bunnypucker said...
Even though i am in MS limbo right now and i dont have an official d'x i was wondering about something. i go to physical therapy and work in a heated pool. i heard that hot water can exacerbate symptoms. even after showers it seems like i feel worse. has anyone ever heard of this?
bunny
Yes. Hot water, particularly hot and steamy water, or hot and humid weather, or hot...can affect people with MS.
Eons ago, even before my time! 
a doctor would put a person who he suspected had MS into a hot tub of water and let her soak for awhile, then ask her to get out. If she couldn't stand, or was significantly weaker, he'd diagnose MS (and we thought MRI's were bad!!) :)
So yes, the heated pool is a definite no-no. I'm surprised your physical therapist didn't recognize that! While many folks do therapy in a pool -- it's a good way to exercise when we can't support ourselves, as the water acts as a support -- usually we find a cool pool, cooler than normal, sometimes early in the day before the pool heats up (and before we're way tired) to do the exercising.
As for the symptoms..usually they'll worsen while you're overheated, but once you cool back down, and your core temperature cools back down, they'll dissipate, back to whatever is "normal" for you. And you won't do any long-term damage, just a period of time after the exercise when you're feeling pretty weak and awful.
So if you notice that you're significantly weaker, or whatever symptoms you have that might indicate MS are worse, be sure to tell your doctor about that! And you might want to avoid hot pools!