What were your first symptoms/signs you had MS??

Hi there,

I really like your quote!

I hope you aren't suspecting MS on top of everything else you have listed...

My first symptom was fatigue, but didn't realize that until after I was diagnosed.  My first obvious to me symptom was my left leg going numb, followed closely by my left arm and bad balance.

Shar

Good morning ....well I have just been dx with MS.  Lesions showed up on my MRI.  I have been tested and tested, and seen doctor after doctor for two years - and now finally - a dx. Although I am not pls with the dx, I am so relieved to have finally received a dx... now we can get on with a treatment plan, and loose the worry that has consumed my life for two years.

My very first symptom, as I think back, was about 3.5 years ago where I had double vision out of one eye. They eye specialist wrote it off as nerve damage, and that it should clear in about two weeks - which it did. If only he would have explored this a bit more.

After that, and it was quite a time that had passed, before another incident occurred, which happened to the same eye - this time - it was distorted, blurry vision that lasted for quite a time - on and off for a couple of months.

I noted also that I tired easily, followed by a strange feeling in my head, not really dizzy, kind of a foggy feeling, over all just strange.  This has been ongoing, some good days some bad days for the past two years.

Then to follow was muscle pain in my shoulders and neck, lower back, knees, etc.  Tingling and numbness stared in both of my hands, and then the final straw was when I bent my head downwards, I get an electrical shock feeling going from my neck all the way down to my toes.

And that brings me to today.....

Have a nice day

Gary

Hey Gary,

I am also on copaxone.  I am very sorry to tell you that copaxone will not do anything for your symptoms.  Copaxone treats the progression of the disease.  It will, if it works for you, slow down the disease anyhwhere from twenty to forty percent.  It will not help your head.  I have had vertigo for a year and a half.  It was my initial presenting symptom.  If your symptoms do get better, you did that on your own.  Most people have some small remyelination just as a typical course of the disease.  There are some meds that can treat symptoms but those are seperate from progression therapies like copaxone, rebif, betaseron, tysabri and avonex. 

Good luck with the copaxone.  I find it very easy to manage and I have almost zero side effects from it.

Love and prayers,

My father had MS and did not get his diagnosis until his early 50s.  However, I remember that he sure showed symptoms well before this.  He passed away when he was 79 and still was just walking with a cane. 

I have had evoked potentials and that test was fine.  I am just so sick of not knowing what is the matter with me.  My neurologoist says he is just not ready to tell my I have MS and still wonders if it is just small vessel disease.  On top of this I now live in Michigan and have to travel back down to Indianapolis as I had to cobra my insurance and can't get new insurance until September.  So even if I wanted to seek a second opinion it will be September until I am able to do so.

Just want to know what is the matter with me.  Oh yes, my primary care physcian says she thinks it is MS.

Sandy

Hey Sandy,

I was diagnosed with only two lesions on my MRI.  They were both on my brain.  They later found a spinal lesion as well but that came after the initial diagnosis.  I have never heard that you needed 9 or more to get a diagnosis.  That is almost unbelievable!!!!!  Is it still that way in Canada (Gary)?? 

Check out this site.  It discusses diagnostic criteria.  It says you can get a dx without a single lesion.  It goes on to say that if a lesion does not develop after the first couple of years, that further investigation may be needed to rule out other causes. 

 http://www.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HOM_LIB_sourcebook_diagnosis

You definitely need a second opinion.  Good luck with the insurance issues. 

Love and prayers,

Hi good morning - I was just referring to the information on my MRI report where it states that in order to be conclsuive for a dx of MS, they need 9 or more lesions.  I know it sounds crazy, but I did contirm this with the neurologist, who agreed, stating that I had 10....

I started Copaxone last night, and so far, so good. Wow os that stuff ever expensive - $1400.00 per month - thank God for a good medical plan coverage for drugs!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone.

Gary

Hi Kay, thanks for the post. Yes I noticed that fatigue had set in, and then 3.5 years ago I was experiencing double vision in my left eye - which went away, but I guess unknowingly at the time - although an eye special advised me that it was some sort of optical nerve damage - it was an MS attack.

I was too, so glad to get an dx, as I too was starting to think that I was going a bit crazy. Mind you when you hear this enough times from a variety of doctors - you start to believe them.  But luckily I did not beleive them enough - as I DID NOT take any of the tens of anitdepressants etc they were all trying to give me.

I did have a family doctor appointment last night, and we had a candid conversation - where I brought to his attention that just because someone is feeling dizzy, and and neck pains ansd strains, and tingling sensations in hands, that it should not just be isolated to being stress and having anxiety - mind you after months and months of trying to figure out what was wrong with me, some anxiety did set in from worrying every day of my life as the what the heck was wrong with him.

Gary

Hi there Kimber, thanks for your post. Its nice to know that there is great support out there - especially for us newbies who have a million questions and what if!!!

Thanks again

Gary