Do you think your MS comes from genetics, or a virus?

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

How do you think your MS developed? There are many theories on how MS begins, one  theory  is the Epstein-Barr virus.

Mononucleosis  ( Epstein-Barr  virus ) is something I had at fourteen.  That is how I think my MS developed, what about  yours?

[Jacqueline Participant]

Sure I posted elsewhere but there is also talk of shingles which I caught guess it must have been 7 years ago now, it was too late to be treated at the time…

I also found and met a half sister a short time before my diagnoses, who herself had MS..we shared the same mom…

[Tanner Participant]

Mono at 18, MS symptoms first noticed in mid 20s. I believe there’s a connection between EB virus and the onset of MS.

[Ed Tobias Keymaster]

Hi Tanner,

You may be right about a connection between MS and EBV. You might be interested in a column that I wrote, a couple of weeks ago, about some recent research about this.

 

Ed

 

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Interesting, Tanner. I had Mono at 14, I definitely agree there is a connection!
How are you doing now?

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

That is interesting Jackie. So it could have been both factors for you. Did your sister also have shingles or another virus at anytime?

[Jacqueline Participant]

Sorry Debi cant answer that one as we didn’t discuss MS at the time, during the three hours were were in each others company (as haven’t seen her since ) as my walking problems were just walking problems as I had mentioned to her…Strangely now, the more I read on what foods we put inside our gut, I find now I am leading more towards that theory…the theory that we may have caused this unknowingly ourselves, perhaps laying dormant until something we done set it off…

I would be Interested in hearing how many people who have had shingles, now have MS..

• This reply was modified 11 months, 2 weeks ago by  Jacqueline.

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Yes, it is hard to say.  I would love to hear what others have to say about it also, wouldn’t you, Jackie? It’s very interesting, I think the more we all share our histories, the more MS similarities will appear.

[Sue Pinchen Participant]

Double whammy for me, mother had parkinsons, ancestors all came from Northern Europe, glandular fever at 10, allergies, gut problems, I wont bore you with anything else, starting to have walking problems, can only go 800 metres with walker before spasticity sets in, controlling it the best I can with diet, exercise, lifestyle and supplements, magnesium, vit. D, biotin, tried avonex for a while, made my life of misery, just getting on with life. Stay positive.

[Valerie Ann Moore Participant]

I had chicken pox when I was about 8 years old, mononucleosis at 15, and shingles at 25.  Having read some theories on the genesis of MS, a dormant virus that is triggered by a traumatic event is what I believe now.

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things Sue!

[Ed Tobias Keymaster]

Hi Valerie,

I also had chicken pox, probably around age 8. Also scarlet fever. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was some connection to my MS.

A column that I recently wrote about the Epstein-Barr virus might interest you.

 

Ed

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Very similar to me Valerie, except I didn’t have shingles.

[Circusvargas3 Participant]

I was diagnosed with a rare blood virus when I was 8. Henoch Schullen Purpura. Only 2 people had it in the state at the time. In my 20’s diagnosed with MS. Always looked for a connection could never find any writings about it. Glad to see discussions.

[Circusvargas3 Participant]

Also had a horrible case of chicken pox in my 20’s. About 2 years before MS diagnosis.

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Welcome to the MS forums, Carolyn! Glad you are here and joining in!
Virus, seems to be a connecting word in this discussion! It seems the more I read and hear others stories, there is a true virus and MS connection!

• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Debi Wilson.

[Crystal B Participant]

Both

I had a surgery that led to a staph infection and a couple of months later I started havingmy 1st symptoms of MS. Wasn’t diagnosed until 3 years later.

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Hi Crystal,

Welcomr  to the MS forums, thank-you for sharing your story! It is interesting, does anyone  else  in  your family have MS also?

 

[Crystal B Participant]

Thank you.  Yes, Two cousins on my father’s side.

[Jacqueline Participant]

I  had earlier omitted to mention that a female cousin of mine also had MS when we were in our teens or 20s…her mother was my auntie…my fathers sister….Then only 1 or 1 & a half years  before my diagnoses I had met a half sister I never knew I had out of the blue, she was just a tad younger than me who also had MS, her mother was my birth mother who gave me up at birth to my biological father and his wife…

• This reply was modified 10 months, 4 weeks ago by  Jacqueline.
• This reply was modified 10 months, 4 weeks ago by  Jacqueline.

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Wow, that is interesting also, Jackie!
Sure sounds like a genetic and a viral connection
To MS!

[Christopher T. Participant]

Unfortunately MS is multifactorial and highly complex.  Even though EBV antibodies may be in higher concentrations in the CNS of people with multiple sclerosis, so are other viruses due to the breakdown of the epithelial junctions (the BBB) in many places.  There are complex interactions going on that cause the development of MS, which may actually be related to certain types of metabolic dysfunction–one example which may be related to thyroid dysfunction, which can lead to blood brain barrier breakdown without causing hyper or hypo thyroidism.  Even though viruses have been implicated in the etiology of multiple sclerosis, they are more then likely only a tiny player in MS pathology, and probably not the original cause of MS.  It seems that immunosuppression is good in slowing the immune system from causing further damage from inflammatory response, and that’s why many of the disease modifying drugs seem to be good at delaying progression.  But I wonder that MS might not be a strictly autoimmune disease, and that we may just be stopping the immune system from doing its job without actually getting to the root cause.

I believe MS comes from small genetic mutations (either congenital or evolutionarily over our lives currently), and from environmental insults which add to damage in conjunction with genetic ‘chinks in the armor.’  Those environmental insults could be from outside of ourselves, like pollution or toxins or radioactivity, or the envioronment inside ourselves, like gut flora and/or neurochemical excitotoxicity, etc.  It will still take time to suss it all out as researchers are still mainly focused on the immunological aspects of neurodegeneration.

[Christopher T. Participant]

I apologize for my bad grammar–I was half asleep when I typed the above posted reply.  It should read, more ‘than’ likely only a tiny player….

[Ed Tobias Keymaster]

Thanks for the thoughtful analysis, Christopher, and welcome to the forums. Your info makes for a very interesting read.

We’d welcome your input on other topics that appear here.

BTW, no worries about “then”and “than.” I find mistakes in my own writing all the time which is why, when I write my columns, I put my writing aside and give it a final look several hours later. I always find something that I want to change before I send it to our editors. (As I did just now, changing “sent” to “send.”  :-).

Ed

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Very interesting, Christopher. Thank-you for sharing your thoughts!  MS is very complex and intertwined, that is for sure!

I agree with Ed and I hope you add input on more topics!

Debi

[MODY Participant]

I think something affected my immune system thru the digestive system especially I’ve read about a new study made a link between gut bacteria and MS so I started making [body cleansing] about 10 months ago and I really felt some significant improvements.

Regards

[Debi Wilson Keymaster]

Thanks for that information MODY. That is interesting and  great  you are seeing good results!

[Linda Participant]

I was one of the weird few who had chicken pox twice as a child, also had cold sores as long as I can remember (neither parents ever had them, so who gave them to me before kindergarten then????, hmmmm mom?). Had mono at 16.  Dx with MS in my 40’s .  Mother has MS, LUPUS, RA. Mothers sister died from complications of MS at 42.  Grew up swimming in the Hudson River, NY.  Wouldn’t recommend that today.

[Jacqueline Participant]

Ahh yes, gut bacteria…I often now drink Bio-tiful Kefir, Riazhenka, dont know whether it is doing anything good for my gut but it is worth a try, and I would like to believe it is doing something good.

Quoting: ” The drink’s health benefits have been proclaimed across the world for centuries, and now modern science is able to tell us why: Kefir is packed with nutrients, including amino acids, enzymes, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and B vitamins. It’s also rich with billions of gut-friendly bacteria. ”

 

 

[Jacqueline Participant]

I had chicken pox as a young child, then shingles roughly 4 or 5 years before PPMS diagnoses 4 years come this April…I now believe that illnesses lay dormant, as to what triggers them off, has yet to be sussed out…

 

Jackie

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