Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can suffer all the same illnesses and diseases that people without MS do. So, it is important to keep in mind that not everything you feel is from your MS. You too can have heart disease, thyroid problems and any other ailment out there. The problem is that people with MS can have some of those diseases at higher rates, may experience the symptoms more because they are superimposed on baseline MS symptoms, and the medications used to prevent MS flares can make common infections occur more often and more severe than in someone without a compromised immune system.
This year, the flu has been a major problem for the general population. It generally affections up to 40 million Americans a year. As there are a few medications that can be used to reduce the severity of the infection if taken within 48 hours of onset of symptoms (Tamiflu, Relenza,Rapivab, and Xofluza), it is imperative that MS patients test early if their symptoms have changed.
The symptoms that will be the hardest to distinguish between baseline MS symptoms, MS flare, and the flu are:
- Fatigue- about 80% of MS patients suffer from it; it is also a prominent symptom when developing the flu and can last weeks. Clues that is may be the flu are if there are other symptoms such as a sore throat, fever or cough and if it is more severe than usual.
- Dizziness- .About 50% of MS patients have dizziness at some point, often associated with imbalance. It can occur with the flu, but if severe, may suggest some more serious is going on.
- Muscle Weakness- Very common in MS either due to the dysfunctional communication between the nerves and muscles due to brain damage. Further, patients with MS disability are often less active and the muscle become weaker because of a lack of use. Muscle weakness is also a symptoms of flu but it is self-limiting.
- Headaches- While headache are not often attributed to MS, about 45% of MS patients have migraines as compared to 12% of the general population.
- Diarrhea- Often experienced by both MS and flu sufferers.
Making the situation more complicated is the fact that some MS treatments cause side effects similar to the flu, such as chills, achy muscles and joint pain.
What is clear is that people with MS are more likely to contract the flu (either due to the disease itself or the compromised immune system) and are more likely to have more severe cases with an increased risk of hospitalization. Do your best to avoid contact with people with colds and wash your hands often. Most importantly, get tested for the flu if you have any concern. Home tests make this convenient. And, when in doubt, contact your physician.
BeCare MS can help you monitor your neurologic exam to help you determine if you have objective evidence of new or worsening neurologic function. BeCare’s AI assistant can help you answer questions with its “specialty training” in MS. Be empowered. Become a driver in your own MS journey. Use BeCare to Be Aware.