Welcome to ThisIsMS, Cara (orphansparrow).orphansparrow wrote:My name is Cara, and my husband was just diagnosed with MS. After a year and a half of trying to find out why his legs were weak, and his balance was off, his new neurologist says its most likely PPMS.
Anyway, I have a lot of questions and will be reading everything I can on this forum.
Welcome to ThisIsMS. Do you know if your husband has been tested for a possible vitamin B12 deficiency? It's one of the conditions which can produce neurological symptoms which can mimic MS in many ways.orphansparrow wrote:My name is Cara, and my husband was just diagnosed with MS. After a year and a half of trying to find out why his legs were weak, and his balance was off, his new neurologist says its most likely PPMS.
Anyway, I have a lot of questions and will be reading everything I can on this forum.
Hi Lyndacarol - Yes. He got a vitamin D test yesterday. I'll try to remember to share the results when we get them.lyndacarol wrote:Welcome to ThisIsMS, Cara (orphansparrow).orphansparrow wrote:My name is Cara, and my husband was just diagnosed with MS. After a year and a half of trying to find out why his legs were weak, and his balance was off, his new neurologist says its most likely PPMS.
Anyway, I have a lot of questions and will be reading everything I can on this forum.
If your husband had a vitamin D blood test (the "25-hydroxy D" test), will you share the actual test result numbers with us?
Effects of vitamin D on Muscle Function and Performance: A Review of Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3513873
This article deals with the fact that a D deficiency has been associated with reduced balance, instability, weaker quadriceps, slower reaction times, and impaired postural stability.
Hi NHENHE wrote:Welcome to ThisIsMS. Do you know if your husband has been tested for a possible vitamin B12 deficiency? It's one of the conditions which can produce neurological symptoms which can mimic MS in many ways.orphansparrow wrote:My name is Cara, and my husband was just diagnosed with MS. After a year and a half of trying to find out why his legs were weak, and his balance was off, his new neurologist says its most likely PPMS.
Anyway, I have a lot of questions and will be reading everything I can on this forum.
You may wish to read the following topic for more information. http://www.thisisms.com/forum/natural-a ... 24857.html
Please be aware that supplementing with vitamin B12 before testing will skew the results.orphansparrow wrote: Eric got a few blood tests yesterday including a vitamins panel, vitamin D, and a celiac panel. I'll ask about the B12 numbers when we get the results back. He recently started supplementing with a B complex among other things.
Yes - I wondered about that, but we were told that only about 20% of supplements are actually absorbed, so not to worry about it. And they said since he just recently started supplementing, it wouldn't make a difference! I hope the results are not skewed! I'll ask again about that though.lyndacarol wrote:Please be aware that supplementing with vitamin B12 before testing will skew the results.orphansparrow wrote: Eric got a few blood tests yesterday including a vitamins panel, vitamin D, and a celiac panel. I'll ask about the B12 numbers when we get the results back. He recently started supplementing with a B complex among other things.
First of all, please know that I have no medical background.orphansparrow wrote:But the MRI results, being what they were, would leave no doubt about it being just a B12 deficiency - right?
Hi lyndacarol.lyndacarol wrote:First of all, please know that I have no medical background.orphansparrow wrote:But the MRI results, being what they were, would leave no doubt about it being just a B12 deficiency - right?
Even if the MRI showed brain lesions ("white spots"), this is not conclusive evidence of MS – there is no definitive test for MS. Brain lesions are consistent with many conditions (as are all the MS symptoms) – including, for example, migraine headaches… And yes, even a vitamin B12 deficiency.
MS is a diagnosis of exclusion, made only after other more likely causes for the symptoms have been ruled out (but, no doubt, Eric's doctor has done this). Gluten sensitivity (or even celiac disease) is one of those to be ruled out.
You need to rule out a possible B12 deficiency. The only way to do this is via blood tests for the following... B12, red blood cell (RBC) folate, methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine.orphansparrow wrote:I see. I didn't realize that lesions would be present with those other conditions. He doesn't have headaches, and we haven't got his blood test results back which do include a celiac panel. We'll have to see after that. His doctor didn't even mention the possibility of any other problem. Before we even did any blood testing, she said he had MS. I'll ask her about this. Thank you.
Thank you NHE. I'll ask our doctor about this on Monday. I appreciate your input.NHE wrote:You need to rule out a possible B12 deficiency. The only way to do this is via blood tests for the following... B12, red blood cell (RBC) folate, methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine.orphansparrow wrote:I see. I didn't realize that lesions would be present with those other conditions. He doesn't have headaches, and we haven't got his blood test results back which do include a celiac panel. We'll have to see after that. His doctor didn't even mention the possibility of any other problem. Before we even did any blood testing, she said he had MS. I'll ask her about this. Thank you.
For any one with neurological symptoms, you'll want your B12 to be between 600-1000 pg/mL.
