did anything cause your MS?

[Scat89]

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

[DougL]

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

[LR1234]

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!)

[gymbuff]

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

[Scat89]

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.

[Taurus]

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).

[syckbastid]

EBV, low D, genetics, crappy diet.

[Ute]

did anybody mention stress ? just curious

[MarkLavelle]

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.)

[scorpions]

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

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.

[civickiller]

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

[civickiller]

EBV, low D, genetics, crappy diet.

i have this too but i also add trauma to that

[kibibikel]

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

[Froggie]

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.

[patticake66]

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.