MS Relapse, Virus, or Something else?

[sazzaz1980]

A family member has been ill for around a week now. They have MS, and have had this condition for around 10 years.
Their symptoms include: for the first few days, sore body (including bottom), ongoing - fatigue, feeling nauseous, no appetite, food tastes awful, constipation. More worryingly, swallowing reflex is affected, they are struggling to eat or drink, speech is slurred. They advised they had a few dizzy spells on Tuesday also.
Contacted NHS24 a couple of days ago, they did a series of questions over the phone to rule out a stroke. She wasn’t asked to attend A&E.
Advice sought from MS Nurse - told this may be viral. Attended yesterday to have blood and urine tested. (No results as yet). I personally think she should have been asked to attend A&E to be assessed.
Any advice is very much appreciated.

You need to get guidance from the eir care team. If still unable to eat and drink then attend A&E (if the team don’t help as hydration is quite vital..)

I would just attend an ED with those symptoms

If you can't eat or drink then dehydration with increase confusion and you can end up with food or drink in the lungs if you keep trying.

Thank you. What is the EIR care team ?

I think that's a typo for their

My experience of having a chronic illness is that healthcare staff will often shoehorn any and all other symptoms into it, for the rest of the patients existence.

Is their MS usually stable? Are any of these symptoms 'normal' for them?

If they didn't have MS would you take them to A+E?

This