Rebif and Exerbations

[cwill9768]

I have been on Rebif for 3 years and have never had a exerbation like this. It started in March and it's now June and both legs and feet are numb, my left hand and left lip are also numb. I am so fustrated

[lyndacarol]

I have been on Rebif for 3 years and have never had a exerbation like this. It started in March and it's now June and both legs and feet are numb, my left hand and left lip are also numb. I am so fustrated

Cheryl,
Numbness/tingling in the legs/feet and arms/hands is the definition of "peripheral neuropathy." This is a common symptom in many conditions. New symptoms of any kind are not necessarily an exacerbation of MS, but could be something totally different. Your doctor should not simply dismiss this as part of MS. In investigating the cause of peripheral neuropathy, the University of Chicago suggests the following:

http://peripheralneuropathycenter.uchic ... #bloodtest\

Blood tests

Blood tests are commonly employed to check for vitamin deficiencies, toxic elements and evidence of an abnormal immune response.

Depending on your individual situation, your doctor may request certain laboratory tests to identify potentially treatable causes for neuropathy. These include tests for:

Vitamin B12 and folate levels
Thyroid, liver and kidney functions
Vasculitis evaluation
Oral glucose tolerance test
Antibodies to nerve components (e.g., anti-MAG antibody)
Antibodies related to celiac disease
Lyme disease
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C and B

What evidence does your doctor have that this is MS-related? Your numbness could be due to a vitamin B12 deficiency; has your doctor screened for this? Numbness can be the result of celiac disease; has he screened for this? Vascular causes? Diabetes? Too often doctors do not consider causes other than MS for new symptoms that develop, once we have been diagnosed with MS – we can have additional problems.

[CureOrBust]

My understanding is that neuropathy can be determined if its peripheral or central (ie CNS) determined via a simple nerve conduction test.

I had my worst exacerbation when I was on Rebif, but this was because I caught a cold/flu but couldn't distinguish it from the Rebif side effects, and hence I didn't treat the cold/flu and the exacerbation just got worse and worse (a cold/flu was my main trigger)