Am I having a relapse?
Consult with the MS Clinic if you experience:
New neurological symptoms that last more than 24 hours.
A significant change in your MS symptoms lasting more than 48 hours.
No evidence of active infection (i.e., bladder infection, etc.).
When will I receive treatment?
Not all symptoms require treatment. Symptoms often settle down with extra rest. The decision to treat your MS is based on the degree of symptoms or disease activity and the effect on your ability to function.
Who do I call about my medications?
For questions regarding a medication prescribed by the MS Clinic please contact the clinic office.
What is the role of my family doctor?
The MS Clinic is a specialty clinic that provides a consultation service. Your family doctor can manage your overall health. The clinic is not a primary care facility. People with MS can and do have other medical problems which are better served by their family doctor.
Your family doctor can assess if you have an infection. Bacterial infections (such as bladder or chest) and viral infections (such as flu and colds) can make MS symptoms temporarily worse. In most cases these symptoms settle down quickly. If the infection triggers a relapse, you may need further medical attention. Your family doctor can then fax a request for you to be seen at the MS Clinic.
How do I manage prescription renewals?
The clinic neurologist may prescribe medication for you. Review and renewal of these prescriptions will be done during your clinic appointment. Your family doctor will receive information on each clinic visit and he/she should be able to provide you with most of your repeat prescriptions. If he/she is not comfortable with this your pharmacy can request a renewal. Have your pharmacy fax a renewal request to 519-663-3744 at least two weeks before your prescription is needed.
When is my next clinic appointment?
Annual appointments are not routinely booked in the MS Clinic unless required by a treatment regime. If you need to be seen in the MS Clinic and have not received an appointment within one year of your last appointment, contact the MS Clinic office at 519-663-3697.
If you have not been seen in the clinic for over one year, the Ministry of Health mandates that we receive a referral from your local practitioner. About one month prior to your scheduled appointment, you will receive a pre-clinic questionnaire with the date and time of your appointment at the top. Complete the questionnaire and return it to the clinic before your appointment. Please ensure you list your family doctor’s name and telephone number in the space provided. The information on the questionnaire will help the team plan your visit and answer your questions. Additional appointments with team members (i.e., physiotherapy) may then be booked around your clinic appointment time. You will be notified in advance of additional appointments.
Occasionally, the request for additional services exceeds available therapies. When this occurs, local patients may be asked to come back on another day and long-distance patients can be referred to their local community services.
Please call the MS Clinic office at 519-663-3697 at least two weeks before your appointment to confirm this appointment. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your appointment.
Who fills out medical forms?
Most requests for the completion of forms are for insurance or pension purposes. Your family doctor is able to provide the most comprehensive information on your entire health status. Therefore, your family doctor can complete the majority of these forms because most of the questions are related to your health status. Forms that specifically require a specialist’s opinion and medical letters will be completed. There will be an administrative fee.
