Multiple Sclerosis

Question: What is the difference between Scoliosis and Multiple Sclerosis? One of my good friends has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. However, after researching her autoimmune disease, she believes she has Scoliosis. After reviewing both of the a. diseases, her symptoms definitely fit more into the Scoliosis category. Still though, I am having a difficult time distinguishing between the two. Update: Thank you for the responses but I assume I should be more specific. How may I decide which autoimmune d. my friend has? (Doctor would be the best option but at the current moment, money is an issue.)

Answer: You cannot tell what autoimmune disease your friend has unless you have a PhD in immunology. Multiple sclerosis can only be diagnosed by taking a picture of the brain and seeing if there is a certain type of lesion in the brain. Successive pictures (called MRIs) must be taken. Multiple sclerosis cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone since there are at least 50 symptoms of varying degrees of intensity that a person with MS can have. All these symptoms mimic other diseases and conditions. Even neurologists have a very difficult time diagnosing it. I have multiple sclerosis. It took my neurologist ten years to make a definitive diagnosis. Scoliosis and multiple sclerosis have absolutely nothing to do with one another. They are not in any way similar to one another. They don't share one symptom. One is a correctable bone malformation. The other is a immunological disease that affects the nerves.

Question: What is the natural cure for Diabetes and Multiple sclerosis? You always hear about natural cures for diseases, but you never hear of what they are or even the treatments. I've heard there is a natural cure for Herpes, diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, and hypertension, but no one ever seems to know what they are, or where they can be found. I have even read that book 'Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About' by Kevin Trudeau and he just beats around the bush. Is there anyone out there with solid evidence and answers?

Answer: I am sure that if there was solid evidence backed by real proof of natural cures for diseases that _many_ healthcare professionals would be talking about them, they would be in respected journals, even the so-called 'evil' pharmaceutical companies would be manufacturing 'enhanced', 'safer', 'more effective' natural cures. Just look at all the various companies that make different kinds of Vitamin C, Rosehips, Iron pills, and the like for your local grocery store. IMHO, I think you're best bet is to work with a professional doctor. =============== Be cautious when referencing Kevin Trudeau's "Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know About." Do a little reading on this guy, then decide for yourself. Personally, I think he's a huckster out to make a buck using ridiculous claims backed by pseudo-science and possibly outright untruths .. but that's just my opinion .. and some other people like doctors, respected journalists, etc. Analysis of Kevin Trudeau's "Natural Cures" Infomercial (2004) by Stephen Barrett, M.D. http://www.infomercialwatch.org/tran/trudeau.shtml Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Cures_%22They%22_Don't_Want_You_To_Know_About Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/09/trudeaucoral.htm 20/20 Report "King Con? Bestselling Author Selling Questionable Cures to the Desperate and Gullible" http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/story?id=1527774 Skeptic's Dictionary http://skepdic.com/trudeau.html

Question: How can someone develop Multiple Sclerosis from a fall? I've been puzzled by this for a while, reading this from my Anatomy book how is it possible that some one could develope Multiple Sclerosis after a fall ten years later?

Answer: You don't. The phrasing in the book may be confusing. MS can cause mobility problems such as numbness, weakness, poor balance, which can cause a person to fall. Because the symptoms have a broad range and are often subtle, MS may not be diagnosed for months or years after the onset of symptoms. Indeed, I was diagnosed last year when we accidentally caught it on MRI (I was having the MRI for something else). But I can look back now at times over at least the last 8 years when I had symptoms, but attributed them to something else.

Question: Where can I find some medical cannabis online for my multiple sclerosis? I have multiple sclerosis and cannabis is the only way I can handle living with my condition. Does anyone know where I can find some online? Thanks in advance.

Answer: Your doctor should give you a perscription. He can reccomend someone who grows it for medical purposes and if you really need it and can't get a perscription just find a dealer. I've never heard of gettin it online.

Question: Why is is bad for someone with multiple sclerosis to be exposed to high temperatures? I understand that symptoms of multiple sclerosis are dramatically increased with increases in external and internal body temperature, however, I can seem to figure out why. If possible a molecular/cellular level explanation that a first year non-bio major college student would understand would be highly appreciated.

Answer: Hi Darryl, I have asked my neurologist this very question and she didn't know. The only information I could find on the internet is that the nerves that have lost some of their protective coating (myelin) can no longer transmit communication between the body and the brain when the body heats up from exercise or the ambient temperature. Supposedly they are less able to transmit electrical signals. Now whether that information is true or not I do not know. Unfortunately, not much is known about MS. The disease is still a mystery.

Question: What type of medicine are you taking for your Multiple Sclerosis? My brother who is now 24 yrs old has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He went from jogging 2-3 times and week, playing basketball everyday to barely holding his self up. He can't walk more than 5 feet without leaning on someone or something. This kills me! He had minor symptoms of MS in the beginning but as soon as he started taking his medicine, it got a lot worst I believe. I just wanted to ask what medicine do you MS patients have? My brother said Mitt Romney's wife has it and hers have went into remission after she started taking "eastern" medication. I don't know if that's true or not. If someone that has MS can tell me what type of medicine there doctor has them using and after what time period did they start seeing results? Please ONLY MS patients need reply If you have a story on how you overcame it or how a treatment effected your MS in a good way, please share your story. Your reply would be appreciated! Thanks!

Answer: I'm very sorry to hear about your brother. What I can tell you is that MS affects everyone who has it differently. So does the medications to slow down its advancement. While I can't speak directly to his MS (I don't know what kind he has), I can tell you about mine (I have RRMS), and my successes. I had one episode of Optic Neuritis, some tremors, and some right arm muscle weakness. That seems like no big deal, but if you were to see my MRIs, two within a six month period, my brain told a different story. It looked like Swiss cheese. And the second MRI showed significant advancement. Time to start medication. The CRAB drugs (Copaxone, Rebif, Avonex, and Betaseron) essentially do the same thing. The differences between them are the frequency of dosings, the locations of shots, and the side effects. I chose Copaxone. It sports the least side effects, but the highest dosing frequency (every day). While my symptoms slowly got better over the next year, they again didn't tell the whole story. My MRI a year later showed that I had no new lesions, no active lesions, and the ones I had were shrinking. Guess I picked the right medicine. But when do you know you are on the wrong medicine? The drugs usually take about six weeks to gain efficacy. After that, my doc would say that if you have two or more flare ups within a six month period, or if you have abnormal brain scans, it may be time to change the medication. Each one of the formulations works in a slightly different way, and everyone responds differently to them. In your brother's case, when he started taking his meds, he was already that far along with his disease. The thing to remember about the meds is that they don't cure MS. They simply slow its progression and make exacerbations less severe and last for a shorter duration. Your brother's neurologist will work with him and together, using the entire body of evidence (symptoms, neurological exam, MRIs, etc), they'll decide if it's time to try a new medicine. Good luck, and I wish you both well. cj

Question: What are the effects of smoking to the disease Multiple Sclerosis? What can smoking do to our nerves? Multiple sclerosis refers to deterioration of nerves in our body. Is smoking a possible cause of this? I know that there is still no known cause or cure for MS, but any reading or material reference or websites on this will be much appreciated.

Answer: I used to smoke when first diagnosed with ms and I noticed that my numbness actually got worse when smoking...let me give you an example...from time to time I tried to give up and would last for a week or two...During this week or two off the cigs my tingling and numbness subsided significantly and then when I started to smoke again...BAM it was back up to it's previous level so my conclusion is that it must have an effect on the nervous system...I haven't smoked now at all for about 6 years and know I never will again..Try this site on how to help yourself...It has worked for me...for some reason though you'll have to copy and paste it into your browser...not your google or yahoo search bar.

Question: What is the present mortality rate of Multiple Sclerosis? What is the present mortality rate of Multiple Sclerosis, and what are the surgical possibilities for Multiple Sclerosis?

Answer: The majority of people with MS live long and reasonably normal lives.Some of us have to make a few adjustments, but our lives really aren't much different than someone without MS.As mentioned , MS isn't a fatal disease.

Question: Is there any general health insurance coverage for people with Multiple sclerosis? My wife was diagnosed with R/R Multiple sclerosis a couple of years ago. We were living overseas and had company provided insurance at that time. Our insurance was dicontinued when our employment ended. We have moved back and are looking for Health insurance here. We tried Cobra but the lapsed time was more than 6 months between coverages so we were declined. Are there any other options?

Answer: Don't bother with that guaranteed issue bit the other guy recommeded. 'Limited coverage ' is defined as $100 a year for doctor visits and $1,000 a year for surgery. She won't get out of it what she pays in. Her best and only hope is Medicare, when she turns 65, or after she gets declared disabled and goes on SSDI.

Question: How do i start off my report on comparing Lou Gehrig's and Multiple Sclerosis? I have to write a report on comparing Lou Gehrig's and Multiple Sclerosis and I don't know how to start it off.

Answer: Start with brief intro about neurological disease. For the specific diseases, you'll want to compare the causes of these diseases, the signs & symptoms; how they are diagnosed; how they are treated; and what the outlook/prognosis is for the patients with these diseases.

Question: Multiple sclerosis? I am 39 and 2 weeks ago I was diagnosed a disease Multiple sclerosis. At that moment my world collapsed because I am a teacher.I've been told that it is not progressive. Any advice how should behave in the future?

Answer: I was diagnosed with Relapsing and Remitting MS 18 months ago. In retrospect, I have had this for at least 20 years. Of course I had symptoms and exacerbations that I simply ignored (fatigue, numb hands & feet, was falling all the time, had vertigo, double vision, cognitive issues, constipation and bladder urgency) until I had a really horrific exacerbation where I had optic neuritis for 3 full months. My doctors (opthamologist and PCP) had been urging me for many years to see a neurologist but I was in SERIOUS denial. Ok, I am a busy mom, and business professional, I didn't have time to be sick! I guess I figured if I ignored it, it would go away. Wow, was I ever wrong. Of course I could no longer deny my illness when those bright spots/ lesions appeared on my MRI. I truly felt like I was dying. I saw 3 different neurologists all who recommended I go on a medication that required daily injections. I was NOT willing to commit to that and decided to embark on fixing myself through diet, exercise and supplements. (Some of my keys to success are avoiding gluten, sugar, refined flours, I take natural vitamins from a health food store, not those nasty synthetic vitamins, I walk daily and do Yoga which is great for helping with spasticity.) I follow The Swank Diet, which has been in existence since the 1950's successfully offering an option for people with MS. http://www.swankmsdiet.com/ Today I feel better than I have in 20 years. People cannot believe how good I look and I feel even better. I urge you to read as much as you can. There are many books on the market, there are great groups here on Yahoo with very knowledgable people, search the internet for other options. One great book I read recently was Montel Williams book "Living Well". Montel has MS and he is an inspiration to all of us with this stupid disease! http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Living-… Although you can't cure yourself, you can definately and dramatically improve your health. Just remember you are what you eat. I also urge you to read all you can on Naltrexone. Given in low dosage form, the results have been very positive. http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org/ Naltrexone is a FDA approved medication and very inexpensive however your neurologist will not tell you about it. I got my prescription from my family doctor....my PCP. Now the decision is yours, do you completely depend on western medicine? Do you go completely holistic with diet, supplements and such? Do you use a combination of them all? What ever you do, remember that MS is individual to each person but what ever you do, I know as an educator you will definately educate yourself on your options and make an informed decision in which route to take. If you would like to talk about this and my approach, email me here. Oh, and I'm no victim. I am alive and kickin and feisty as ever! I will NOT go softly into the night and you don't have to either! Please note, I do not claim to be cured, I'm NOT. However, I am remarkably better and better than my friends that inject themselves with the pharmaceutical cocktail. Whether you think you can, or you think you can't.........you're right! You can overcome this! It's not easy but it's better than being a victim!

Question: Can someone who has Multiple Sclerosis wake up and be paralyzed? My mom has had Multiple Sclerosis for 8 years and I'm doing a project over it. I've always wanted to know if she could just wake up one day and be paralyzed. Is this true?

Answer: It's possibly for neurological symptoms to suddenly pop up or to suddenly disappear. Many MS patients suddenly lose their vision, or develop partial paralysis. Paralyses that suddenly show up typically involve only one limb, or single part of the body - it would be extremely unusual for someone to suddenly develop paralysis in all of their limbs.

Question: What could be a trigger factor of multiple sclerosis? There are a few theories about what could trigger multiple sclerosis: Vitamin D deficiency, some latent virus in the body, or a prion. What is your opinion?

Answer: Many investigators believe MS to be an autoimmune disease -- one in which the body, through its immune system, launches a defensive attack against its own tissues. In the case of MS, it is the nerve-insulating myelin that comes under assault. Such assaults may be linked to an unknown environmental trigger, perhaps a virus.

Question: hey i have 2 question on multiple sclerosis which i am having difficulty answering? In the case study you are working on multiple sclerosis, how do you think decreasing body temperature would affect patients with multiple sclerosis? 7. You have a friend who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis who does not have a strong science background. Explain to them (using complete sentences) what causes their symptoms using language which they can understand.

Answer: I think you need to be doing your own homework. Grab your med-surg book, lecture notes, etc. and study hard. You could always form a study group if you are wanting to bounce ideas and solutions off each other. That way you can have a group discussion about the rationales for the right answer and the wrong ones too (just as important to know why they are wrong). If you are looking to the internet for answers, use scientific, professional, or peer reviewed sites. Many sites have links for professionals and lay people. Be sure to research and reference the appropriate pages. A good place to start: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/for-pro…

Question: Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with the heat and Multiple Sclerosis? I have had Multiple Sclerosis for several years now and have always had a sensitivity to heat, but lately it has seemed much worse. I am especially sensitive to the heat outdoors. I love being outside and enjoy an active lifestyle, so I would appreciate some suggestions on how to work through this.

Answer: Here is another suggestion in keeping with the suggestions already given. If you don't have a neck band or its coolness does not last as long as you need it to, get a really cold can of soda out of the fridge and hold it on your neck. It is an instant cool-down. You could also use a cold water bottle - anything that is really cold and easy to hold on the neck works. I have MS, too, and a lot of time I will wet a hand towel with cold water and put it in the freezer for an hour. When I go outside with my kids I am okay for a while but after about half-an-hour I am ready for my "cold" towel. It is really, really cold but it does the job very well. You can get free cooling equipment from either the MS Foundation (www.msfocus.org) or the MS Association (www.msaa.com). You would need a prescription or letter from your doc stating you have MS. I got an accessory pack from the MSF several years ago. There are so many different cooling products to choose from. There are active and passive items. The passive ones are the kind that you usually wet, such as a neck band or other item (like a vest) that you insert frozen gel packs into. An active cooling system involves using a battery operated system that pumps cool air around the body. Even though I have cooling products it's not always easy to plan ahead -- on a spur of the moment trip outside or to the park, I have forgotten them. That's when the "quick" fixes mentioned above were found. I agree with you -- my family loves to be outdoors so I figure we should find a way to outsmart the MS and still enjoy an active lifestyle. Good luck!

Question: Does anyone know about the new pill for people with Multiple Sclerosis? I read an article a while back about a new pill for people with Multiple Sclerosis and that the pill would replace the injection. Can anyone give a little more info about this pill because it's something that has my interest because I have Multiple Sclerosis. People that took this pill didn't show any signs of any relapse for a little more than 2 years. It was said to go through the process of approval to go on the market, but that’s what I want to know, does anyone know of whether this pill has been approved?

Answer: this is an article I found on a new drug for MS as of 10/06: http://www.physorg.com/news79805704.html however, i believe in treating the body and it's disorders and diseases naturally (in most cases). this is what I have found regarding MS and how to treat it: Evidence continues to mount showing that a little vitamin D can do a lot more than build strong bones. We've known for some time that vitamin D can affect function of the immune system, which could explain why it seems beneficial in this autoimmune condition. In animal studies, vitamin D has been shown to suppress the autoimmune response in rats with a disorder very similar to MS. Other recent studies link vitamin D deficiency to a greater risk of other ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, unexplained muscle and joint pain, and various forms of cancer. As with MS and other autoimmune diseases, the secret may be in how this nutrient affects cell activity. We need adequate amounts of vitamin D to keep cell growth and activity in check. When the body is deficient in this crucial nutrient--best known for coming from sunlight--cells can go haywire, become overly active or multiply too quickly. These results are not too surprising though as it's been well-known that if you live at a higher latitude, where there's less sun exposure, you're at a higher risk of developing MS. Conversely, if you live in a sunny climate where vitamin D can easily be absorbed year-round from sunlight for your first 10 years, it imprints on you a decreased MS risk that can last a lifetime. If you or anyone you know has MS, it is imperative that they have their vitamin D blood levels checked to get the levels between 45 and 50 with a combination of sun exposure and supplemental vitamin D. If you follow my newsletter then you'll know that I recommend cod liver oil as the best source of vitamin D (other than the sun, of course). When choosing your cod liver oil, be sure to choose a brand that has been purified of mercury and other toxins, and has the independent laboratory testing to prove it. I offer Carlson’s brand fish oil and cod liver oil because its high-quality and superior purity and freshness have been proven here in my clinic, whereas I have not been so satisfied with some other brands. You can find the Carlson’s fish oil/cod liver oil in my "Recommended Products" section, or you may be able to find it at your local health food store.