I've been wondering about this one for a while now.

I'm RRMS, and I can tell you for sure when I'm in a relapse, and I'm usually pretty sure I'm still in remission (and I haven't had a relapse in a while).

With that said, when does RRMS become 'reclassified' as SPMS? Is it based on the 'disability' scale? Is it the lasting symptoms? When does one cease remission/relapse periods, or is there a fine gray line between these 2 classifications.

Example: I'm RRMS. I have a bunch of symptoms before dx, I have IV Solumedrol and enter remission. I have another relapse later on, and following another course of IVSM, I have symptoms from the past that don't completely go away, or return but aren't 'new' so I don't alert my neurologist to them, as I'm not having a 'relapse' so to speak, or am I?

Why's this freaking disease have to be so utterly confusing anyways?!

Anyways, the question is: what differentiates RRMS v SPMS, or when does the neuro step up and hand out the SPMS reading? Can SPMS still have partial relapses, or does SPMS mean that your symptoms of your relapse all remain? See where I'm all confused? . I bet you do!