Initial MS Symptom

[Deb61]

What was your first MS symptom?  Try to remember your very first one.  If you had several symptoms, try to remember the one that presented itself first.

I only got 8 categories, so I couldn't cover all of them and had to combine symptoms.   If you're having trouble, choose the one that fits the best and clarify in your post.

I think that numbness and tingling in one of my legs was first.  Then came the spasticity and pain.  The pain is what led me on my path with rheumatologists.  I wish just one of my doctors suggested seeing a neurologist!

[ozjohn]

Well I had dizziness and loss of balance ( I almost fell out of my bedroom window getting up to go to the toilet) my ex wife thought I was drunk my MD thought I had an inner ear infection but my neuro thought otherwise (I wish it was what my exwife thought

Well here I am

[iggy568]

I felt anything cool on my right side as pain and had cramps in my feet. I had never had cramps.


RRMS dx 10/08, Copaxone

[momma2abcd]

I woke up one morning with my left leg feeling cold and numb. I couldnt get it warm. it started from my foot and went up to my knee, then up to my thigh. I could stick it under HOT water and I couldnt feel it. People thought it was all in my head. I started getting tingling on my face, all my left side. very tired feeling all in a week from my foot getting cold then Leg weekness.

I thought I had a pinched nerve, went to the chiro, then to a spinal dr, then to a nuero dr, then to a MS specialist.

[Rena705]

Grand Mal Seizures while sleeping as indicated by the severe muscle soreness, petichiae on neck (broken blood vessels) and in eyes and the story all about them the next morning as told by my hubby (I didn't remember anything).

[momto2grls]

Over the course of 2 months, developed the following (in the following order): heart palpitations, lightheadedness/dizziness, pins and needles on bottom of left foot, and one major anxiety attack. (at this point was clueless to the fact that this could be MS). Wasn't until a couple of months later my primary doc. noted that I had hypereflexia - she didn't seem concerned and wanted to treat me for anxiety, but this planted a bug in my ear - here I am now 3 primary docs, and 2 neuros later, still undiagnosed. I just have a gut feeling - and we know, that we know our own bodies best.
Over the past year and a half symptoms have progressed and remain mostly left sided, although more recently have developed little signs that things may starting to happen on the right.

[Nickiesworld]

Since I've been sick for 24 years which is 3/4 of my life, I thought much of whats happened to my body was normal. I was 14 years old and started out with daily headaches (was told it was stress), and by the time I was 17, I had muscle pain, stiffness and weakness. By 17, I knew something was terribly wrong and just kept progressing.

[Zacksmomi]

I had problems as a kid that I can't really pin point, but I woke up almost 1 year ago now with numbness in my hand which led to almost total paralysis of the arm over 6 weeks.  This led to my dx.

D

[Karen99]

Frequent urination was what sent me initially to the doctors.  

Then came fatigue and more fatigue. It is still the biggest problem.  

[Nancy T]

Presumed trigeminal neuralgia (electric, lightning-bolt pains below my ears).

[ShockedToday]

My first symptom was my mouth and tongue tingling during dance class while I was in high school.  I never told anyone about it because it would only last a few minutes at a time and I wasn't in pain.

[Wobbly]

I was having severe Vertgio spells that interferred with my daily life and went to see the Dr.. it still took 4 years to get to a Dx...

wobbly
dx

[Guitar_grrrl]

For me, it was burning paresthesias on arms or legs after the Flu or other virus.  I basically blew those symptoms off.  

What got me searching for answers was loss of balance and spams.  Sho'Nuff, diagnosed 5/09.

[fdmh]

I forgot, I'm undiagnosed.

[fdmh]

Parasthesia and vision problem, happened the same day, on two different occasions.

[just_me80]

Mine was really bad head achs along with sezures while I sleeping.

[Quixotic1]

One morning I could not lift my right leg.  That's it.

Quix

[Deb61]

I remember having the same problem with casual conversation.  I still loose track of conversations in meetings, etc.  but it's not as bad as it was.  Are you still taking medicine for this, and is it working?

Deb

[Deb61]

I hope your doctor will have an answer for you.  Let us know what your doctor says.  With a postive LP and MRI, and sounds like MS.

[Deb61]

Yes, all should vote.  I think it's interesting that with most of us voting, the initial symptom was numbness and tingling.

[LATW]

I was going to say ON but remembered that I had significant heat intolerance when I was young.  

When I would exercise I would start to get very weak and have vision problems.  

I never understood why other people found exercise so wonderful.  

It took many years to get an MS diagnosis.  It was ON that caught the doctors attention even though my PCP thought I may have had MS several years before.

Odd thing is I have a lot of clinical symptoms but very few lesions.  My neuro said I am one of those 10% with very few lesions.

LA

[PastorDan]

Well, I've had all of the above, except for L'Hermittes (unless I had it & didn't recognize it as that).  My first, most persistent, and most troublesome symptom has got to be balance, though.  I have ongoing eye issues and tremor, but the balance made me late again this morning.  I'm sure most of you already know this, but when you can't stand up with your eyes closed (a la positive for Romberg's sign), simply showering can be a significant challenge.

[truelove47]

I had all of the above at one time or another , but what took me to my family doc(after my husband saw it happening) was something my doc called posturing

I got a lightening bolt pain (It hurt}
In my hand and foot at the same time and the both curled in for about 1 minute
and then released.  I did not know what was happening and tried to hide it from everyone\   It happened about 14 times within a week. doc sent me to a neuro

Thought I was crazy and denied it                                  Linda

[jensequitur]

I answered 'Other' because the very first symptom I had wasn't the one I went to the doctor for.

At Christmas in 2006, I began experiencing some very strange cognitive problems - I had a problem talking on the phone, as I would lose track of what was going on.  And I just didn't seem to be tracking all that well in my daily life, either.  But it wasn't until spring of 07 that I started noticing the severe vertigo at 3:30 pm every day, and the tingling in my chin.

[raekay35]

Dizziness and depression/anxiety...I am not officially Dx yet but have positive brain MRI and positive LP with greater than 5 O bands...Hopefully, Monday will have more of an answer.