Here's another long one, sorry....
I had my first migraine at age 12 during a dance concert. I had no idea what was happening, where I was, what I was doing, etc. I don't know how I made it through my dances, I had no memory of it later. I remember the pain and the confusion is all. Then during my teens I had more migraines here and there, but they didn't really escalate till my 20's and 30's. When imitrex (sp?) came out, I kept the self injectors on hand. My migraines were not average, they would take my memory and cause horrible confusion. They subsided when I hit my 40's. My neuro feels they were lesions forming and/or flaring.

In my mid twenties I developed a slight tremor in my right hand that only presented when I would lift a glass to drink. I never thought to go to the dr for it. We surmised it could have been nerve damage from a head injury I had at three that was becoming more noticeable with age. It didn't seem to be a big deal, we even joked that if I shook when I drank, well stop drinking, lol. It is now a not so slight tremor and I have it in both hands/arms, still an intention tremor.

In my 30's I started having episodes of memory loss unrelated to a migraine. While driving I would completely forget where I was, where I was going and everything around me looked foreign. It usually passed within a few minutes, after pulling to the side of the road, closing my eyes and imagining my house or anything else I could think of that was familiar. I still have those today, but thanks to the gps in my car and my detailed calendar in my iPod, I don't even have to think about where I'm going :)

Because of my history of migraines, In December 2007 I was tested by a cardiologist to see if I had a PFO, when the flap in your heart doesn't quite close at birth, thus the possibility of 'dirty' blood being let through and causing a stroke. I had a PFO, but he didn't feel it was serious enough to have fixed (put me on an aspirin 80/day) but told me the lesions on my MRI concerned him, so he referred me to a neuro. After that first neuro gave her dx of MS in March 2008, I consulted with two more. I accepted the dx a couple of weeks later after the third opinion.

During this process of two months of tests leading up to the dx, I was having severe eye pain. We thought it was the Pterygium on my eye so I didn't go to the dr for it. A few months later I was told by my opthomologist that is was optic neuritis.

After all of this, I was diagnosed purely by accident. Go in for one thing and come out with another. I wasn't even putting the pieces together... Never even crossed my mind.

Today my newer symptoms are spasticity, pain, bladder & bowel issues, fatigue, balance problems, heat intolerance (I did struggle with that one since way back too), and a few more little goodies I can't think of at the moment:) I have leg pain everyday which is my most annoying symptom!

In 2005 I lost my vision in my right eye. Ended up dx'ed with Optic Neuritis and the eye doctor told me what he thought it was and sent me on to a neuro.

I got all of my symptoms one after another over a four hour time period while at work one morning.

Here's how it went. Arrive at work at 7:30am. Seeing double at 8:30am. Feelings of light headedness began by 9am along with severe numbness from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I could not stand up or walk without assistance. I began to feel like I was going to pass out. I was taken to the emergency room by 10am. Drop foot and seizures developed over the next few days.

Two hospitals, six MRI's and seven days later I was dx'd with MS.

No waiting for me!

I have not been diagnosed yet so I might even be on the wrong board, but my PCP suspects it and is waiting for my Medicaid to (hopefully) kick in so that I can get a MRI and lumbar puncture scheduled. (They called again today to check to see if I'd heard anything else-I had not.)

I am 32. In my early 20s I started having really bad fatigue and back pain. Horrible migraines that would last for a week or more. Neurologist diagnosed me with epilepsy and put me on Lamcital. I didn't understand since I never had what I would consider to be seizures. Fatigue got worse and then I began feeling weak with tingling in my legs. I stopped taking the Lamictal when I was 25. Didn't notice a difference.

At 27 I started having shooting pain through my lower back and down my leg. Some days it was hard to walk. Doctors thought it might be sciatica. They set me to PT and it seemed to help a little.

At around 28 I began having tremors in my arm and hand. Always had low blood sugar so I thought it was a sugar issue. Noticed it even when my sugar was okay, though. Neurologist said it was probably part of the epilepsy.

At 29 I had a horrible experence. I was a family therapist and did in-home sessions. One day, I was at a session and suddenly started feeling off. I excused myself. the next thing I remember, I was in my car in our library's parking lot. No idea how I got there. I kept looking at my phone, trying to figure out the time and date. Nothing made sense. I couldn't figure out what time it was, what day it was, if I was supposed to pick my son up, nothing. I called my husband and he came and got me. For the next few months I would often get momentarily confused about where I was. Neurologist said I was having situational anxiety and put me on Clonopin.

At age 30 my son passed away. It was definitely traumatic. I went in to get him up and he was gone, passed away in his sleep. Although he was already cold and blue I gave him CPR until the ambulance got there and even held the tube for him on the ride over. After that, my fatigue came back strong and sometimes the tremors in my hands were so hard I couldn't hold onto things. The doctor said it was stress, depression, and possibly PTSD.

Later that year I got pregnant again. It was a really bad pregnancy and I spent most of the time in the hospital. Some days, though, the weakness would be so horrible that I couldn't walk and I ended up falling a LOT. I ended up having to stay close to the bedtoom and couldn't walk down our stairs because I kept falling down them. my confusion worsened and I found it hard to follow conversations and use problem-solving skills. Doctors chalked it up to my pregnancy.

Now, I am no longer pregnant and am finding some of those things getting worse. My hands will shake for hours and I can literally sleep for 8 hours, get up, go to the batthroom, and feel so exhausted that I go back to sleep for another 5 hours. Some days, brushing my hair or teeth makes me break out into a cold sweat because they are so exhausting. My arm will hurt, tingle, and eventually go numb. I find myself almost walking sideways at time because my balance is off. And itching. Sometimes I feel like I am crawling out of my skin.

I realize that all of these things can be attributed to other things but at least someone is now taking me seriously to get to the root of them.

So sorry for your loss and pain you have endured.

It's interesting that you noted itching. I itch all the time as well!

I think your doctor now is on the right track! I hope everything gets clarified and you get the help you deserve!

First symptom was an eye tic. This was 11 years ago. I went back to the same neurologist for the ms diagnosis this summer. He let me know that if I had ever come back with the eye tic, they would have checked out MS. I left the first time thinking I had a virus, so when it came back from time to time, I just took it as a sign I needed to relax more.

What amazes me not is that as I read more of the symptoms I realize that wow, that has happened to me. This message board helps me know that I am not going crazy.

Nov 2003 - First onset of what was diagnosed as RLS - actually spasticity
Jan 2004 - Double vision, saw ophthalmologist

PCP knew of both conditions when I saw him the end of January. Somehow he didn't put the two together, although I felt that it was something neurological.

Two years later, urge incontinence
Next year, dropped foot syndrome
Next year, right hand weakness - holding a pen, dropping things
3 months later, blurry vision - Ophthalmologist gave me eye drops

Next year saw a new neuro early June and was dxd August 19, 2009.

First that I remember, I tripped on cement steps with my arm folded in front of me. I couldn't move my arm for 3 days.

I woke up one morning in 1999 with slurred speech, and balance was off. Headed to my doc immediately and had a CT Scan which showed nothing. Later that day, I realized I could not write my own name. Headed to the ER for an MRI, and was told it was probably a stroke, a brain tumor, or MS. Saw a neuro at the time who said even though there was a lesion on the brain stem, highly unlikely it was MS. Symptoms went away until a year ago when I started having numbness and tingling in feet, which ended up going all the way up to left knee. Just my gut feeling it was MS. Another set of MRI's and a lumbar puncture, and diagnosis was confirmed. After being on the Rebif now for almost 9 months, the numbness and tingling seem to have gone away almost completely, but I get little things happening occassionally, like a thumb twitch or something.

So many different symptoms in so many different people, no wonder it is so hard to diagnose. Best of luck to you!!

Amy

Since I was very young maybe 21 I had hip pain. 2 mri's to the hip were good. They told me I was normal. Why did my hip feel like it was coming off my body? Years go by the hip pain comes and goes.

Then I cannot even spit a full sentence out without stuttering or forgetting what I am talking about.

My Dr urges me to go to the er because blood work said I had Lyme disease. Spinal tap said no. MRI to the brain said MS.

Now I feel like I am going deaf and blind but my Dr thinks it is dormant.....

I thought it was the double vision that hit me at 30. However, I recall being numb off and on in my right hand when I was 19-20. Did not get diagnosed until 32. To bad it was not caught even earlier. Perhaps I wouldn't be where I am today.

Mine was double vision and dizziness in my 30's. Also wondered why hot weather kicked my ass so much worse than anyone else around me. I ignored all symptoms till my mid fortys, optical neuritis and my butt and legs went numb...couldn't ingnore that dammit. I guess I did okay ...managed to ignore shit till then.

Dx'd with optic neuritis around 27, in my 30's vertigo and @ 45 tingling in my hand. at 52 my balance just got slightly strange, ent did a full work-up (also, brother was dx'd w/ms 8 yrs ago) and was dx'd. Fatigue and space out, episodes, and other symptoms then had an explanation! Walked around with if for over 25 years before getting an answer. on copaxone for a year.

Hi LBunnies, I am so sad that you had to go through that! Believe me I know panic attacks extremely well. I am taking Ativan 2mg every night just so I dont wake in the middle of the night thinking I am having a heart attack! You poor baby to experience them so young! And then all the other stuff you had! What is wrong with doctors that they would ignore someone your age having those horrible problems?

I have so many issues and I could not begin to say what was first. I do know that what really scared me (and was different than the symptoms of fibro (dxed with) and also bipolar (dxed with) was 2 summers ago I got out of bed in the AM to get ready for work and promptly fell right on the floor. My left leg felt like it was not even there. Thought it had fallen asleep but my husband worked with me to massage it and nothing helped. He had to run to Walgreens and buy me a cane so I could still go to work. They sent me home of course. But then by the next day the feeling had completely returned and my leg just hurt bad and I limped. That plus my left eyelid does not open sometimes in the AM and the other day it stayed shut for over one hour and I was actually reading most of the time with that eye shut. Then it opened again and all was well. I just dont understand why all this happens in the AM or when I am really tired. Lotsa love and peace to you sweetie and BTW you look like your lotsa fun with you pretty hair! I am 45 and I still put pink streaks in my blonde hair and wear those cute little girl clip on braids made for every holiday that they sale at Claires! Keep on being young!