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665881 tn?1248926997

Will MS last forever?

Hi, i can't seem to find any imformation on this.
I was wondering if after say like 30-40 years there is a possibility that the disease just dies or stops completely?
If so, how many people does this happen to and or is it common, rare etc?
Thankyou

Sammy xxxx
24 Responses
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Avatar universal
Hi Sammy

I had just been reading through this thread with some amusement I'm afraid. I don't think I have ever seen such hijacking!

I have never heard of MS simply going away after a period of time. Then again I only (personally) know a few people with MS.

I would love to think it had a beginning, a middle and an end - especially if when it got to the end you were back to the state you were in at the beginning.

Loved the picture btw.

Mand

Helpful - 0
923105 tn?1341827649
Love your drawing :)

Would like to add something here, my friend in the UK read all about mercury etc., so he went and had all his teeth pulled, and shaved his hair too.  Guess what?  He is still the same with his PP, it made not one iota of change to his state of health, apart from the fact that he now has dentures and is bald.

Sammy, I think that maybe you reach a plateau for a length of time, but as for it going away - somehow I don't think so :(             Wish it did, but it seems highly improbable.

Take care,

Debs
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665881 tn?1248926997
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Helpful - 0
505094 tn?1240317431
The unpredictability of MS and the multitude of theories for the causes does not sit well with the human mind that wants answers-wants a way out of this disease.  We are all looking for answers-solutions to the millions of questions that we have and as delightful as we are as human beings...most of us do not deal well with uncertainty.  Personally, I like to think that as in other parts of life that there are many reasons/causes for something to happen and many solutions to be tried.  It keeps me hopeful and somewhat empowered to think that I can still try to be the best I can no matter what is happening to my body/mind etc.  
I also don't think these posts have turned into a 'fight'-just a debate that is bringing up some very interesting information.  We all want proof of something don't we?  We all want a way to get out of suffering, yes?  I pray that this can happen to everyone, but I personally have no clue how that is going to happen.  
Don't we just have to keep trying?  What works for one does not always work for another, and so we try out different beliefs until something clicks.   Charley
Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
Yup, it's what we call a thread hijack.  Happens all the time!  The best thing to do is let it dry up, and move on.
Helpful - 0
665881 tn?1248926997
OMG lol this post was my question, and i was asking if MS ever went away, i never once acked for a fight about amalgam fillings! It was totally off the subjest and i wish it was never brought up. Thanks to it being brought up, all these people are fighting about filings and not answering my questions.
Maybe next time, want2bike, you should keep your conspiracies to your self or just answer the simple question. Sorry if i sounds Bitc#y but i am annoyed that my post has turned into this!
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195469 tn?1388322888
By the way....well said.  I have a better understanding now.  Thank you for putting into laymen's terms.
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195469 tn?1388322888
Okay folks, I just talked to my dentist by phone.  He said that they no longer use silver fillings which contained the trace amounts of mercury.  In fact, he told me that nothing in today's current fillings contain any mercury.  He said that the mercury/MS connection theory "petered out" a long time ago, when the connection could NOT be proven.

I think it's time to let this subject rest, don't you all?  It's gotten way off subject.  We need to say, "All people are entitled to their opinions."  And leave it at that.  But not go on and on and on about it.

"Want2bike," I wanted to let you know that MedHelp's 'Moderators' will delete this whole post if they perceive any arguing.  It won't be the Community Leaders, it will be MedHelp.
Helpful - 0
147426 tn?1317265632
While the age-old rant against amalgams can be interesting the studies measuring the amount of mercury given off have shown that the levels are far below those which are known to trigger disease.  The greatest risk is actually to the dental professionals that use the product and inhale the vapors when the amalgams are fresh.  But, beyond this, I have no interest in debating this topic.

The two issues that I would like to comment on are 1) That MS is related to known environmental toxins and 2) that a faulty pH of the body is the result of a poor diet OR that the pH of the body can be altered by any form of detoxing diet.

MS is has not been shown to be related to mercury intoxication or poisoning.  That has been studied.  The search for any link of MS to heavy metals or other chemicals has been intensively carried out for much of the last 20 or 30 years. MS is also NOT related to lifestyle or diet.  The sites that promote this kind of thinking are based on faulty logic, inaccurate facts, and misguided assumptions.  Even the Swank diet which boasts a 40 year "study" has been debunked as having a faulty initial assumption added to faulty interpretation of the "results."

Ess is also right that there is no evidence whatsoever that MS arose after the introduction of dental amalgams.  MS was first described in the 1400s (400 years before the introduction of dental fillings and has been seen ever since.  MS occurs in people who are already on optimal diets.  The only "lifestyle" variable that might be implicated as a partial cause of MS is lack of exposure to sunlight, without compensating with high doses of Vitamin D such can be found in some cold water fish.

While I am certainly in favor of ridding our environment - to the extent possible - of toxins and am also in favor of healthy eating, I want to state for our newer members that ess is totally correct in her statement that people touting a cure or reversal of MS using diet or any form of "detoxifcation" do so using faulty reasoning, misinterpreting their observations and by the heavy use of testimonials.

Testimonials are the attempt to prove a point by providing a whole bunch of people's statements that something worked for them.  They mean nothing.  We don't know whether the diagnosis was correct in the first place.  We don't know if the resolution of symptoms was due to natural remission (in the case of MS or cancer).   We don't know if these were gullible people who felt better due to placebo effect.  People who have very mild disease are the most likely to attribute the mildness to something they have done.   And, online, we don't know if the "people" providing the testimonials even exist.  It is easy to write up fake glowing testimonials.  Many sites have been debunked by showing that the "people" don't exist.  Finally, the use of celebrities is often used to promote unproven treatments.  In reality, a famous person is no more likely to know the truth about something than the average person.

As to the arguments that we can or need to change the pH of our bodies.  That is the highest form of hogwash, in my educated opinion.  What we eat does NOT change our bodies pH.  Every system in our bodies, led by the kidneys, works together to keep our bodies pH stable within an extremely narrow range.  If we take in acids, they are quickly broken down to become non-acidic or we excrete the excessive acids in the urine.  Even our sweat helps regulate our internal pH.  The many forms of detox that purport to alkalinize our bodies are pure snake oil.  In some cases they can actually harm.  But, in no cases do they make any lasting changes in our internal acid/base balance.

The urine is the main means by which we quickly rid ourselves of excessive acid or base.  So, we will see the pH of the urine change throughout the day in response to the forces which might work to change it, including diet and disease.  The respiratory system also is a powerful mediator of the pH, with, for example, an increase in the respiratory rate in response to a rise in acidity.

Testing for pH by the use of urine, saliva or sweat does NOT reflect the actual pH of the cells themselves.

It is true that some disease states do disrupt the pH of the body and we can see some effects that are due to this change.  Rarely are these effects permanent.  In kidney disease, liver disease, and sometimes in severe lung disease the pH can be effected to the extent that meds or salts and sometimes diet are needed to try to take the place of the work of the kidneys or lungs.  But, there is no scientific evidence that any form of "detoxification" by diet or chelation or cleansing techniques will reverse diseases like MS.

With the thousands of studies that have been done to determine the cause of MS, they have found three factors.  There is clearly a genetic component of predisposition.  There is also a factor of the lattitude during which a person spends the majority of their childhood (which is likely to be the Vitamin D issue) and finally it is very likely that there is some sort of infectious trigger which may be "prior" infection by the Epstein-Barr virus, Chlamydia pneumonia, or Herpes Virus 6.  EBV is the most likely.  Try as they have, no correlation has been found with toxins.  That does not mean that a toxin plays no role, but epidemiologically there are no clusters of MS around places with known high levels of toxins such as mercury, arsenic, carcinogens, other heavy metals, other organic compounds, etc.

I realize that these things can be debated until the earth becomes flat.  My scientific background allows me to see through the arguments put forward by proponents of the diet/toxin/detoxification theories and what I have written is my belief based on my knowledge.  I also don't think that my words will change the mind of those that are caught up in these belief systems, but I write this for those of you who haven't yet explored them.

Quix

Helpful - 0
648910 tn?1290663083
Hi.  I can feel you are getting upset because others on this forum do not agree with you, maybe because you are concerned that by not listening more ppl will become ill from a preventable cause.  There is merit in your concern.

!.  Mercury is not good for our bodies...period...with lots of scientific evidence to back it up.

2.  It is my opinion MS is not cured through diet.  Scientific evidence shows that when brain cells die our body does not generate new ones.  Thus the old saying "he/she fried his brain cells" to explain mostly stupidity or stupid acts.  NOT aiming that at anyone.

3.  It NEVER hurts our bodies when we eat healthy and that is hard to do in our society.

4.  I have Celiac Disease and I have symptoms that present MS like.  CD is an autoimmune disease.   My body is "allergic" to the gluten found in wheat, rye, and barley.  It sees the gluten as a toxin and attacks it, causing my immune systtem to go into overdrive.  Anything in my body that the gluten attaches to or if the gluten escapes into the system and is carried to the brain my immune system attacks where ever it is found.

5.  There are plenty of studies indicating gluten can be a neurotoxin to gluten intolerant ppl.  The only treatment is a life long GF diet.

6.  If the studies are correct and CD can mimic MS it is therefore logical to think there are ppl who have been dx with MS that actually have CD.  If that is the case then a GF diet will make a difference.  It will not heal the brain but the progression is not there and the brain naturally begins to adapt for it's deficits. This could paint a picture that MS was "cured" by diet.

7.  Anyone who has MS symptoms should ask their doctor about being tested for CD along with all the other mimics.  It is a simple blood test.  We strive to rule out everything else just add this to list.  There in no danger in that.  There are ppl on this forum who have CD are gluten free and are still progressing.  To me this indicates CD is not the problem.  We should also remember a person is not limited to one autoimmune disease.  It is a great idea but it doesn't work that way.

8 .All that being said here is my summation.  You are right, we should avoid mercury as much as humanly possible.  We should eat healthy because that is the way the body is designed.  We all know a gas car will not run on diesel and in essence that is equivalent to what we do to our bodies.  So eating right is going to make anyone "feel better".  However, I would not bet my life it will get rid of the MS symptoms if MS is the cause of the symptoms.

9.  This is the most important of all.  This site is full of ppl from different backgrounds and beliefs.  The ppl on this site are intelligent and caring ppl.  They just don't want someone to say okay if I eat x then y will occur, thereby maybe causing someone who needs it not to seek medical care.  PPl on this site are also very opened minded and are more than willing to listen to others opinions when they are respectfully put forth as worthy for investigation.  Many of us post links and ask others to read them and let us know what they think.  Please don't be offended that not everyone agrees with you.   Just agree to disagree and don't beat a dead horse to death.  We all like to hear others opinions but don't expect all of us to agree with them.  Last in my opinion there is usually a little truth in everyones opinion.

Thanks for caring enough to bring your concerns forward.

terry

Sorry it was so long

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Avatar universal
Why is it you want scientific proof that something *didn't* happen, hundreds of years ago, but spurn science now when it demonstrates something you don't  like? You can't have it both ways. I'm suggesting you don't have MS symptoms now because you've never had MS. Period.

None of the sources you post come from mainstream science. And your medical conspiracy/money grabbing theory is so lame. For myself, I'm not paranoid. I'm not being plotted against by big business, big medicine, or big dentistry, for that matter. Mercury poisoning exists, but it does not cause MS.

I hope those reading these ideas will consider the source and act accordingly.

ess
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665881 tn?1248926997
Nope! You didn't sound grumpy at all.
I loved your answer, it was excellent!
Thanks a ton :)
Sammy
xxxxxx
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572651 tn?1530999357
sammy.
Mercury and Ms are an ongoing debate which has no scientific proof or substance.  The argument that there is no money to be made if MS is cured falls into the group of conspiracy theories that don't hold up under scrutiny.  In my opinion it comes in a close second to the after effects of alien abductions.

And Lydwina of Schieden - Dutch patron Saint of Ice Skaters (1400AD)  is the earliest written record of someone with MS - well before the 1800's.

I have four sisters. We all went to the same dentist and have the same genetically crappy teeth.  One of my sisters actually went through replacement of her fillings, being concerned about the mercury.  That leaves four of us with this stuff in our teeth.    I am the only one of use that has MS.  hmmmmmmm.............

I have a famly line predisposed to MS - I can trace it at leat back two generations thanks to my mom's oral history.  These were people who lived in a rural area without medical care, without exposure to Mercury.    

Your question about MS and it stopping is a fair one - I was just reading Managing the Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, 5th edition, 2007, Randall Schapiro, MD.  He does say that 20% of MS patients remain stable and need little treatment.  That is encouraging.  

He also talks about the number of patients who eventually stop progressing with the disease and see no further change.  I guess you could consider either of those scenarios as stopping the disease but that wouldn't be entirely accurate.  

I would love to say that we are only going to have this disease for so long and then it goes away - unfortunately its not that way.

Sorry if I sound grumpy, but I'm tired tonight.

be well,
L
Helpful - 0
665881 tn?1248926997
Thankyou! You had a very helpful answer, i have allot more understanding now then i did before, i wasn't totally sure on how that whole process happend.
Thanks again!
You all have fantastic answers :)

Sammy
xxxxxx
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665881 tn?1248926997
I hope they find a cure in the next decade, it's such a horrible disease.
Thankyou for your answer :)

Sammy
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665881 tn?1248926997
Thankyou for your answer, it was a VERY good answer!

xxxxx Sammy
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665881 tn?1248926997
Thankyou, yes you answered well :)
Sorry if i seemed rude it's just i really wanted my answer lol.
Me, myself, i have never had an amalgam filling.

Sammy
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338416 tn?1420045702
Hey, Sammy!

Unfortunately, MS is not a disease that you can get better from.  It appears to be a neuro-degenerative disease.  The brain loses axons through a process that nobody really understands, and forms lesions, which causes inflammation.  The inflammation creates a relapse in the MS patient, so we tend to classify that form of MS as RRMS (Relapsing-remitting.)  Today we still don't know why the brain starts to lose axons.  Some believe it's because the immune system starts to attack the myelin.  Others believe that the circulatory system backs up into the brain, causing lesion formation.  Still others think that the oligodendrocytes start dying, probably because of a wrong signal.  

Anyway, you can see why the whole process is so confusing!  

The axon loss continues throughout life.  The brain continues to lose axons, and atrophy, so a person who has had MS disease activity for a long time will have more atrophy than a young person.  Many people stop having relapses, so they think that their MS is cured - but an MRI of the brain will reveal that atrophy and axon loss is still occurring.
Helpful - 0
338416 tn?1420045702
>  If you read Hal book he relates the first case of MS to the use of amalgam fillings in the early 1800's.

Heavy sigh....  MS has been around since the 1400's.  The earliest written record of someone with MS was Lydwina of Schieden, Dutch patron saint of ice skaters. I can guarantee that she had no amalgam fillings in her teeth.

Anyway, let's not hijack this post with an argument.
Helpful - 0
984138 tn?1359813073
Hi sammy I'm actually quite new to this site and to MS but I been reading everything i can on this disease for awhile now and your question  to me seems to be a question that will never get answered the way you want it to. I personaly never heard of MS just disappearing out of know where. What damage is done is done until they find a way to restore wich to me is far from their list to do since they don't even know what causes the disease( just theorys)! So to me until there is a cause there wont be a cure and once there is a cause they still need to make the proper medicine if they even can to restore what was lost. So yeah I would say no it doesn't just go away but I'm going to keep reading about it and if i come across something I'll let you know. Mind you the stories I have heard when it goes away is the ones where they were wrongly diagnosed and it wasnt even ms. But you never know if you eat only fresh foods workout stay active positive mind thinking  that might be all you need to stop the disease from progressing wich is what i believe and what I'm going to live by now. Take care of yourself! Erin
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953123 tn?1251757774
Uh Bike I was having symptoms when I was a little child. I have had this all of my life, way before fillings etc. I understand your stance on global pollution and such but seriously this is about a disease and not a political forum. My genetics are grand (I prefer the concept of Eugenics myself) and I am the only one in my family that has MS. Enough of that, Sammy I am not sure. I would say we will perish with this disease still intact. I could be wrong, I a normally am. I honestly think it will not go into permanent remission. Hang in there...best to you..jason
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665881 tn?1248926997
Hi, not to be rude or anything but it did not ask anything on how we get MS or how bad fillings are for your body.
My question was:


I was wondering if after say like 30-40 years there is a possibility that the disease just dies or stops completely?
If so, how many people does this happen to and or is it common, rare etc?
Thankyou
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Because you have 1,2,3, 4.....whatever amount of amalgam filllings does not necessarily make you sick.  It all depends on how well our bodies deal with eliminating this posion.  Everyone is different and if your genetics are good at eliminating this posion you are OK.  Once you get enough of this stuff in your mouth it will make you sick.  Have you ever known someone who smoked all their life and lived to be 80 or 90 and didn't get cancer.  Does that mean it is OK to smoke?  We are all different and how we can deal with these toxins depends on our genetics.  The one thing that is true for all of us is that what we eat will determine our health.  Our bodies were design to operate on the fresh fruits and vegetables and not the man made foods which have bad things in them which our bodies have a hard time digesting.  Before you deny this try the Paleo diet and see if it works.  It cost nothing to try and may be the road to good health for you.
Helpful - 0
195469 tn?1388322888
Wow, Sammy you have asking a very interesting question.  I'm not sure I have an answer, but I'll give you what I "think."

I don't think that MS goes away once we have it.  Can it be stalled by the DMD's we take?  I believe to an extent, it can.  Unless they come up with a total understanding of what causes MS, I do not see MS "going away."  Or "burning out."

Some people that have very mild MS, are lucky enough to never have their MS get any worse and it's only a minor irritation in their lives.  Like the majority of us with MS, it progresses slowly, but we still manage to live a full and somewhat active life.

I am one that does not think it is caused by amalgam fillings.  It may have to do with mercury we eat from fish from the ocean waters.  I really don't know.  I DO think it has to do with a virus we are exposed to when young that starts a chain reaction in our immune systems.  I also believe that we have a defective gene hiding somewhere that predisposes us to this change in our immune systems, where the body attacks the myelin in our central nervous systems and only the central nervous system.

We really do not know how long MS has been around.  It may have been called something else over a 100 years ago.  We didn't have the machines we have today, to look into the brain to see the lesions caused from having MS.

MS is known to affect certain people that lived in a colder climate before the age of 15.  I am one of those that spent my frist days and years of my life in the Northern States where winter's were harsh.  Maybe it had to do with being indoors so much, with the heat running, that exposed us to an overabundance of toxins from paint, plaster or whatever.  We just don't know.

I do know that if MS were caused by amalgam fillings and eating fish from our oceans, that it would seem that there would be alot more cases of MS in the world, than there are now.  The majoirty of us would have been poisoned.  Don't you think?

There are all kinds of therory's out there about what causes MS.  I hope I live long enough to see the day when they find out what causes it and a reversal of that damage that it's caused.

Good question....very thought provoking.

Best Wishes,
Heather  
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