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What is the state of an infectious cause of (at least some types of) MS? And by that I mean from the research world.

Why do I ask? The Antegren approval!

My wife is RRMS. Been on avonex, and it's not working. Also, the side effects have never diminished and are intollerable (and belive me she is one tough b*tch so it's not like she can handle it). The last neuro trip was coincidentally last week, and we talked about Antegren as the next step.

Now that step seems close (not sure when, but let's say a few months out). What scares me, given the home-brew research I have done, is that it appears that at worst anecdotally and best with "fringe" research that some types of MS may be infectious.

However, it also feels like the moment that we start down the antegren path that we will never find out for sure in the case of my wife. It feels lilke, while we wait for her first swag at antegren, that a course of antibiotics (say, the minocycline dose used in Calgary) would at worst do no harm and at best reveal that my wife is a one in a million and indeed have an infection.

But... before I entertain that "dream", I'm wondering where research, and by that I mean NMSS type annoited research, is at the moment on infectious cause.

thx

Feesher -
I think the infectious link you might be referring to could be EBV virus. My neuro told me, just a couple weeks ago, that they are resurrecting the link of EBV with MS again.

I was tested and believe my MS was a direct result..I had extremely high titres.

Hope that helps

Hi Feesher,

You presumably have seen all the information in both the Regimens section and the Antibiotics section, mainly referring to Chlamydia pneumoniae as a possible cause of MS. The main research at present emanates from Vanderbilt, but other people on both sides of the Atlantic are treating empirically for this. I think the NMSS are funding the next fuller trial, but as yet nothing is 'anointed' by them. You have to be willing to find either an MD or a DO to prescribe minocycline, but you have nothing to loose by trying and maybe much to gain. You have to be aware that your wife may get an unpleasant reaction to the minocycline at first, but on the other hand she might not. I know people who have, like me and others who feel nothing but still get vastly better. Email me if you want any more info.

Sarah

Edit: Your wife might well be one in a million but certainly not with regards to infection. C Pn is so all pervasive that most people will show positive sooner or later, but luckily not everyone has a gene which codes for MS.