Tammy,

First of all, I agree with MerelyMe.  You need to consult your doctor!!! 

If there were any chance you were having a stroke, you would need to get prompt attention.  A friend of mine had a stroke at the age of 32.  By the time he knew something wasn't right, he could no longer speak and lost the use of his arm/hand.  Quick response is responsible for his recovery.

Now as far as MS exacerbations vs. MS symptoms go, here is how I would explain it.  People with MS have symptoms every day.  Sometimes they can be little annoying things like numbness or tingling.  Sometimes fatigue or spasticity.  People with MS learn to manage their symptoms.

However, when you have an exacerbation, you will experienced markedly increased symptoms or significant new symptoms.  To qualify as a true exacerbation, these increased symptoms must last longer than 24 hours and not be caused by increased body temperature or infection such as a urinary tract infection.  When these symptoms are significant enough to interfere with a patient's functioning, then neurologists will often prescribe a round of steroids, either by IV or taken orally.

Now, let me tell you about my facial pain and numbness.  There is a nerve which separates into three branches from the side of the scalp: curling above the eye, curling below the eye and swinging towards the nose and upper lip, and swinging along the jaw line to the bottom lip. 

I have numbness which spreads primarily to my bottom lip (and yes, it does feel like novocaine) and to my nose.  Sometimes when my MS is being a little bit more active, the bridge of my nose and just above my eyebrow feels like novocaine, too.  The pain I feel from this nerve is less shocking, shooting pain, but more like increase pressure.  I sometimes describe it as feeling like an elephant is standing on my face and head (on one side only).

The medication Neurontin helps to lessen this pain and other numbness/tinglys throughout my body which are always present to some extent (but mostly controlled).  It is when the numbness and/or weakness begins to spread up my limbs that I call the neurologist and know that this is an exacerbation and needs steroids.

To be honest, you need to consult with your doctor and a neurologist to determine if you may or may not have MS.  You might have something else which shares many of the same symptoms.  There are specific ways in which the testing must be done if MS is a possibility. 

Nobody can really help you besides a neurologist.  And you might be stuck in limbo for quite some time, waiting for something significant to happen.  It was 12 years from my first recognizable symptoms before I was diagnosed.  And it was 5.5 years from my first really significant exacerbation before I was diagnosed.  Since diagnosis, my MS has been much more active.

Consult your doctor!!!