how long do your relapses last

I was just dx with ms in July of this year.  I'm on my second week or copaxone injections and they seem to be going pretty well so far.  My question to everyone is how long do your relapses last?  I've been having sx ever since mid May with more sx coming on every week.

Obviously the copaxone takes a long while to work.  My neuro believes that I've had ms for 10the yrs, but my sx have never lasted this long.   I'm a little concerned but don't want to call my doc over every little thing.  My next appt is coming up on the 13th so I feel like I can wait until then to talk to him about it, but it the mean time I'm wondering about ya'll experiences.

Thanks,
Laura

[Lulu54]

It's great to hear your injections are going well and you seem to know it takes several months for the Copaxone to begin doing its thing and protecting our central nervous system.  

the 13th is not that far off, but if these new symptoms are really bothersome you should call the office now and not wait until then.  

Lulu

[HVAC]

The answer is everyone is different. Relapses or attacks, or exacerbations are caused by inflammation. So when the inflammation goes away so do symptoms. Some people need steroids to help with inflammation.

If symptoms do not go away at all they are caused by nerve damage.Then there are medications which can help symptoms.

Also heat causes some symptoms to be worse. Many of us are having a hard time this summer.

Copaxone takes up to six months to kick in. Sometimes you feel no different since it does not work on symptoms, it slows progression.


Alex

[Needhelp16]

Sorry I wanted to bump this

[wildcat2x]

Hi, I had the same questions and even asked my neuro.  He had stated that the intensity of the symptoms should diminish with the steriods but some symptoms (like the wierd feeling on my feet) might never go away.  This would become my baseline.  It is possible that after an attack that your baseline may change.  During the attack your condition changes sometimes dramatically.  But this isn't your baseline - baseline is where you would be once you recover.

(I am familiar with this as I used to work in the mental health business and this was common when the clients had an episode or when off their medications and had an episode, the baseline of their condition could change (during an attack it did change a lot, but once they stabalized their baseline could return or it might be lower.)

[Sumanadevii]

A flair can last just 24 hours or months.  I am just coming out of a flair that is in the third month.  It required a 30 day hospital stay.

Here is more information at the National MS Society web site.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/treatments/exacerbations/index.aspx