Receiving a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis often means navigating a host of symptoms, both familiar and unusual. Your neurologist may have told you about some of the most common symptoms of relapsing MS, such as muscle weakness, spasticity (muscle stiffness or tightness), and vision problems. Others, however, may take you by surprise.

“I’m having a weird night,” one MyMSTeam member wrote. “There should be a box for ‘weird’ with relapsing forms of MS. Right now, what’s weird is that the left side of my face is numb.”

Another member asked, “Has anyone had a weird feeling in their arm like a vibration?”

These uncommon symptoms join other unlikely issues, like hypersexuality (also called “sexual addiction”) and lack of empathy, which may sometimes affect individuals with MS.

Read on to discover some of the less common symptoms of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

1. Bouts of Intense Itching

Quite a few people with relapsing MS agree that itching can be an issue, whether it’s sudden or ongoing. “I’m having some issues with itching all over my body — it’s about to drive me crazy,” one MyMSTeam member wrote.

Although MS itching isn’t particularly rare, it’s uncommon when itching affects only your lower extremities. In one study, researchers noted that a woman with diabetes visited her doctor saying she’d been experiencing intense itching and tingling in her lower limbs for a week. This symptom would strike over the course of a few seconds and end just as quickly.

After evaluating this symptom along with others, such as numbness in her hands and issues with falling, the doctors performed additional tests. The results indicated she had brain lesions and other indicators of MS.

Not every itch you experience will be tied to MS, but it’s important to share uncommon MS symptoms like these with your neurologist or other care team members. They can help identify the cause, evaluate whether the symptoms may be related to a relapse, and pinpoint solutions.

2. Inability To Speak

MS is known to cause potential speech issues, including slurring words or being unable to control speech volume, particularly during flare-ups of relapsing-remitting MS. In rare instances, you may find that nearly all speech is impossible. “I started out with slurred speech, but then I went to almost not being able to speak at all,” one MyMSTeam member wrote.

Symptoms like slurring words are typically related to motor issues affecting the muscles used in speech. However, cognitive symptoms — difficulties with thinking, understanding, and remembering — may contribute to difficulties with speech.

In one study, researchers described a man with high blood pressure whose family brought him to the emergency room after he lost the ability to speak. After performing a series of tests, the neurology team diagnosed him with MS. Following five days of MS medication, speech therapy, and other treatments, he began speaking again.

3. Frequent Seizures

It’s probably no surprise to people with relapsing multiple sclerosis that occasional seizures may be part of life with the condition. A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain that can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings, or consciousness.

“Does anyone here have seizures with their MS?” one MyMSTeam member asked.

Another said, “That’s two seizures in two weeks. I’m so tired, and this is only the beginning.”

Even though occasional seizures may not be that uncommon among people with MS in general, it’s rare for those with the condition to experience epilepsia partialis continua (EPC), which causes frequent seizures that occur every few seconds or minutes.

In one study cited in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, researchers described a woman with relapsing-remitting MS who had been experiencing EPC, which caused her left hand to jerk repeatedly. They noted that EPC may indicate a relapse of MS in some people.

4. Hearing Issues

While MS is well known to cause vision issues, such as optic neuritis and double vision, it’s not as common to experience hearing problems. In some rare cases, hearing loss or issues understanding what others are saying may be related to relapsing MS.

Studies have found that in some cases, people with undiagnosed MS may experience sudden hearing loss that comes and goes, often affecting just one ear. When it occurs suddenly, it may be related to an MS relapse.

MyMSTeam members have discussed hearing issues with MS. “Has anyone ever had hearing loss in one ear?” asked a member. “I'm going crazy with the tinnitus [ringing in the ears] in addition.”

Because hearing issues can affect your quality of life, it’s important to reach out to your health care provider if you experience hearing difficulties.

5. Hallucinations

Hallucinations occur when a person perceives things — such as visions or sounds —that aren’t actually happening. While hallucinations are not common among people with MS, they’re not unheard of.

The case of a 9-year-old boy who suddenly began hearing and seeing what he referred to as “bad guys and good guys” was discussed in the journal Neuroimmunology Reports. This symptom lasted for several months, after which his care team performed a series of tests and diagnosed him with MS.

Although this research involves a younger person, hallucinations have also been known to occur among adults with MS. A member of MyMSTeam shared, “I just had a brain MRI and an EEG [electroencephalogram] of my brain because I get hallucinations every day.”

Find Support

If you’re living with a condition like MS, it’s important to find support and understanding among other people. Although your friends and family members without MS may not be able to empathize with you about the unusual symptoms you experience, other people with the condition can. No matter how unique your MS symptoms seem, you’re likely to find another person with MS who’s experienced something similar.

You should also talk to your neurology team to explore whether any MS treatment options or lifestyle adjustments may help you control any new symptoms of MS. They can help you navigate the condition and improve your quality of life.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyMSTeam is the social network for people with multiple sclerosis and their loved ones. On MyMSTeam, more than 214,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with MS.

Have you experienced unusual relapsing MS symptoms? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.