This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Does anyone here believe that their MS was caused by a virus? Or something else?

i believe my partner's MS was caused by 27 years of reflux in her right jugular vein.

I think mine was caused by glandular fever/mono (had it twice) then it messed up my liver when the virus spread there.

My veins were not too bad pre-venoplasty so I don't believe that was my cause (although now my left vein is totally clotted I don't think its helping my MS!)

I believe that mine was caused by a virus contracted following a serious injury. The injury was 1983 and the diagnosis was in 1988.

Same here, I've had upper back and neck issues for years, and only recently found out I have a herniation and bulging disks in my cervical spine. I also contracted a virus about 6 weeks or so before I noticed ms like symptoms. I also hardly ever got sick as a kid and hardly get sick now...I wonder if it's because my immune system as always been slightly over active.

Interesting topic. Many of us still wonder why and how it happened. In my case, I found out that I have extended styloid passing near jugulars ( called Eagle Syndrome) plus I had an accident nearly 16 years before which caused compression in neck and possibly Upper Cervical misalignment (not diagnosed by docs).

EBV, low D, genetics, crappy diet.

did anybody mention stress ? just curious

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Contra spem spero

My physiatrist and my neuro both think my MS might have its origins in my 1996 lung cancer & treatment (chemo & radiation) and subsequent metastasis to the brain & resection. The theory is that some or all of that kicked my immune system into a 'hyper-vigilant' mode, or something like that. Just the kind of thing to make you wonder if you really have MS...

(but I did have EBV/mono in H.S.)

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RRMS dx 3/3/11; Copaxone since 12/1/11

You ask and you shall receive Scat89. Most research is pointing towards the cause of MS as a cross between genetics and enviroment(including possibly being exposed to a virus such as EBV) however as you see that is not the case for a lot of themembers on here.

i believe my ms was caused by trauma. my first relapse at 23 came from stress though

i did have mono/EBV at 11

ive had most success going the trauma route

i have this too but i also add trauma to that

I think mine was ebv. I got mono when I was 24 and at 26 I had my first exacerbation and was diagnosed.

I had mono age 18 which definitely weakened my immune system. It's also highly likely I have a genetic disposition, as my family is mostly northern European. Stress is the main culprit for the exacerbations I've had, including the worst one leading to my diagnosis in 2009.

I believe it was the rabies vaccine. Even thought I have been told by my neurologist/immunologist that it definitly was not, I still refuse to give up on the fact that I messed with my immune system. My symptoms didn't show until after 2 years after the vaccination but no doctor can tell me how long the lesions have been on my brain (one dr. told me that they were older than 4 months). On the other hand, I was very ill with a very bad stomach virus one month before my symptoms showed. A virus that almost put me in the hospital. That also could be the culprit. I was diagnosed at 42 years old. When I was 26, I experienced an episode of pitosis (drooping eyelid), which went unexplained by a neurologist. Could that have been the beginning? I will never know but what I do know is that I can't change the past nor can I change the fact that that I made the decision to get the rabies vaccine (which makes me live in unbelievable guilt). I can only look forward to the future in hopes that something out there will eventually help all of us.