Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

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Eloise 01/12/2007

Hi!

I would like to know how stress affects MS. I know that this disease affects each of us differently, but I have read/heard that stress does NOT affect ms but have also read/heard that it does! I guess the best way to answer this question is to ask how other MS victims have reacted to stress--that is, how their MS reacted when they experienced moderate to severe stress.

I have been under major stress due to a family problem. Yesterday was bad especially for stress. My knee started going quite numb and I could feel my leg becoming somewhat numb as well. After I was able to relax a bit and shift my focus, the symptoms left.

I look forward to hearing your replies!

deleted_user 01/12/2007

I have major issues with my body and stress. I just went through 3 days of steroids after what pretty much seems like a stress induced relapse. I try to meditate, play some relaxing music, light candles and that seems to help a bit. Right now I've had my life pretty much turned upside down. So untill I make some headway in that, I try to meditate

deleted_user 01/12/2007

stress - absolutely. leg, arm, hand, speech, cognitive skills - all broke down.

deleted_user 01/12/2007

stress - absolutely. leg, arm, hand, speech, cognitive skills - all broke down.

deleted_user 01/12/2007

I have alot of stress to deal with.I have ahusband schizo-affective diorder and a child adhd and learning disabilities plus two other teenagers stress is a constant obstacle i deal with the more stress the more symptoms when I can get away from the situation for a while which is not very often i can tell the diffrence

deleted_user 01/12/2007

Think about it this way. The nerves in your CNS (central nervous system) are like a miniature switchboard of insulated electrochemical wires, and unfortunately the insulation is being slowly eaten away by the myelin reactive T-cells. What I can tell you in the "big electrical world (like in your house) that non-insulated wires get hot much faster than the insulated ones do, and hot wires don't carry as much juice as well as cold wires. Ultimately the circuit breakers kick in and --poof-- no juice gets through. In the case of MS, stress heats the wires. Also why heat seems to affect MS sufferers so terribly by the way. So cool in the body and cool in the stress departments are important things to slow the progression of the de-myelination and nerve burnout.

Hope this helps. Good luck and God bless as always.

deleted_user 01/13/2007

I would have to agree with how heartspeaker wrote, stress the profound word of MS will not help your ms, when i get stressed i shake all over feel more pain and nubmbness,fatigued as well. try to stay calm and breath deeply,remember one day at a time. hang in there. God Bless you big {{HUG}}

deleted_user 01/13/2007

stress is the worst enemy for me and my MS, I can usually feel it coming on, I get tingling down the back of my legs,then all the strength in them disappears. I have to lock my legs back to stay standing,my arms will turn into lead weights, It feels like that! It could be a half hour before I get my legs back or all day. I can usually find the reason that caused it sometimes not. Then afterward Im so stiff I have to stretch like crazy until the next episode.

deleted_user 01/13/2007

Stress is not good for MS. I also shake when I get really stressed. With 4 kids I get stressed quite a bit but you just have to remove yourself from the situation and breath.

deleted_user 02/05/2007

Weekend before last I was under stress one of my children was in my thoughts very heavily and I just couldnt sleep..I hurt all the time..couldnt hardly move..tripping..dropping things..long story short..this past week I was laying on the couch for 2 days straight..my body was so drained I couldnt hardly stand..I know stress tears me up literally...

deleted_user 10/09/2007

in the worst ways, i swear...uti's are big effects

deleted_user 10/09/2007

I think stress was the one thing that triggers my MS to rear its ugly head...my first major episode was a few days after my father died. Now little stressers in my life I do experience tingling, and weakness in my legs. It is hard not to get stressed but I try to calm down when I feel it. Good luck.

deleted_user 10/09/2007

stress always makes my symptoms worse

kazinmich 10/09/2007

Stress will cause the headaches/migraines and trigger different symptoms of MS that drive me insane. Stress also weakens your body's immune system, which is already compromised due to MS. HeartSpeaker explained it in a good way. I also found that after a stressfull day it helps to sleep as much as possible. or even if it was a stressful morning, take a nap that afternoon. It seems to minimize the stress triggering symptoms

deleted_user 10/09/2007

For me stress has been the major contributer to exacerbations that I have had.. I have had rel/rem, and now in secondary progressive. I can b totally sure it was major stresses in my life that caused so many problems. I am a 16 yr. veteran of ms, sometimes treated sometimes not.

deleted_user 10/09/2007

This stress talk scares me. I am newly dxd and I am a very stressed out person. I have a lot of tools--12 step meetings, meditation, good friends, higher power, etc, which keep me sane but I know I need to change my quick to anger personality. If only I could get rid of (or trade in) the ex/kids' dad. :-) No, no, don't blame--look within.

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