a brain MRI last month that showed one lesion.  I have a cervical spine MRI in a few days.  
Shell, I am feeling good right now aside for occasional tingling in left foot and left side. A few weird spots of tingling that only last a few minutes.  Last month I had numbness/tingling in my left toe, foot and leg off and on every single day for over a month, along with horrible dizziness and fatigue.

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Dee,

The Diagnosis HP is actually called the McDonald Criteria.

Also Read the Health Page called "Relapses, Pseudo-Relapses and Remissions."

An attack=an exacerbation=a relapse

That HP explains exactly what the definition (for MS) an exacerbation is.  Talks about what symptoms can do (no matter what the symptoms are) and whether or not they go away between exacerbations.

Quix

[Deej70]

Thanks Quix

[jensequitur]

Deej, I can never tell when I'm in a flareup until I start feeling better, and realize that the last three days (or four days, or week, or whatever!) must have been a flare.

And I have residual symptoms that don't go away.  I dunno where they got this idea of symptoms that disappear after a flare, because I still have all of mine - just not all at the same time, and a lot less intense.

[Deej70]

Jen, that is exactly what I was wondering. My PCP told me to call her immediately if I have an "exacerbation" so she could get me in to see the neuro right away.  and I asked her if that meant if I just had a little tingling here and there and she said no. So I assume it's if my symptoms change suddenly or get much worse. ?