it doesn't work like that for me...

stress is cumulative, and sometimes it takes a while to show up as symptoms.

for me, it was a *month* after major surgery until a debilitating flare, and likewise for a death in my family...

Stress link to multiple sclerosis

Stressful life events seem to make the symptoms of multiple sclerosis worse, a British Medical Journal study suggests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3118758.stm

it's great that the IVSM worked for you, to calm down the lesion inflammation but sometimes a little bit is left over, and rears its ugly head after the treatment is finished.

even 'drunken monkeys' need extra rest afterwards, so don't try to get back in the swing to quickly after a flare... that can make it POP back up again, unfortunately.

You know I love how all of these articles I am finding online all refer to numbness tingling, pins and needles as being the number 1 symptom with MS yet, the doctors and writers all seem to think it is a harmless or benign symptom.

Stumbling around and trying not to look like I have been drinking and attempting to feel the pedals when I drive is not something I would consider to be harmless or benign. Feeling like my leg is on fire one minute and completely numb the next is far from what I consider to be harmless.

I did find out from my reading that aside from IVSM that amytriptoline seems to be helpful and ironically I am taking 2 of those at night to help me sleep.

Is it just me or are our doctors full of useless information?

Yes. Doctors are pretty much useless unless you're bleeding from the eyeballs or something.


As for the numbness, I know it's really hard to not focus on it, but the more you focus on it, the worse it gets. Try to ignore it, if you can.

I noticed last spring when I had some of the worst numbness ever in my legs, that if I kept Googling about it, or talking about it in the forums, it made the numbness worse.

If you can do it, try to relax about it, and try not to think about it all the time. It might not be so bad if you can ignore it a bit. I know, easier said than done.

I don't think it is so much that they look at the numbness as "benign" as that they view it as mostly untreatable.

The numbness (and other sensory symptoms) come from spinal lesions, and it is my experience that spinal lesions are just going to do whatever they *&% well please, no matter what you use to treat them (EXCEPT if they are caused by treatable infection). Steroids will sometimes to take down the inflammation during a flare . . . at least momentarily . . . but the symptoms ALWAYS seem to come back anyway, to "finish the job".

I don't think this is necessarily true with ON or other brain inflammation, but it sure seems to be with spinal lesion inflammation. Anyway, I think this is why they often do not offer treatment for "sensory symptoms" . . . and that is what makes it seem like they don't take it as seriously. They do, and in fact are fully aware that spinal inflammation is probably some of the most dangerous we can encounter.

Cherie

Well I have had that numbness for over a year now. Mine is from my scalp to finger tips. It has never gone away, and gets worse when its hot or during stress. Ive seen several neuros and all say the same thing, theres nothing they can do.

So even though its been very annoying, somehow I have learned to ignore it and try to adjust. Some of us can do it and some cant, its just like anything else this stupid MS decides to throw our way.

Ive tried cold and heat but both only work momentarily. The IVSM help a tad too.