One of the most frustrating aspects of multiple sclerosis is its lack of predictability. Just as symptoms vary from person to person, the duration of an attack also varies, and not just from person to person, but also from one attack to another.

Generally, relapses tend to extinguish on their own within twelve weeks, but it can be much shorter than that, or even longer. Some relapses last just a few weeks while others may last up to six months. Some symptoms will go away completely while others may last indefinitely. In other words, once a relapse has resolved itself, some lingering symptoms may remain.

Relapses range from mild to severe. Some studies point to the fact that relapse frequency is highest in the first few years. This means that although you may have two attacks in a period of say, eighteen months, it does not necessarily foretell a dire outcome.