Relapsing remitting MS means no symptoms in between flare ups?

[chicagomom05]

I am a 37 year old female. I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS 2 years ago. Just because I have relapsing remitting does this mean I shouldn't feel symptoms everyday?? I have good days and bad days where I feel very heavy and fatigued. I often have leg pain and find it hard to be on my feet. What does this mean?

[Russia1991]

what's the best way to find out if You have MS? My symptoms started after major bowel movement and bowel discomfort progression: I started feeling severe abdominal discomfort after anything I ate, pulsating in my legs, pain and pricking in my legs at night, fatigue especially after eating anything, just awful after I ate almost anything, Felt like a huge bag of sand was pressing on all my insides in my get. Then I got severe eye pressure and pain behind my eye. Then eventually I got pressure all over my body, muscle aches and sharp pains after eating a lot of different foods and when moving like walking or after lying down where the bed put pressure on my legs, acid reflux with regurgitation, and now join aches after I eat.

[supermum_ms]

Hi Russia, i'm not sure why you think a neurological condition like MS could be the cause of your symptoms.....there are many other much more common explanations than MS for what you've described,  MS doesn't actually cause 'all over' symptoms or joint pain after you eat so it's more likely to be something else entirely.

It honestly sounds like there could be more of a bowel and or gut related issue going on eg food allergy/intolerance, irritable bowel, celiac, chrones, ulcerative colitis etc because it started with a bowel movement and your symptoms are exacerbated by eating etc which are a lot of the common bowel/gut associated symptoms.

Speak to your GP about what tests you still need to work out what the problem is but If you really think you should find out if it could be MS  or not, you'll need a referral to see a neurologist.

Hope that helps.......JJ

[nonisheppard]

Part of relapsing remitting MS is the periodic flare ups , as you know.  With every flare, there is the possibility of damage being done , obviously...some of this damage is recoverable, some isn't. So, yes, having symptoms between flare ups is a definite possibility. For me, it is the usual.  It's like you have a flare up, you have deficits as a result...and on the flare up ending, some or all of that deficit remains. Ultimately, the damage done by the demyelination is cumulative....Relapse, symptoms, Remittance, lessening of symptoms...another relapse, symptoms, remittance, lessening of symptoms, but with every relapse, a little more cumulative symptom load,

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome to our little MS community,

You asked...

Q: "Relapsing remitting MS means no symptoms in between flare ups?"
A: No sorry that's not necessarily true, each MSer is unique in what they experience and whether or not complete recovery is possible depends on many different factors eg symptoms caused by spinal cord lesion(s), brain stem lesion, brain plasticity, physio therapy etc etc

The relapse rule of thumb is any previously remitted symptom(s) that return 'and or' worsen, 'and or' experiencing a new symptom for more than 48 hours and no less than a month since the last relapse.

BUT additional to relapses are what's called pseudo relapses, these are not true relapses but the return or worsening of symptoms because of things like increase in external/internal temperature, the amount of physical activity you did today or yesterday, UTI's etc

What you might be experiencing are pseudo's, possibly having a good day and doing more activity on your feet than you should and causing a ripple effect of additional muscle fatigue and pain etc, which forces you to rest your legs more etc and then it gets better and you start the cycle all over again of .....the key is understanding your bodies tipping point and balancing it out throughout the day so you stay with in and minimise payback.

Hope that helps........JJ      

[HVAC]

There are two things going on in MS one is inflammation. When the inflammation is high that is an episode or attack. Then there is nerve damage those are symptoms that do not go away. So when you are in remission you still have symptoms that is nerve damage. Some inflammation can last months. So you might think you are in remission but you still have inflammation.

I have had symptoms for 50 years that is nerve damage. I have a different kind of MS called Primary Progressive.  Most of mine is nerve damage. That said I have end stage cancer so I am under stress and my inflammation is kicking up and I have more new symptoms which I think are inflammation.

People with RRMS will at some point go to Secondary Progressive MS. There are less attacks and more nerve damage. The good news is there are less ups and downs it is more stable.

Alex