Patients previously reported in surveys they do not always have all their questions answered at their visits. Completing our questionnaire prior to the visit will help you and your physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant stay focused on your most important concerns and will allow us to monitor many of your symptoms over time.
Should you need to reschedule your appointment please call (412) 641-6600 and press number 3 for scheduling or you can send our office a message via MYUPMC.
You are always welcome to bring a family member or friend to any of your appointments. Having another set of eyes and ears is often helpful, especially when so much new information may be shared at a visit. We recommend this support person be over 16 years of age.
You should arrive 15-20 minutes prior to your appointment to answer a questionnaire on a tablet. This same questionnaire is available from a desktop computer or laptop through MyUPMC and can be completed prior to your appointment. If you are involved in one of our research studies this extra time allows our research team member to talk with you. At least once a year, we would like you to complete standard testing, including a 25ft gait test, 9-hole peg test and short cognitive assessment which can be done prior to your appointment if time allows.
Scheduling Urgent Appointments
If you are having symptoms that are new or that you cannot manage, please schedule an urgent appointment with one of our Advance Practice Providers (Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant). To schedule an urgent appointment, please call (412) 692-4057.
Please see information below on the difference between an exacerbation and pseudo-exacerbation.
Exacerbation vs Pseudo-exacerbation
My symptoms are new or worse; is this exacerbation?
It can be difficult to know when new neurologic symptoms represent a MS exacerbation or flare or when they represent a false (pseudo-exacerbation).
A true exacerbation results from a new MS lesion in the brain or spinal cord. MS exacerbations or flares typically develop over hours to days rather than seconds. The new symptoms usually last for at least 24 hours. The area where the new lesion is located in the nervous system will determine the type of symptoms the lesion causes.
A pseudo-exacerbation is a worsening of symptoms in the setting of an external complicating factor that is not related to an actual new lesion from your MS.
Some potential causes of a pseudo-exacerbation include: Infections (viral or bacterial), elevated core body temperature (related to exercise activity or the environment), new medications, physical overuse or over-activity, and stress. Usually, we can help to determine whether a new problem represents a new exacerbation or pseudo-exacerbation.
Common True Exacerbation Symptoms
- NEW Loss or blurred vision in 1 eye
- NEW Double or jumpy vision
- NEW Numbness or tingling (in one limb, both legs or half the body)
- NEW Weakness (in one limb, both legs or half the body)
- NEW Balance difficulties
- NEW Tremors in one arm
- NEW Abdominal or chest tightness (“the MS hug”)
More Common Pseudo-exacerbation Symptoms
- Generalized weakness.
- Cognition or memory change
- Fatigue
- Bladder changes (frequency, urgency, slow flow, double voiding, or hesitancy)
- Bowel changes (constipation, diarrhea)
If any of these symptoms occur, please take your temperature and then notify us. Evaluation of both exacerbations and pseudo-exacerbation is important. While high dose steroids may speed recovery from true exacerbations, they are not usually used to treat pseudo-exacerbations. Removing the cause of the pseudo-exacerbation will usually result in the resolution of your symptoms within a day or so.