This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

How long does it take to get over an attack. My s/o has been having problems for 2 1/2 months now, and was told that it was possibly MS. I know you have to have 2 attacks spaced apart but was wondering how long one attack usually lasts? He is a 30 yr old male.

froggygirl23 wrote:How long does it take to get over an attack. My s/o has been having problems for 2 1/2 months now, and was told that it was possibly MS. I know you have to have 2 attacks spaced apart but was wondering how long one attack usually lasts? He is a 30 yr old male.

I don't believe that there is a set time it takes a MS patient to recover from an exacerbation. I've seen some people feel better after a week or so and others take 4-5 weeks and longer....and everything in between.

A lot depends on how severe the attack is, what area of the brain is being affected and possibly what kind of medication is being used to try and reduce the inflammation being caused by the attack.

This is but one more reason as to why MS can be so frustrating for its victims.

Harry

froggygirl23 wrote:How long does it take to get over an attack.

I think it all depends upon which part of the CNS is affected by the attack. My optic neuritis took about 6-9 months to fully clear up and no longer be sensitive to heat (hot showers would cause my vision to fade over as would staying outside for more than 10-15 minutes on a 90°F+ hot day). However, I've had ongoing neuropathic pain in my foot which has been with me for the last 6.5 years. The problem with my foot is worse when I'm tired and worse when I have to wear shoes. I don't know if that symptom will ever fully recover back to normal.

NHE

in my case i'm still having problems related to a january attack after 8 months, but i think my improvement kind of plateaued at 6 months. maybe i'm just stuck with my residual problems?

jimmylegs wrote:in my case i'm still having problems related to a january attack after 8 months, but i think my improvement kind of plateaued at 6 months. maybe i'm just stuck with my residual problems?

Often, after suffering an exacerbation and subsequent recovery, MS patients may be left with some level of permanent damage. This damage can be very minor in nature or more pronounced. In my wife's case back in 1971, she fully recovered from her first attack except for a weak right leg and weak bladder control. This recovery period lasted for 20 years without any medication at all when the MS then slowly started to advance.

Harry

Much like me, except my first attack was about twelve years later and I was left with no residual damage at all. Then, come 1999, things began to go drastically awry until I started abx in 2003.

Sarah