Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

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Mono and MS

laurelvo
laurelvo
I just stumbled across this. I had mono in jr. high school, ON in my mid 20's and was just DX'd with MS (recent slight balance issues and slight tingly fingers got me to the doctor), in my early 50's. SO, this says if you had mono, you are 2x as likely to have MS (a similar figure if you had ON) AND...my brother was DX'd w/MS 5 years ago.

Against this backdrop, the Harvard group systematically identified and statistically combined 14 relevant studies conducted in the US, Europe, and Australia to come up with an overall picture of the connection between infectious mono and MS.

The most important observation in our study was that people who got infectious mono while growing up were about twice as likely to get multiple sclerosis later, compared to people who never got infectious mono, Thacker told Reuters Health.

The potential implication of our observation is that some cases of multiple sclerosis could probably be averted through the prevention of infectious mono, he said. One way to accomplish this might be to develop a safe and effective vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus.

SOURCE: Annals of Neurology, March 2006.

http://www.health.am/ab/more/mononucleosis_increases_risk_of_multiple_sclerosis/
lchoppel
lchoppel
Thanks for this interesting post. There has been alot said on this site about Mono and MS. I've become worried for my children as they both had mono this year.
Seashells1
Seashells1
Another thing that we have talked about here and was looked at in another study is that those of us who had mono AND a high fever as a small child, seem to have a higher risk of MS. Now they don't know all this for a fact, but it seems to be pretty prevalent with us
deleted_user
deleted_user
I also had mono in jr high & was just dx with ms at 38:(
Seashells1
Seashells1
I was diagnosed at 48, but had an mri done when I was in my mid 20's and that showed lesions. But my neuro said that back then they were really hesitant to dx ms because they couldn't do anything for it. And mine has been benign enough that I must sort of muscle through it and move on...no ms meds.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I had mono in high school to,also had opic nerecis after my daughter had it in 1980 was dx with ms after spinal surgery in 2004 at the time i had weakness in my legs but was througt to be due to surgery so a MRI was done dx was ms, so at age 58 so it can hit at anytime in life.
laurelvo
laurelvo
And who knows how long we were walking around with MS! My nuro thinks, either when I was dx'd with ON or tingling fingers flair ups, so either 25 or 7 years walking around with it, for me!
deleted_user
deleted_user
I had mono at 17..very bad! I lost 100 lbs in 3 months. First doc said it was strep. I ended up in the er with a temp of 104. Was on bed rest for 2 months.

10 yrs later was the onset of symptoms & I was dx a yr later. In that 10 yr time I believe I had MS related episodes. They just weren't substantial enough to last & become concerned over.

I also read that someone had studied the possible conection between MS and Alzheimers. My grandmother had Alzheimers for 15 yrs before she passed.

Makes you wonder..
ezone
ezone
I read a study a few months ago regarding this disease and MS. In an autopsy study of about 26 people with MS, 24 brains had the anti-bodies for mono (or Epstein Barr virus) in their brain tissue.

I didn't have the disease, but my siblings had it and so I probably have the anti-bodies for it. I urge everyone to donate their brain to science for the study of this darn disease. It will help the next generation.
SJF1974
SJF1974
I believe this is how I developed MS. I had mono at 21, diagnosed with MS at 28.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I believe that it is genetic and that the Epstein Barr virus just triggers that gene and voila MS. Kind of like the dormant chicken pox virus triggers shingles later on life. I had a terrible case of mono while in college which went untreated for months until I finally collapsed and the school and my parents believed that I was truly ill. Spent a few weeks in the hospital and actually was never the same after that. So whoever it was who said who knows how long we have been walking around with MS is probably right! Just my thought.
xaviermom74
xaviermom74
Have never had mono.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I had Mono in Jr high also, missed the last 2 weeks of 10th. grade due to it.... Have actually wondered about the mono/ms theory.... Interesting to know there is actually a link.... Ty for the info.........
deleted_user
deleted_user
I had mono (epstein barr) when I was 26 and felt like I never recovered 100%.

2 years later I was dx w MS. I have a lot of friends w/ MS that also have had mono or epstein barr.
Thanks for the link, very good info!
deleted_user
deleted_user
NOT Jr high for me HS, sorry, lol
erica1000
erica1000
Never had mono or Epstein Barr
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