This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Just wondering if this was common...if this fits into the chronic infection theory...I never had given it much thought..but thinking back...I had horrible cough that wouldn't go away years ago..went to the doctor and she suspected Mycoplasma pneumonia...treated with antibiotics...got better. It was a short time after that that I had the first symptoms of arthritis...and a couple of years later had first episode of MS (not diagnosed but figured out ten years later when I had the same symptoms I had plaques everywhere and diagnosed RRMS) Now I am seeing sites for this antibiotic protocol and the MPn and Cpn theories not only for MS but also rheumatic diseases. What do you think? Wendy

Hi Wendy, I think you could be onto something. Many of the folks on the protocol have that kind of history. Though my husband Steve never had pneumonia, he has been in close quarters with me. I have chronic respiratory infections: walking pneumonia twice in the past 9 years, and tracheitis, laryngitis, several bouts of bronchitis, and dozens of sinus infections throughout my life. Even when I don't have a full-blown sinus infection, I seem to always maintain a low grade sinus infection. It may have all started with chronic tonsilitis as a child...they weren't removed until I was 14. Cpn is spread via droplets in sneezes and coughs. I feel like I've been a walking Cpn dispenser feeding Steve a steady stream of the bugs for our entire married life. By the way, I intend to also do the CAP to prevent my reinfecting Steve and to treat for artery disease, minor osteo-arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, the chronic sinus infections, and some other minor related issues. You will find a long list of illnesses linked to Cpn in the handbook on CPn Help.org.

Cypriane~caregiver and advocate in Dallas for husband with SPMS

I had a dreadful cough for years that wouldn't go away. It tended to be better in the summer months then worse in the winter, especialy, though not neccesariy after a respirarory infection. I was coughing so badly one day that a recently retired chest physician told me to get myself referred to the hospital and get my chest checked over immediately. I did but nothing was found. This was about 1985 before CPn was discovered to be a pathogen. I had already develped MS but then it was very mild RRMS. Later I develpoed adult onset asthma. Since starting th treatment, my asthma has gone and I don't cough hardly at all. I also used to get quite bad hayfever and sneeze a lot. The hayfever is now minimal and I have only sneezed twice tooday: it is now 19,00 in the UK.

I have never had any sort of rheumatic illness, but you can see from the two sites mentioned in your previous post:
http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-3096.html
that CPn is implicated in the development rheumatoid arthritis. Many people with MS who are being treated on the various regimes also have it.

Sarah