MDD and MS

[MargoMS]

I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder aged about 23 or 24. Ten years later and it looks like I have MS. I know that people with MS often experience episodes of depression but my question was whether or not having MDD makes you at a higher risk of developing a disease like MS later in life? It seems like a reasonable scenario.

[MargoMS]

Hi JJ,

Thanks for that. My neurologist is more of an neuro-oncologist so I think he'd be a bit more interested if it had been some sort of brain tumour :) But hey-ho. He seems to be fairly well respected as a neurologist in general, plus I have a friend of a friend who specialises in MS research who I'm hoping to forward my results to (if and when I get them all!) for his feedback. So we'll see. I have absolutely no other symptoms at the moment other than some mild balance issues. So hopefully that's a good thing...

Thanks again

[supermum_ms]

I aim to get people thinking outside the box, it doesn't alway come out that way though so I am glad this one, at least got someone thinking ;o)

Its actually a pet peeve of mine, people all over the world are rutinely dx with mental health conditions with out any testing, not even psych testing which makes no sense to me at all. Then once the MH dx is there, physiological conditions can get over looked and put down to their MH condition. Thats happened to my mum (dx bipolar) too many times, though why, still boggles me because MH doesn't make anyone immune to other health conditions, be nice if it did, but alas no.

Interesting, did the neuro dx "isolated, bilateral 6th cranial nerve palsy" before or after the MRI found the demylinating lesions? If it was before, you might find that that dx will change. Depending on where the lesion are located it probably isn't 'isolated' to just the 6th, ON (or similar) might be the more likely dx, if it turns out to be MS.

Totally understand the frustration, though a heads up, the LP can only confirm MS if 2+ (some say 4+) Obands are found, they add to the diagnostic evidence but if there's none or not enough, it shouldn't be grounds for not dx's MS. If you want to know more about LP's, have a look at our health pages (right of your screen), you might like to read the ones on the Mcdonald criteria too, it will explain what evidence is needed for dx.

My doctor is the same, sure its MS but i'm yet to get a neuro to make it official, though thats more my fault (long story i wont bother you with) hopefully the neuro your seeing is one that specialises in MS, it can make a big difference in the time frame of dx. Please let us know what happens, and if you need any questions answered, just post and we'll do what we can to help.

Cheers.......JJ  

[MargoMS]

Thank you both so much for taking the time to reply! And humble apologies that has taken so long for me to post a response of my own!

Supermum/JJ - special thanks for such an informative and thought-provoking reply. I have had progressive double vision for about 3 and 1/2 months now. Originally intermittent and only affecting objects at a distance, about 3 weeks ago it became continuous and now affects all objects. Neurologist diagnosed an isolated, bilateral 6th cranial nerve palsy. I also have some balance issues. Optician says eyes are healthy in themselves, inside and out, and MRI shows quite a lot of lesions all consistent with demyelintation. I'm still waiting for absolute confirmation from CSF analysis but my GP seems quite sure it's MS. Very frustrating!

Again, apologies for my tardy response and thanks to you both for your input.

Warmest best wishes

[supermum_ms]

This is one of those chicken or the egg questions, 'if' you do in fact have MS then there is a possibility that you were incorrectly dx with a primary mental health condition. If MS is the correct dx then that is the primary dx and MDD would be a secondary condition, or in other words a by product of the primary condition.

Depression seen in pwMS, can be caused by lesion placement in the frontal lobes or because of the reality of their ever changing circumstances, MS can hit very hard and be understandably quite difficult to deal with on many levels, only one is emotionally.

MDD doesn't make you have a higher risk of developing any "diseases" but it does have a higher risk of developing other mental health conditions eg general anxiety, health anxiety, panic attacks, psychosis etc. and the commonly related secondary conditions, eg acid reflux etc. Many of the mental health drugs actually deliver via central nervous system so side affects of tingles, muscle twitches etc are pretty common experiences.

What makes you think it looks like you may have MS?

Cheers...........JJ

[Guitar_grrrl]

Your MDD may well have been a flare, if you indeed have MS.  Depression is a common symptom in MS.