Numbness on the top of my right thigh and right hip, then total numbness on right side, almost like a line was drawn down the middle of me. I had drop foot and couldn't move my fingers very fast and had trouble lifting my arm. That all returned but then I had Optic Neuritis right after DX, that was all when I was 27.
I was DX within 3 months from the start of symptoms but I think that is because I have a brother that also has MS.

I woke up one morning in July 2006 and both of my legs from my hips to my toes were completely numb...I could walk fine, however I felt like I was full of novacaine!

In 2005, I noticed that my great toe on my right foot was numb. When I was at the podiatrist for something else, I mentioned it...he sent me to my pcp, who sent me to a neuro...and the journey began. That was in 2005, and with increased symptoms, I was dxd in Nov. 08.
But after ruminating, I feel I was having sxs for years before that. Balance issues, fatigue, bladder problems...I put it all off to fibromyalgia. They mimic each other so well

Thank you everyone for sharing!


It really does sound so varied.

First symptoms of mine were my whole leg went numb from waist down for over a month, which then led into 2 bouts of optic neuritis within a month of each other in both eyes.

Have had symptoms much more before this tho with extreme fatigue, bad headaches and odd pain. But never thought anything of it as being young and not taking the hints.

My first experiences as a child were weak arms and poor eye-hand coordination. I could not play the childhood ball games, although I could dance and walk well. I could not use my arms for hard pushing such as washing windows.
I was diagnosed many many years later after I got double vision and had an MRI and evoked potential. In the meanwhile I'd had dizziness and balance problems. I was dizzy frequently but had balance problems only at isolated times, I suppose when I was having an exacerbation. I had cognitive dysfunction on tests after my dx, but that improved with rest and less stress.

Optic neuritis in 1978. Diagnosed as MS at that time.

With love, Erika

MAJOR fatigue, sure there were lots of other things before then, that came, went and I discounted, but I remember looking at a clock and seeing that it said 1.30 pm - when I knew it was only about 11.30 am. Then, when I moved my head, I could see the rest of the time display. I realised I had missing fields of vision.

Over the next few days, I had enormous blind spots, blurring, fog, loss of colour, I was stumbling around, tripping over everything, couldn't get to the bathroom in time, tingling all over and couldn't function mentally at all. I had trouble remembering simple things, following simple instructions, walking in a straight line (walking at all for that matter). Hands, feet and legs went numb, and got left-sided spasticity.

Guessing my first symptoms were a numb patch on my thigh, and my head fell over for one day (neck muscles simply, suddenly, would not hold my head up). The numb thigh patch lasted, maybe a few days? a couple weeks? It was in the very early '90s so I don't remember. I was diagnosed in '00. I'm guessing about those being MS symptoms, you understand. I've read many times someone mention a numb patch on a leg.

I've had Ocular Migraines since the early '80s. Some think that's an MS symptom; my neuro does not. I don't know.

I had a weird backwards path where I had an MRI for no reason that came back all sorts of weird and then we started looking for symptoms. I have always been more tired than my friends for as far back as I can remember, so I guess that was my first symptom. Now I get to add random numbness and urgency to the list. Fun!