Which risk factors for MS apply to you?

[doublevision1]

These are some of the main risk factors I come across again and again in the literature.  Some are well established, other theorized. Please check all that apply to you.

I didn't have enough options to add an "Other" category, so if you have any risk factors not listed here, please tell us what they are.

[sayadia]

female gender
age 33 at onset
no family history..but daughter being worked up now
Irish and German ancestory
B12 deficiency
Born in Mich..lived on farm until age 17 then moved to Fla
Smoked from age 15...Mother smoked for many years
also hysterectomy at age 26

[goofysmom1]

Female gender
Yes - Between age 20 – 40 when symptoms began
No -  Heredity/Family History of MS
Yes, some Irish, some English (mostly American Indian) - Northern European ancestry
No -  Hx of infectious mononucleosis
Yes - Vitamin D deficiency
Yes -  Childhood in 'high risk' area (Europe, Canada, northern U.S., NZ & SE Australia)
Yes to both - Hx of smoking/Exposure to parental

This is a great poll!

Will be interesting to see how this turns out!

Chrisy

[Alli78]

Female
Age 30
2 cousins with ms dx
Mono at 14
Both parents smoked
Born and raised in upstate ny
Irish and English family background

[GrannyJo6]

All of the above!! Except I didn't smoke. My parents did - just like someone else said - all the time and in the car, etc.
Female
Dx at 28
Northern European ancestry
Had mono at 19 or 20
Low vitamin D even in my teens
Have lived in the Pacific Northwest my whole life
Born in February, adopted so don't have a complete history and don't know if any other family members have auto immune disorders)

[PastorDan]

I had no idea a neuro would be interested in a history of scarlet fever.  I'll have to do some reading on that.  I had it bad in kindergarten ('62-'63), and even then I think it was becoming rare.  I suppose I've been assuming its' incidence is decreasing with improved immunization.  Now we need Quix.

[Karen99]

Female
Between age 20-40 when symptoms began
Northern European ancestry
No family hx of MS or other autoimmune
No hx of mono.  Had scarlet fever which raises the eyebrows of neuro's.
Vitamin D deficiency: I don't know. Bone density is in excellent range.
Childhood spent in California, USA
History of smoking.
Toxic exposure:  Levaquin antibiotic

[HVAC]

Female gender

Northern European ancestry

Hx of infectious mononucleosis

Exposure to parental smoking
        

[Eyesnlegs]

Female gender = yes

Between age 20 – 40  = yes

Heredity/Family History of MS = no but my sister was dx about 18 months ago

Northern European ancestry = yes

Hx of infectious mononucleosis = no

Vitamin D deficiency = not as far as I am aware

Childhood in 'high risk' area (Europe, Canada, northern U.S., NZ & SE Australia) = yes

Hx of smoking/Exposure to parental smoking = yes to both

[Heather3418]

I voted twice....brain blurp...I didn't notice that this polll was started in December.  Please forgive me db

It seems that these polls do not keep accurate information and MedHelp needs to fix this.  I wish they would have a way to show the poll answers and places to put a check mark beside them, if they apply to you.  That would make it so much easier.

I AM sorry that I screwed up your poll, dearheart.  I just can't seem to get the knack of these polls, which should be easy.

Huggie Wuggies db,
Heather

[Heather3418]

Female gender
Between age 20 – 40 when symptoms began
Northern European ancestry
Childhood in 'high risk' area (Europe, Canada, northern U.S., NZ & SE Australia)
Hx of smoking/Exposure to parental smoking


Heather

[PastorDan]

Good poll.

Female gender  --  Well, no.

Between age 20 – 40 when symptoms began -- trying to decide which symptoms to count when.  Offhand, I'll say it's likely some of this started then, yes.

Heredity/Family History of MS  --  None of which I'm aware, but I'm not very informed on this.

Northern European ancestry -- Ireland on Mom's side, northern Germany on Dad's.

Hx of infectious mononucleosis -- No, this doesn't apply to me.

Vitamin D deficiency -- I really have no idea.  Bones seem okay, I guess.  I do seem to have Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is linked with sunlight, which is linked to Vitamin D.

Childhood in 'high risk' area (Europe, Canada, northern U.S., NZ & SE Australia)  Does Central Ohio count as "northern U.S.?"  Dad grew up in Cleveland, & his father's extended family was spread over Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, and Ontario.

Hx of smoking/Exposure to parental smoking --  Guilty on both counts.  I smoked from age 15 to around 35, Dad was a light smoker all his life, and Mom was a heavy user.  First mother-in-law was the worst I've ever seen, though; six packs a day.

So, I think have about a third of them as yes, a third as no, and a third as hard to be sure.

[rendean]

Female gender
40 when "Official" symptoms began
Northern European ancestry -like buriedinfur I glow and am redheaded
Vitamin D deficiency- unsure but being tested
Hx of smoking/Exposure to parental smoking
Born in March

[doublevision1]

lots of new members since this thread was started; if you haven't answered yet, please let us know what ALL your risk factors are as per above.  I'll tally this up manually as the poll function only allows for one answer.

[LATW]

I had/have them all except the smoking.

LA dx'd Feb 2008

[Erin0313]

I am March.

My family does have history of Autoimmune just not MS. One Aunt & cousin each with Lupus and my sister has Soriasis.

[pennst8r]

I am August, as is one of my sisters Dx with MS. The other, also Dx w/ MS, is April

[biowham]

I'm April.

[Quixotic1]

There is also some data suggesting that a birth month in the late spring (say March thru June) is a risk factor.

Quix

[pennst8r]

-Female
-family history
-Northern European descent
-vitamin D
-childhood high risk area
-not family member, but live in family firiend chain smoker exposure as child

[Sunnytoday]

I think N# 3 (or was he 4) was right, I don't fit the characteristics of MS. I have only one of those factors, and that would be that I'm female. :)
~Sunnytoday~

[ladygraycloud]

30 year old female
smoking since 15 and still do
parents both smoked
have ancestors from Europe

[biowham]

I am female.
I was 39 when this stuff started.
My grandmother has PPMS.
I am 100% northern European.
Had a SEVERE case of mono in August/Sept/Oct 2005.
I smoked from about age 17 to age 30. My father smoked when I was little, and of course, I grew up in the 1970s when EVERYONE smoked EVERYWHERE.

...add to that an excised thyroid because...in 2005/2006, my thyroid went insane with TPO antibodies, grew huge nodules, was hyper, and I had it removed.

Bio

[shoshin]

Wow, if the bout of mono counts, I think I have all the risk factors...

[shoshin]

Female gender
Between age 20 – 40 when symptoms began  (27)
Heredity/Family History of MS (cousin)
Northern European ancestry (like Ess, I'm mostly Irish and German, but the one that I thought sounded coolest as a kid was Bohemian)
Hx of infectious mononucleosis (had mono in college--is this what is meant here?)
Vitamin D deficiency (slightly low at 25)
Childhood in 'high risk' area (Europe, Canada, northern U.S., NZ & SE Australia) (northern U.S.)
Hx of smoking/Exposure to parental smoking (parents both smoked until I was in elementary school; mother smoked while pregnant with me)