Is there such a thing as an MS fever? Does the progression of multiple sclerosis result in a multiple sclerosis fever or is the fever the result of a secondary factor?
The answers to these questions may ultimately depend on the particular patient and his or her circumstances. A fever is a symptom that could arise in many different situations. It could be the result of a viral infection, which may or may not have anything to do with the patient’s development of multiple sclerosis. It could also be the result of a patient’s reaction to some medication. Elevated temperature might also have something to do with multiple sclerosis and the development of lesions in specific areas of the brain.
Looking into Some Possible Causes of MS Fever
Studies have shown that there is an association between being infected with the Epstein-Barr virus and subsequently developing multiple sclerosis. The prevalent theory is that the virus triggers an immune response in the patient, which ultimately results in the patient’s immune system attacking the myelin sheaths of his or her nerve cells. The virus is never completely eliminated from the patient’s body. Thus, every time it is “reactivated” and starts to replicate, it triggers an MS flare up, along with symptoms such as a fever. One might refer to this fever as an MS fever if it is always noted to coincide with an MS flare up.
There is another set of circumstances in which MS patients might experience fever. This involves their reaction to MS medication. Interferon beta-1b is one MS drug that can provoke flu-like symptoms, including fever. Because this medication plays such an important role in slowing the progression of MS and reducing the frequency of flare-ups, patients make whatever adjustments they can to make the symptoms tolerable. They may take the medication on a titration schedule. This involves taking small doses at first, and then gradually increasing them to the full dose over several weeks.
They may also take the medication just before they sleep, in this way ensuring that they will sleep through the worst of the symptoms. The other alternative is for them to use a fever-reducing medicine like ibuprofen before they take the Interferon beta-1b drug as instructed by their doctors. The fever that is associated with Interferon beta-1b might be called a multiple sclerosis fever because it occurs in the treatment of multiple sclerosis patients. However, it is important to remember that it is not a direct result of multiple sclerosis. Note that other MS drugs like Interferon beta-1a and Rebif can similarly trigger fever in patients.
