Very First MS symptom?
 

What were you very first MS symptom(s)?


Then how long after that did you get the dx for ms?


Thanks!

Facial numbness, 50 years ago. DXed 13 years later.

When u say facial numbness, was it the whole face? One side? Or just a line down the face?


Sometimes I get the sensation that a spider web is on my face from my eye to cheek. Does not happen often though

Hi Midori, that's actually not a simple question in my case.

Probably my first symptom was an area of numbness, maybe 1.5" in diameter, around my upper lip/cheek/nose on the right side. It was diagnosed as a mild neuritis, it went away after a week or two, and it never occurred to me that it was a symptom of something else.

A few months later I had what was diagnosed as mild trigeminal neuralgia. Again, it only lasted several days, and neither I nor my doctor connected the two, though he said he'd refer me to a neurologist if I wanted, or if it persisted.

When I went back to the doctor two or three years later, my concerning symptoms were extreme fatigue and "slow-motion brain". The earlier neuritis and TN never crossed my mind as being related.

In retrospect, I had balance issues, fatigue, muscle spasms years earlier. Were they symptoms of MS? Or just stuff that's common to most people? I'll never know.

I was diagnosed maybe four years after the neuritis, give or take.

Gosh, I had symptoms back when I was in my 20's (I'm 52 now). Had no idea what it was but they went away so I ignored them.

Dizziness and balance issues were first. Tripping over nothing. Then twenty years (or more) later both my legs went numb. I could still walk just felt like my legs were asleep.

The final straw was a severe case of double vision. That's what got me to the Neuro and ultimately got me the MS diagnosis.

It cleared up after several months and I haven't had it again but I have had ON and my balance/walking issues have gotten much worse.

A really bizarre type of dizziness, off balance feeling in 1989.
Diagnosis in 2002

Symptoms since childhood, was not seen by a Doctor and thought what I experienced was normal.

That was until I had my first exacerbation at the age of 24...Diagnosed at that time with MS. Numerous symptoms.

My legs constantly felt heavy and dropping stuff.

I remember clearly having Trigeminal Neuralgia (Facial Nerve Pain) on my 14th birthday. Over the years I had many exacerbations of all sorts, but I just gave up on complaining to doctor after doctor, only to be told to go on a diet and get some exercise. Finally, at age 59, after yet another bout with Optic Neuritis, I was diagnosed with Secondary Progressive MS.

Extreme Fatigue growing up - Everyone told me I was lazy etc...Tense all the time as well. But the major thing that started me going to the doctor was double vision while driving back in Feb. Then I was diagnosed in april

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:rolleyes:

Thank you everyone for sharing! :hug:


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!:rolleyes:

I've always had fatigue as well. Really the last 13 years straight.

Dizzyness, Fatigue, all of which I thought it was high blood Pressure, but it wasn't. I fell to the floor one day after getting out of bed, from stumbling and not having one ounce of balance.

It kinda felt like when you just woke up, you're still all half asleep and trying to find your way around or remember what you gotta do. It was like that, but I couldn't go 4 feet without having to catch my balance....when I got to the living room I fell down like a rock, slamming my arm on the couch. I managed to call my mom and tell her I need to go to the hospital quickly. I thought I was having a stroke and I was petrified. I remeber thinking "just let me die" because I have seen first hand what a stroke can do to someone...I didn't want to live like that,

Soon after I developed cognitive type problems, off and on incontinence problems(frequency). All within a one year span since the official word.