Really not so bad

[robbie]

Good to read stats like these, all the different things you can try to change your outcome . I'm one of those people that believed ms will do what it wants when it wants regardless of what you do, because of that thinking I have sabotaged my own ms outcome, when the ms got bad the more i want to drink ,smoke , drugs not thinking I was accelerating the ms. Now I'm here and paying for it so I thought this article showed hope and maybe some relief to the feeling of ms being a doomsday disease which is what i thought, it's not the right way to think.


Multiple sclerosis is seldom fatal and life expectancy is shortened by only a few months. Concerns about prognosis center primarily on the quality of life and prospects for disability. Most patients and physicians harbor an unfounded view of MS as a relentlessly progressive, inevitably disabling disease. The truth is that 15 years after the onset of MS, only about 20% of patients are bedridden or institutionalized. Another 20% may require a wheelchair, or use crutches, or a cane to ambulate, but fully 60% will be ambulatory without assistance and some will have little deficit at all. Perhaps as many as 1/3 of all patients with MS go through life without any persistent disability, and suffer only intermittent, transient episodes of symptoms.

[ElliotB]

Nice post! Interesting statistics!

[robbie]

Ya Jimmy it's pretty cut and dry my thinking that ms will do what it wants no matter what you do is something I really really regret now.

Alcohol
Currently there are no studies linking alcohol consumption to an increased risk of developing MS, but alcohol could affect you differently than someone who does not have MS. Symptoms like imbalance and lack of coordination, can temporarily worsen after even just one drink. Alcohol is also irritating to the bladder and will increase urinary urgency and frequency. It also depresses the central nervous system and can interfere with certain medications that are commonly used to manage MS symptoms.

Alcohol consumption can also increase your risk for other health conditions (comorbidities), like cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, which could worsen your MS. It’s important to discuss your alcohol consumption honestly with your healthcare team.
Smoking
Smokers and individuals with passive smoke exposure (second-hand smoke) have an increased risk of developing MS. People who smoke will also progress to secondary progressive MS at a faster rate than non-smokers and have greater risk of increasing disability. The disease modifying therapies may not produce the same effect in those who smoke.
Quitting
You can make an impact on your MS if you stop smoking. Cessation of smoking will delay your time to transition to secondary progressive MS. To late !