MS is caused by?

[Juliew19673]

I've been DXED for 1 year and would think I'd know more by now. Is MS because of a faulty immune system or is it a brain disorder? I know there is not a definitive answer, but was wondering what those of you who have battled this longer think.

[TracyBelle]

I believe that there are multiple factors that increase your likelihood of getting MS. There is a genetic factor, however most people with MS are the first person that they have known with MS. In other words, no family members that you know of who have had MS. Another factor is the geographic location where you were born and raised, and how far it is from the equator. People raised far from the equator are more likely to get MS. This is believed to be due to the lack of sunshine and thus lower Vitamin D levels. However, there are many MS patients in Australia, where plenty of sun exposure should be protective against low Vitamin D. These factors work together to give a predisposition to MS. Then I believe that a virus or bacteria that has been dormant suddenly sends our immune system into overdrive. Your body attacks the perceived invasion aggressively and somehow the immune cells breach the blood brain barrier. Once these cells reach the nervous system, they attack what is unfamiliar. Because myelin is not found in your blood stream, it is unfamiliar to the immune cells and they attack. The areas under attack may or may not manifest into symptoms. After your body “recovers” the assaulted area shows a plaque or scar. This is my understanding of the current medical explanation of what causes MS. I am sure that I left out plenty of other explanations, so if I left something out please add a reply.

It is a major symptom of MS to “blank” on important details, so it is OK that you are fuzzy on the “cause”. Plus, you are newly diagnosed so a part of your brain is not having this and is still in a state of disbelief/denial about the details. I think that is a common normal reaction that we have all felt at some point.

I wish you the best and whatever you do, get on and stay on some form of DMT. I give the shot to the MS, not to myself.🤪

[Juliew19673 in reply to TracyBelle]

Thank you TracyBelle. I am on Ocrevus and have been since the beginning just everything is slow.. I'm about 70% better. And yours, is the best summation that I've heard.

Thank you!

[TracyBelle in reply to Juliew19673]

Thank You! After 20 years, I at least know the current medical explanation. The fact is that there are always exceptions, like no family history, living in Australia where sunshine is abundant etc.

I had to be hospitalized as an infant/toddler because we were staying at our lake house with well water. Nobody else got sick because their immune systems were fully developed, the Dr told my mom. My dad immediately payed to hook the house up to the municipal water system, but I almost died, according to a friend of my mom’s. I also got Salmonella poisoning when I was 20, a kind that is rare in North America. I didn’t want to be in the hospital, so it took 4 or 5 weeks to feel better. Because I worked as a waitress during lunch at a private club in downtown Little Rock, I had to be cleared by the state health department before returning to work. My test results prevented me from going back to serving food even 2 months later. I believe that these events set me up for developing MS. But I didn’t have any symptoms of MS until I was 31.

[jimeka]

TracyBelle has answered very well. There is only one other factor and that is a severe shock or trauma, that I know of. Others may know other factors

[Juliew19673 in reply to jimeka]

Thanks jimeka; most of the people I have personally met that have MS or other obnoxious auto-immune diseases are some of the TOUGHEST individuals out there, its as if, if you get MS, it's because your tough enough to handle it.

[jimeka in reply to Juliew19673]

That’s true 💪

[Jazzihorsecat]

Well, Julie, I agree w/Tracy, There are a # of factors, but also from what I have learned &+ experienced in the past 7 months, (I too was just dx'd last year @ this time), & from the most awesome e'book out there on the subject is Ann Boroch's, "Healing Multiple Sclerosis", It describes 'Leaky-Gut' Syndrome & candidiasis, our guts & brains are connected & whenever our guts are clogged, our whole bodies are out of wack, especially our precious brains, & it causes a plethora of chronic-diseases. When we have an overgrowth of fungus in our guts, we tend to get very sick, This was definatley worth every penny & read, It has changed many 1,000's of peoples lives for the way better, there's awesome all natural recipes to follow & are delicious!👍 It's way better than the Harm-U-Psueticals💉💊 DMT's out there, not half as bad side effects, nor will it kill U in the long run( down the road), I am bacoming more stable, more brain back, not so much brain fog, reversing, (not just holding back progression w/ many side-effects & even death from PML & jcvirus,)this M.onS.ter disease. I always highly recommend this book, even on here IFWCZ is doing the cleanse & been waiting for updates.👍😍😀So, that's what I recommend always! 💐🙏Many Blessings, Jazzy🌹💜

[Juliew19673 in reply to Jazzihorsecat]

Yes I read this book as well and agree. Thanks.

[Jazzihorsecat]

Oh, well that's good...to hear dear friend, 👍I am so glad others are listening for it. 💐😀😍😉 Have a great day!

[itasara]

TRACYBELLE did a good job of describing MS. Overall it is a central nervous system condition for which there seem to be a number of influences, but in the 13 years I have had this, or known that I had MS, there is still no known definite cause or predictably of MS. I once went to a lecture about MS and the speaker described MS by comparing it to the solar system... the way the planets all line up and how the stars all line up. With MS certain influences (some of which are genes) have to line up in such away that the condition is manifest. And Since everyone is so different it is difficult to find a comparison amongst all MS patients.

[goatgal]

TracyBelle has given a very complete response. I'll add that the bacteria which live in everyone's digestive tract may also be involved. But the short answer at this moment is that these are all hypotheses; no one yet knows for certain what causes MS.

[Weldon60]

The impression that I have is that MS is caused by a complex reason of genetics and a virus. To my knowledge I am the only person on both sides of my family to have MS. I do know that when I was late grade school or early junior high, I got real sick. I assume that that was what set me up for MS. I was diagnosed in my early 30s, but I can look back into my early 20s and see early signs.

[pamgarner]

genetics are huge,and one piece to the puzzle,I don't have anyone else in my family with ms,but I do have several members with different auto immune disorders,chrones disease,hashimoto thyroid lupus,shojgrens disease,and the list goes on.and I did smoke ,for over 20 years,I did quit in 2010, they have made a connection between smoking and ms,another reason not to start,and of course vitamin d is huge.that's my story and I am sticking to it !

[Peruzzot in reply to pamgarner]

As far as I know I also am the only one on either side of the family to have MS, but have several family members on my Dad's side with other autoimmune diseases. I never was a smoker but my dad was a chain smoker. I asked the neurologist if the second hand smoke could have increased my chances of developing MS. He said "absolutely yes." That added to years of working in buildings with no windows probably didn't help me any either.

[pamgarner in reply to Peruzzot]

I think I was already set up with the gene thing but why did I EVER smoke?so stupid

[Raingrrl in reply to pamgarner]

No one else in my family has MS either but both my siblings have other autoimmune disorders. None of us ever smoked although my a Mom smoked when we were all very young.

[pamgarner in reply to Raingrrl]

the gene thing is huge in ms,all the family members I have are on one side of my family

[Bodega1939]

Being one of the oldest people on this site and having my first clinical sign when I was 27 (52 years ago), it is wonderful you were dxd so early. Progress has been made in diagnosis and in DMTs. Many more people are being diagnosed now and on DMTs much earlier.

You may find you have "work arounds" discovered by you as you find your ability to be reduced in certain areas. For example , balance is an issue for many people. I found a work around in that area when I started doing meditation while balanced on one foot first for 10 seconds, then 20, then 30 and so on until I was at a minute and steady on that foot. Then I started walking meditation using both feet. The Left Foot was quicker than the R foot but staying within 1 min for the R foot and teaching the Left foot 10 seconds at a time, soon, within a couple of months or less,I was taking 5 minutes on the R and 5 on the left. That stability continued as the seconds for each foot continued. This type of meditation is called "Walking Meditation" and you can do it any length of time and anywhere at any time. Some people pray or chant during this time, I meditate and often use the "Ohm mani padme hum" mantra. That meditation does not require much more than ability to repeat it. But if you want to know what it means, check the internet.

Now it takes me about 2 hours or 3 to go 2 or 3 feet. As you have already noted, this exercise can be done in a teeny tiny space. And, depending on how high you raise your foot you can either go forward or remain inplace.

When you do your type of exercise, you may find meditation beneficial anyway.

Nemaste, Bodega39

[Peruzzot]

TracyBelle gave a very good description. It is not a brain disorder as it also attacks the optic nerve and spinal cord. Disorders I generally associate as something your born with. Diseases are something we contract from mostly outside sources.

[hairbrain4]

Over that past 14 years since my diagnosis, I have learned that knowing how, when or why isn't as important as the DMT now & taking care to not do the things that exacerbate MS. It progresses enough on its own without our help. What TracyBelle said pretty much covers it & most of us can look back & see when the MS probably started. I'm pretty sure I have had MS since I was a teen. I had a bad case of Chickenpox when I was 13. After that, I was tired all the time. I also developed a low thyroid in my teens & chalked up the fatigue to that. Over the years I had isolated problems that didn't really make any sense. When I was 50 I woke up one morning with the left side of my face & tongue numb. That started my little whirlwind of test after test before being diagnosed with MS. But focus on the NOW, MS isn't going away since there is no cure. Accept it & make the best of it. You can still live a full meaningful life.

[Juliew19673 in reply to hairbrain4]

Thank you and agree on the DMT, it's been the biggest help!

[Bodega1939]

MSAA has a series of talks by a neurologist that is fairly comprehensive and no video is much longer than 3-5 minutes (my estimate).

mymsaa.org/videos/understan...

She is quite clear about the causes.

Nmeaste

[Juliew19673 in reply to Bodega1939]

Thank you!

[sashaming1]

Both: MS is due to a faulty immune system (overactive & misdirected to attack healthy brain parts) and a brain disorder. It affects myelin, nerve fibers, other - but also affects the non-brain central nervous system. "MS is a chronic disease that damages the nerves in the spinal cord and brain, as well as the optic nerves. Sclerosis means scarring, and people with MS develop multiple areas of scar tissue in response to the nerve damage. Depending on where the damage occurs, symptoms may include problems with muscle control, balance, vision, or speech."

I think it is due to the immune system's over-reaction to a previous infection from childhood. That's my take on it, for what its worth (< 2 cents).

[Hidden]

It is a brain and spinal cord disorder it auto immune I was dx because I carry the shingles virus in left eye from chicken pox so my immune system didnt get to full growth iam 52