What were your first symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)?

I'm terrified and losing sleep thinking that I have it. I want to hear what were the first symptoms of other people who have MS. Thanks!! :)

My first MS attack began with vertigo. It's best described as the bed spins( like when you have had too much to drink).I was so sick ! the first morning I woke up so dizzy I couldn't stand. I fell down vomiting and had to lay there all day in a fetal position because I just couldn't stand. That lasted for a few weeks. I had minor strange dizzy spells for about a year.My Dr would roll her eyes and say I had the flu and I would get over it.
The second attack began with numbness in my head and face and spread until the majority of my body was numb. Lord was that irritating !
Don't read too much into your symptoms.See your Dr and ask for a referral to a Neurologist. And if it is MS don't let it frighten you..I know that's hard to do , I know first hand, But MS just isn't that bad ! There have been TONS of advances in disease modifying drugs and hopefully the new administration will allow stem cell research, Only about 20% of the people with MS become wheelchair bound.You can usually tell "an old timer" . I will admit that life with MS does take a bit of time to adjust to, But you kind of fall into a routine and make an uneasy truce with it. There are TONS of diseases that are much worse
Good Luck !

My very first symptom actually happened when I was 16, 13 years before I was diagnosed with MS.
I had always had trouble with migraines but when I was 16, I had a migraine where I lost the vision in my right eye for three days and it hurt to move my eyes (like physically move them from side to side or up and down). This lasted for about three to five days and then went away so I didn't think anything of it. It turns out that what I had was Optic Neuritis, which is very common as the first symptom in some MS people.
And the three years before my diagnosis, I started with loss of balance where I could trip over anything, forgetfulness, and fatigue.
You can also go to the National MS Society's website. I found it extremely helpful when I was going through the diagnosis process.
Good Luck!

Every case is different. In hindsight, I had attacks 11 years ago (but blamed it on other things (I'm always tired; my scoliosis must be pinching a nerve and making my leg spasm; I must have strained a muscle and that's why it's weak feeling today, etc.), the symptoms always disappeared. By the time I was diagnosed last year and I had 30+ lesions. My symptoms are minimal. We discovered it accidentally when I was having an MRI for something else (couldn't get a precise glasses prescription).

Of my MS, the following things are persisting issues...
--Visual changes: can't get a precise glasses prescription so everything is just a bit off. At 20:30 most people wouldn't notice.
--Speech impediment: problem articulating words. Probably the thing I can trace back the farthest. This is the thing I hate the most. I worry I don't sound smart, particularly hard on me if I am teaching at work or speaking to someone professionally who doesn't know MS is the problem and I can't think of the right words.
--Going right along with the speech problems, is decreased concentration. Probably the thing my husband gets the least.
--Fatigue, which is very sensitive to hormonal changes.

Transient problems, that I have rarely...
--Muscle spasms, fatigue, numbness, and prickling pain in my legs.
--Had paralysis on the left side one time, which resolved quickly with high dose steroids.
--Dizziness and being off balance, have fallen on the steps a few times. I've been clumsy for a long time, makes me wonder was it clumsiness all along or MS.

Here's a easy to understand article http://www.medicinenet.com/multiple_scle...

The National MS Society has a wealth of information. Health caree professionals often refer patients/family/friends to it. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/index.a...

I also like the "MS for Dummies" book. For me MS was the devil I knew since my mom and aunt have it. But the book was a good reference for my husband. Plus there were tips I hadn't heard of or thought about.

The best advice I have is to have great communication with your GP or neurologist!

General MS info: There are many symptoms of MS, but visual changes (blurred vision, color distortion, or sudden blindness in one eye) are often the first ones people notice.

Other common symptoms:
Fatigue, Numbness, Gait/Balance/Coordination Problems, Bladder Dysfunction (infections, retention, spasms), Constipation, Dizziness/Vertigo, Sexual Dysfunction (erectile dysfunction for men, decreased lubrication and sensitivity for women), Pain, Cognitive Function (decreased concentration, attention deficit, memory loss), Emotional Changes, Depression, Spasticity

Less common:
Speech problems articulating, Swallowing Problems, Headache, Hearing Loss, Seizures/Tremor, Breathing Problems, Itching

Because the symptoms have a broad range and are often subtle, MS may not be diagnosed for months or years after the onset of symptoms. A good neurologist will run tests to look for MS as well as to rule out other possible causes before making a diagnosis of MS.

Some diagnostic tests used are:
*Blood work - look for Vit B12 deficiency and Lyme disease markers
*MRI scans with intravenous gadolinium - identify and date lesions (plaques) in the brain. Newer lesions show up brighter.
*Evoked potentials - hearing, vision, and motor impulses are tested to see if they move normally or too slow.
*Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) - cerebro-spinal fluid is tested to identify cells that suggest MS. Can also be used to differentiate from Lyme disease.

For a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, at least two separate symptomatic events or changes on MRI and a physical indicator (i.e. change in the central nervous system) must occur. You have a history of symptoms, now you need to have the diagnostic tests. Be assertive with your GP if you need to.

My sister has MS and what sent her to the hospital was being pretty much numb from the waist down with the pins and needles feelings mostly in her right leg. But from what she tells me, in retrospect, she'd had symptoms for years that she attributed to getting older and being a gymnast in her younger years.

Every case of MS is different. My first symptom was muscle cramps in my legs. Then I noticed that when I was walking alongside somebody, I would inevitably walk into them. The third symptom was a feeling of exhaustion that would not go away no matter how much I slept.

My son has MS
his 1st signs were being off balance and his one eye he kept say ing he had a spot in his vision