Had this discussion with my coworker who's been dx'ed for 5-6 years now (she figures she's had MS for 8 years approx., couple years younger than me, very different symptoms).

She said in the 5 years she's been diagnosed, she's relapsed each winter. This winter, it was ON (lost vision in 1 eye completely... still struggling with it) and she had vertigo horribly (which her neurologist dismissed as an MS symptom... WHAT?!).

Anyways, I felt cruddy all winter but no 'relapse' for me since last May when I was going through recent dx and house selling stress (horror).

I'm just wondering if other find their relapses also follow seasons, or if they're random/related to other factors.

Hi Laura,
It's hard to remember unless I take out my notes and medical records. I think the majority of them were in June, if I average the attacks that month would have the most votes. I have had November, December, January and February ones too. In my part of the lower 48, it in Summer in June and Winter in December, if that helps.

I think seasonal for me. Twice a year, or occasionally only one. Last was June 15,2008 and I lost the whole summer again. I hope now that I am on LDN the relapses will be once or never a year.. Thanks for asking. It's an interesting survey.

Winter for me as well!

When I was diagnosed I was having exacerbations every 6 months. Gradually, after several years, they settled to one every 18 months but always in the winter.

Eventually DH and I sold up and moved to a warmer climate, as the state we lived in was the coldest in Australia. It's the one that's closest to the South Pole in Antarctica.........but......

Both our sons still lived in the southern state and when one son presented us with our first grandchild, we decided to come back.

I'm so not sure that was a good decision!

Every day I am thinking of the warmer temperatures of northern states. Every day I'm missing that climate! Everyday I'm having second thoughts.

Winter is fine with me (symptom-wise) tho I still dislike having to bundle up and shovel my way to the mailbox!

When it gets humid, then my symptoms kick it up a notch (or several).

Avon

Summer is the worst time of the year for me. Heat and humidity just whip me. I spend the majority of the really hot months inside. And for someone who was used to spending two weeks every July in Florida that is hard to do. I'm sure my skin thanks me but I've never been so pale in my life!!

An interesting abstract that will coming out of the upcoming AAN meeting in April:

[P08.027] Temporal Variation of Onset of Relapses in Multiple Sclerosis: Results from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in the MSBase Registry

Without copying the entire document, they set out to measure when relapses generally occur, in 16 different countries around the world.

RESULTS: 22,684 relapses (19,775 northern, 2,909 southern) were included. Relapses were significantly more common in spring in the northern hemisphere (P<0.0001) and autumn in the southern hemisphere (P<0.0001). June had the highest number of relapses than any other month in either hemisphere (P<0.0001). These results were replicated with analysis of the 5,542 first demyelinating event in MS cases (4,801 northern, 741 southern).

Late June is already summer in the Northern hemisphere, so that follows many months of the largest amount of sunshine any of us would normally be exposed to; Mar, April, May, June . . .

Late June is early Winter in the Southern hemisphere, so that follows many months of the largest amount of sushine any of them might normally be exposed to; their late summer & fall months; Mar, April, May, June.

Sure doesn't endorse the Vitamin D deficiency theory.

Cherie

My sx's are definitely worse in the winter but hot and humid August comes in a close second.

Hi Laura, and interesting question!

I had my first attack in the summertime, don't remember which month...June or July. According to my MS nurse practicioner, I had one in February 2008, although I'm not so sure. My symptoms are bad now, in winter, but they most certainly get worse in the summer! Heat and the bad humidity we get here really does a number on me! But extreme cold, even if I am only exposed for a minute, will cause at least one limb or appendage to go completely numb for hours or days.

Laura, I have only had 6 exacerbations in 23 years. Five of the six have been in the summer, usually July or August, that is the worst time as far as exacerbations go. I deal with more pain and stiffness in the winter but, those are not exacerbations.

I usually relapse in the spring; have wondered if it's related to allergies. Other relapses have usually been in December.

~ Faith