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Can an MS relapse only begin to resolve after the infection has been treated? Should I count my recovery process from then?

A MyMSTeam Member asked a question 💭
London, UK

Since Christmas last year I had a lot of facial pain and increased tension headaches which I put down to an MS relapse. However when I went to the hospital eventually as the pain got so bad it was actually a severely infected tooth. Infection was treated and tooth removed in July and it is now October. I am still having my facial pain and tingling and it seems to keep abating then returning. I just had a three week free time of it and I thought the relapse and recovery process was finished but… read more

October 10
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MyMSTeam

What a frustrating and exhausting journey — and that three-week break must have felt like such a relief, only to have symptoms return. That's genuinely tough, and feeling dejected makes complete sense.

To answer your first question: yes, an infection can trigger what's called a "pseudo-flare," where MS symptoms worsen due to Show Full Answer

What a frustrating and exhausting journey — and that three-week break must have felt like such a relief, only to have symptoms return. That's genuinely tough, and feeling dejected makes complete sense.

To answer your first question: yes, an infection can trigger what's called a "pseudo-flare," where MS symptoms worsen due to the infection rather than new nerve damage occurring. A true relapse is defined as inflammation-driven and should not be caused by infection. This means your recovery clock would more accurately start once the infection was fully cleared — so from around July. However, the picture can be complicated. A severe, prolonged infection can also trigger a genuine relapse alongside a pseudo-flare, meaning real inflammatory damage may have occurred that needs its own recovery time.

Relapses and recovery timelines vary widely from person to person:

- Some relapses resolve within a few days or weeks
- Others can persist for several months
- Symptoms can fluctuate — easing then returning — during the recovery process
- In a large survey, 62.5% of people with MS reported relapses lasting less than one month, but others lasted longer The pattern you're describing — symptoms abating then returning — is something other MyMSTeam members have experienced too. One MyMSTeam member shared that their relapses "creep up slowly," making it hard to know where one ends and recovery begins.

Given how long this has been going on, it's really important to speak with your neurologist soon. They can assess whether this is ongoing relapse activity, residual nerve recovery, or something that needs treatment adjustment. Don't wait — you deserve proper support with this.

October 10

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