Multiple Sclerosis?

Question

Have you been diagnosed with MS or do you know of someone who has? What was your experience with this disease?

Answer 1

I'm sorry, but this is the most depressing group of answerers I have ever heard! And I hate to be correcting, but some of the answers presented here are just flat out wrong. What makes me such an authority? I *have* MS. So let me please correct some of what's been said so far:

* MS is NOT fatal. That said, you can die from complications brought about by MS (i.e. swallowing problems), but you cannot die from MS alone.

* There is nothing special about Wisconsin that makes people there get MS more than, say, Michigan. As far as epidemiology, MS does appear to be more prevalent in people who live at latitudes higher than 40 degrees (and yes, Wisconsin is in that boat).

* MS seems to affect people of northern European descent at higher rates than others, although people of African and Hispanic descent are not immune. In some cultures, MS is completely unheard of, such as Inuit, Yakutes, Hutterites, Hungarian Romani, Norwegian Lapps, Australian Aborigines, and New Zealand Maoris.

* Women are diagnosed with MS two to three times more often than men.

Also, the prognosis is not nearly as bleak as everyone has said. Most people with MS go on to lead full lives, some with moderate levels of disability. A very small amount will go on to have high amounts of disability, but they are quite in the minority. The medications currently available do an excellent job at slowing the progress of the disease and reducing its severity.



Now, to answer your question. My experience with this disease is sort of like a permanent slow dance with someone you hate. It's not as painful as we make it out to be, but it's still annoying. I have optic neuritis and tremors in my hands and feet. They all get worse when I'm under a great deal of stress, or when I work out, although strengthening my arms and legs helps to control the tremors when I'm not working out, and it doesn't make my condition worse to actually do the workouts, so there is indeed benefit in working out. I've been on Copaxone for almost a year, and I have not had one serious exacerbation since I've been on it.

MS is just another thorn in my side. It's my *thing*. Everyone's got a thing, whether or not they want to admit it. It could be physical, like excessive weight, ED or a skin problem. It could be emotional. But everyone's got a thing. This is my thing. And MS is a very personal disease, because it affects everyone who gets it in different ways. Generalizing about MS is very dangerous, since people's experiences with MS are very different.

HTH!

Answer 2

I have multiple sclerosis. And I also have to say that a lot of what has been said on here is wrong. Both CJ and Formerly gave you great information. My experience: I started out with very mild symptoms such as difficulty with balance and with short term memory. It then progressed to blindness in my left eye. I then went into a full fledged attack. I had great difficulty walking and talking. Then the disease went into remission. I have what is called relapsing-remitting MS. I experience symptoms and then I have almost none. MS can be progressive or relapsing remitting. With progressive, things just get worse and worse. People with MS do not necessarily have the same symptoms. And some people with MS have very mild cases. They live pretty normal lives. For others, it is a living hell. The disease is not fatal. MS is not just a physical disease. It affect cognition and emotions in 50% of people who have it. Follow the links to the
MS Society for the most up-to-date and accurate information. Have a great day!

Answer 3

My mom had MS, and it is a strange and unpredictable disease. It seems to be different in everyone. Common symptoms are things like loss of balance, fatigue, strange visual problems, numbness or tingling, sensations of feeling hot or cold. People seem to fall into one of three patterns: one is episodic where symptoms show up for a while, then don't reappear for a year or more; another is more cyclic, where the symptoms flare up several times per year; and the thrid type is progressive, where symptoms keep getting worse. The progressive type disrupts people's lives, while most people are able to cope with the other two types and live normal lives.

The MS Society is a good source of information and support:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/

Answer 4

If he is a doctor, I wouldn't be going to him with that spelling!!!!!! But he is right, it is a progressive disease that doesn't stop. I had a friend's mother pass away from MS....It is quite bad with Alzheimer's symptoms and conditions...

Answer 5

.It seems to be a cold weather disease with the largest % being in Wisconsin. It is thought to be an auto immune disease that attacks the cover of the nerves. More females than males are struck with this affliction. Bee stings seem to affect the patient positively. Research is being done on bee venom and its therapeutic properties

Answer 6

1

Answer 7

Studied the disease process in Nursing School. Very grave situation; bouts of remissions with exacerbations. The nerve coverings erode and wear away exposing the nerves, causing small paralysis throughout the body, and organs.

Answer 8

i am a doc
i dont want to sound depressive
but the course is downhill for the patints