Newly diagnosed...question about numbness

[Enzati]

Hi! I was just diagnosed about a month ago, still trying to figure things out! Just wondering- I had 5 days of iv steroids about 3 weeks ago. I still have residual numbness tingling in my left leg that comes and goes. I need to get back to exercising ( left it about 3 months ago- couldn't figure out why I didn't feel good! At least now I know why.) sometimes the numbness is painful. Will exercising or walking a lot make it worse? I know getting hot and/or exercising doesn't bring on a true flare- but I worry about this as the pain Is not terrible and I don't want to treat it, but if it gets worse I would have to. Thanks!

Jaime

[Dad2jd#]

Exercise and numbness

From someone with leg numbness and pain, exercise has not made any pain worse, in fact, for me the opposite is true as long as i take the time to warm-up and stretch, start and increase gradually, and avoid overdoing it. Remember MS is different for everyone so see what works for you. Hope this helps.

[HETA78]

In December I was 100% numb on my left side from ear to toes. The recovery was gradual, the tips of my fingers were the last to regain full feeling. Excercise didn't make it worse, actually it seemed to help. Like you, I was getting antsy about missing work-outs so I bought some stress relief and flexability yoga videos. They were beginner level so I knew I wasn't overdoing it. As time went on, I increased my difficulty level. Now, almost 5 months later, I am doing to the same workouts I was doing before the MS mess begain.

It is different for everyone, that is true. I wish you the best luck! Hang in there, I'm newly dx to and I know it's really tough.

[ActiveMSers]

Just wanted to chime in. Dad and HETA are right, this is a funky disease and everyone has different experiences. I just met with a fellow MSer who has had MS for decades. She had one episode where she experienced numbness, and it totally went away never to return.

After my first attack I had numbness and while it did partially remit, it's always been there. I've learned to just roll with it and try my best not to worry about whether every new visitor is going to permanent or just passing through.

[andreagwolford]

If it happens as part of a MS relapse, it may or may not resolve completely. It is estimated that 42% of relapses result in residual symptoms, and paresthesia is one that seems to stick around. However, if your doctor uses high-dose corticosteroids (Solu-Medrol) to reduce your relapse duration and severity, these may bring lasting relief from the numbness and tingling, as well.