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Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is the most common type of MS, a disease where your body attacks its own nervous system. In RRMS, periods when you experience symptoms (relapses) alternate with periods when you don't (remission).
RRMS is a neurological autoimmune condition. That means it's an illness that causes your immune system to attack your own body, focusing on the nervous system. There are several types of multiple sclerosis, and RRMS is the most common—about 85% of the 1 million MS cases in the U.S. are RRMS.
RRMS gets its name from the way symptoms come and go. In medicine, this is called remitting (going away) and relapsing (coming back). Other forms of MS have similar symptoms but don't share the on-off pattern of RRMS.
Relapses—often referred to as "MS flare-ups"—typically come on quickly, developing over a few hours or days, and last a few weeks. Symptoms may last as long as two months.
At first, 12 to 18 months may pass between MS relapses. However, as time goes on, many patients have relapses that occur more often and last longer, until they become a persistent condition called secondary progressive MS.
Common triggers that can bring on MS flare-ups or make symptoms worse include:
In all forms of multiple sclerosis, your immune system mistakenly attacks a protein called myelin that surrounds your nerve and brain cells. When the immune system breaks down the myelin sheath, the nerve cells stop working correctly and can't pass signals the way they're supposed to. During periods of remission, your body has a chance to repair the myelin sheath, restoring normal function. However, the repair process produces scar tissue on the nervous system, which can lead to complications over time.
It's not well understood what causes this autoimmune response. However, scientists believe that some people have a genetic predisposition that makes it possible for environmental factors to trigger RRMS. This genetic tendency towards autoimmune problems is only a small part of the picture. You're not likely to pass RRMS on to your children.
Relapsing MS symptoms are similar to symptoms for other forms of multiple sclerosis. They include:
Diagnosing relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is difficult because symptoms aren't always present. When they are, there isn't a single test that can confirm or rule out the condition. Instead, doctors use a constellation of tests and information to diagnose RRMS:
Doctors pair their findings from these tests with your medical history and symptoms to determine whether you have RRMS.
Unfortunately, treatment of MS relapse can't reverse the damage that a flare-up does or remove the scar tissue that's already formed. Instead, treatment for RRMS focuses on reducing the severity and frequency of flare-ups to mitigate further damage to your nervous system.
Depending on the course of treatment your doctors deem best, you may receive RRMS medication as a pill, a shot, or an infusion (released into your bloodstream through an IV).
Learn more about treatment for multiple sclerosis.
An MS relapse is when your MS symptoms come back after a period without symptoms.
Not always, but often. People with RRMS are usually diagnosed in early adulthood—between 20 and 40 years old—so they usually have decades for the disease to progress.
Individual relapses usually last a few weeks to two months. There's currently no cure for RRMS, so once you have it, you'll have to manage it for the rest of your life.
Relapsing-remitting MS is marked by alternating periods with and without symptoms. Progressive MS, in contrast, is marked by gradually worsening symptoms that cause increasing disability over time.
Technically, no. "PPMS" stands for "primary progressive MS." Here, the word "primary" means "developed without another kind of MS present." When RRMS becomes progressive MS, it's called "secondary progressive MS," meaning that progressive MS developed later.
Studies show that, on average, people with RRMS have a life expectancy of about 75 years (roughly seven years shorter than the general population). However, this projection is improving as treatment regimens are becoming better and being used earlier in MS.
Some patients experience minimal symptoms even decades after an MS diagnosis. Early and optimal treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of relapses and disability.
The Multiple Sclerosis Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital is internationally recognized for providing the most advanced treatment options for people with MS. Its expert care is strengthened by a leading clinical research program at the forefront of discovery.
You can schedule an appointment with our neurology team by calling鈥�617-525-6550鈥痮r by鈥�submitting a request through our secure online form.
What is multiple sclerosis (MS) and what are the symptoms of MS? Learn about testing and treatment options for MS, as well as the best ways to manage symptoms and future inflammatory relapses from Kristin M. Galetta, M.D., Neurologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Michael Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Neurologist, Massachusetts General Hospital.
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