1. Sometimes....for some people!

2.Could be not much...through to a lot. No one can give you an answer to this.

3.Not as far as I know, although it seems that having a person in your family with MS can contribute to a predisposition

4.This sounds too cute, but we will all die sometime! People with MS usually die with MS, not from it. It is said that it can shorten life span by about 7 years but I don't know where I read that. I know a person with MS who has had no further problems since their first attack, I have a friend with MS who has to use a wheel chair and has no use of one arm. I can walk, but can't ride a bike.

5. Since there are MANY symptoms, this is a very difficult one to answer. Mine started with pins and needles in my feet.

Keep looking for information. Ignorance can leave you prone to believe all manner of fallacies - and there are plenty where MS is concerned.

One thing I have observed here is that there are 100s of people sharing their experiences and discoveries.

And...I reckon that every one of your questions will attract heaps of discussion.

Hi Lost Child and welcome to the forum.

The first thing you need to know is that MS presents differently in everybody. There is a Chinese menu of symptoms and just because one person has this doesn't mean the other person will have that. So really it is not really possible to answer most of your questions accurately however I will do my best.

1. There can be a degree of pain involved in MS, depending on which nerves are damaged and where the lesions are in the spine and brain.

2. Initially MS does not tend to impact heavily on a person's life, that is generally speaking. The normal course of events is that MS starts off relapsing and remitting (where you have flairs also known as relapses and then recover and wait until the next one which can be months or even years apart) and gradually progresses to secondary progressive MS (where you stop having relapses and just gradually progress). Generally speaking MS does not seriously impact on one's life until it progresses.

3. There is a train of thought which says that MS can be genetic but that by no means is a sure bet. Sometimes more than one person in a family will have it and other times not at all.

4. Nobody dies from MS, if anything people die from the complications brought on by MS. As to the progression of your brother's MS and whether it will lead to a handicap or disability, that all depends on the course his own MS takes. There is no set guarantee either way. The statistics, for what they're worth, say that 50% of the patients with relapsing remitting MS will progress to secondary progressive.

5. The signs of one having MS can be numerous and varied. Anything from tingling and numbness, difficulty in walking, problems with the eyes, balance issues, honestly the list is endless.

I know you don't want text book answers, however I cannot recommend strongly enough googling MS and visiting the MS society page (http://www.mssociety.org.uk), there you will find many answers to your questions. Meanwhile here are some links which you might find helpful

http://www.m.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/guide/what-is-multiple-sclerosis

http://m.activebeat.co/your-health/women/the-early-warning-symptoms-of-multiple-sclerosis/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_keyword=national%20multiple%20sclerosis&gclid=CKnzmaOe6MACFQsKwwodYH0Agg

http://www.mstrust.org.uk

Hi,

Ms is different for different people, a very unpredictable disease!

1. Ms for me is not really painful but is for some.
2. There are different degrees of ms, some people are really affected everyday, and some people have a slower progressing type, and live a near normal life for a long time.
3. I don't think it's really genetic but I've heard of it happening in more than one family member. I'm the only person in my family with ms, but other family members have other autoimmune diseases.
4. People usually have a near normal lifespan from what I understand , but again this disease is unpredictable and no two people are the same.
5. Lots of symptoms for ms! My first symptoms were weakness on right side of body, and pins and needles in my hand and foot on my left side.

So sorry about your brother :( hope this helps.

First, I am sorry for your brother's diagnosis.

1.) Some people with MS have L'Hermetties or TN pain, but MANY do not they might have numbness.

2.) Sadly, it will change your brothers life as time goes on.

3a.)We were told it is a .3 to 3% chance of being inherited. My husband has 15 blood aunts and uncles, 2 of them had MS. He has 74 first cousins and 5 siblings, none of them has MS. His dad has 170 first cousins and none of them have MS. So not a huge genetic risk.
3b.) I would make sure your vitamin D3 is higher ie 70-85 ng/ml as these people were at a 41% decrease risk of later MS diagnosis. Also raising vitamin D3 can also reduce MS disease activity for those that already have MS.

3c.) Find ways to help your liver (needs to work right to make the bile that absorbs the D3 and later processes it).
3d.) Find ways to deal with your stress in more healthy manner.

4.) Your brother will...eventually become handicapped.

5.) signs will GREATLY very between different individuals. Many will have fatigue, numbness in different places, and depending who you are other symptoms.

Best wishes to you both

If you have other questions I started a subgroup that is for those that love someone with MS...like I love my husband who has RRMS for over 10 years.

http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/loved-ones-who-support-someone-with-ms

Hi I'll be as honest as I can:
1. yes at times...you learn ways to cope
2. Depends on the type and how he chooses to live his life. If he takes care of himself and eats good, exercises and controls stress factors he can live a very good life. Some people are very affected by MS depending on the type. I have been in a w/c and now walk and don't use one.
3. Genetics is not fully known however autoimmune diseases can run in families
4. no one can answer that one!
5. many sx of MS are strange tingly sensations, dropping feet, slurred speech, blurred vision, stumbling or falling without reason, fatigue. And there are so many more.
Hope this helps and good luck and blessings for your whole family. I would suggest you all do some reading and perhaps attend some support groups for the education and community support.

I am so sorry. I just found out tonight that my little brother may have MS. He apparently has all of the symptoms has not told anybody. I am lost as well and trying to gain some perspective. From my recent understanding, there are a lot of resources and medications that can help to eleviate the pain and symptoms. But, he is my little brother and has already gone through so much in life. Just stay strong!