For those of you with MS on average how long does your relapse last?

[Starla0313]

My Doctor suspects MS but it seems like it's taking forever to get the actual diagnosis. So I'm kind of new to this. For me everything started this summer. Even though I have never looked forward to the cool weather this year I was not having any idea of knowing of what the cold weather would effect this too. So I'm actually full of questions at this point. So any other tips and advice are also welcome on how to keep this under control. I understand that MS is different for everyone but I'm still trying to figure out what to expect. My main question is how long on average does your personal relapse last?

[aspen2]

I was in limbo for three years and was just diagnosed January 2016.

I've had 8 relapses.  They have lasted 3 weeks - 6 weeks as far as the actual relapse.  They start rapidly and are slow to go away.  Residual symptoms have lingered for a while; I've needed physio  to deal with leftovers.

I had one relapse that lasted six months, but was a series of overlapping flares made worse by an underlying infection.

If your lesions and test results aren't textbook, diagnosis can take a while.  For good reason -- there are something like 300 ms mimics, and a misdiagnosis is bad news.

First, it would mean whatever you actually have goes untreated.  Ms is usually a slow train, but some of the mimics are not.

Second, treatments for ms are not without risk.  As well, they can worsen other conditions.

Neurologists want to be very certain.

How long have you been in limbo?  What sort of symptoms are you experiencing?  

Many symptoms that show ms as a cause when you google are actually more likely to be caused by other conditions.  And family doctors don't have enough training by a long shot to assume anything.  Your doctor actually is doing you a disservice by even proposing a diagnosis.

Even an easy diagnosis can take a year. Less straightforward dxes -- more than one.  Sometimes many.

Hang in thee, and keep us posted ❤️.

[cjtmn]

Hi and welcome,

I have only been Dx'd for a year now, so I certainly do not have all the answers. I only have 2 real relapses to speak to (touch wood!) and both took about 3 months to clear up the major issues and I noticed some small improvements for another 3 months after that. I'd say that after 3 months, though, I pretty much knew what issues were sticking around.

The road to Dx can be a long one for many. It's important to recognize your triggers if you can (for me it's stress and exhaustion) and to minimize where you are able.

I hope you get some answers soon.

Cheryl