This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

First of all, thank for reading this.

I am currently 15 and half years old and living in India and I am suffering from an unrecognised autoimmune disease (Doctors say MS).

I first had an attack in 2010 June when I had headache, vomiting, stomachache, fever and eventually I lost sensation and movement below chest after I was treated with IVIG and steroids. I was diagnosed with ADEM

Then in 2011 November I began losing my vision in left eye with symptoms including fever, head ache, tingling sensation and diagnosed with Optic neutris. I had 80% recovery by steroids. I still have physiological diplopia.

After that I had another attack of Aphasia in 2012 March after I had chicken pox. The attack was similar to old one. Well, I had full recovery in that case.

It's been 5 years now from that attack and everything is normal till now. I am really stressed that if I will get another attack.

My doctors say it's MS but I don't believe cause of this reasons maybe:-

1) CSF negative
2) Aphasia is uncommon in MS and more common in ADEM
3) Involment of grey matter
4) Ill-defined lessions in MRI Brain (Yet it shows extensive demylentation)
5) I never ever had fatigue and other common MS symtoms.

The doctors I consulted online say it looks more like ADEM relapsing.

Please help me by diagnosing with right disease. Is it really MS ? Or ADEM maybe ? Can I get another relapse ?

Thank you!

hi and welcome
we can't diagnose here; sometimes we can comment on the process but much more likely when discussing ms and not so likely in other scenarios such as ADEM. there may be someone on here with input to share, but i don't know.

your doctors are the ones who can go step by step through the dx process (with ms, there are about 80 things to rule out according to latest dx criteria updates), and are the ones who have access to and the ability to interpret all your various test results.

have you read this article?
Disseminated encephalomyelitis in children
http://bit.ly/2jUbbfO
table 2 on p. 934 has a long list of things to rule out before settling on ADEM dx.

i see many things listed there, that i've never heard of - but yes MS is on the list plus a couple of nutritional issues as well (including ones that also can be trouble for ms patients).

my usual message: whatever the dx (or lack thereof), be sure to adhere to the most healthful possible lifestyle, and to do everything you can manage to get the best possible nutrition.

related reading:

Going global: Indian adolescents' eating patterns
http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/27170203

Faulty Eating Pattern Among Adolescents Of Junior College, S'o'a University
http://bit.ly/2jQVQvQ (short version: 3% excellent)

Nutritional profile of Indian vegetarian diets – the Indian Migration Study (IMS)
https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/ar ... 2891-13-55
"On multivariate analysis, vegetarians consumed more carbohydrates (β = 7.0 g/day), vitamin C (β = 8.7 mg/day) and folate (β = 8.0 mcg/day) and lower levels of fat (β = −1.6 g/day), protein (β = −6.4 g/day), vitamin B12 (β = −1.4 mcg/day) and zinc (β = −0.6 mg/day)."

Status of Vitamin B12 and Folate among the Urban Adult Population in South India
http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/442677

Vitamin D status in India – Its implications and remedial measures.
http://imsear.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/143514

if i personally were an indian adolescent worried about MS or ADEM, based on this first hint at the evidence i would be making very sure to get adequate folate, protein, b12 and zinc from diet, as well as ensuring enough magnesium and bare skin sun exposure (or supplemental d3) to maintain vitamin D levels.

can you share any info about your typical diet?

rohitabc wrote:I am currently 15 and half years old and living in India and I am suffering from an unrecognised autoimmune disease (Doctors say MS).

I first had an attack in 2010 June when I had headache, vomiting, stomachache, fever and eventually I lost sensation and movement below chest after I was treated with IVIG and steroids. I was diagnosed with ADEM

Then in 2011 November I began losing my vision in left eye with symptoms including fever, head ache, tingling sensation and diagnosed with Optic neutris. I had 80% recovery by steroids. I still have physiological diplopia.

After that I had another attack of Aphasia in 2012 March after I had chicken pox. The attack was similar to old one. Well, I had full recovery in that case.

It's been 5 years now from that attack and everything is normal till now. I am really stressed that if I will get another attack.

My doctors say it's MS but I don't believe cause of this reasons maybe:-

1) CSF negative
2) Aphasia is uncommon in MS and more common in ADEM
3) Involment of grey matter
4) Ill-defined lessions in MRI Brain (Yet it shows extensive demylentation)
5) I never ever had fatigue and other common MS symtoms.

The doctors I consulted online say it looks more like ADEM relapsing.

Please help me by diagnosing with right disease.

We are not qualified to diagnose.

Please note the article linked by jimmylegs:

Vitamin D status in India – Its implications and remedial measures.
http://imsear.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/143514

Abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is epidemic in India despite of plenty of sunshine. The interpretation of vitamin D levels should be done with the solar zenith angle, minimal erythemal dose, skintype, UV Index and geographical location. All Indian studies uniformly point to low 25(OH)D levels in the populations studies despite abundant sunshine. All studies have uniformly documented low dietary calcium intake compared to Recommended Daily/Dietary Allowances (RDA) by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The vitamin D status of children is very low in both urban and rural population studied. Pregnant women and their new born had low vitamin D status. The effect of short course of loading doses of vitamin D doesn’t have a lasting effect and a maintenance dose is needed. Low 25(OH)D levels has its implications of lower peak bone mass and lower BMD compared to west. There may be a public health need to fortify Indian foods with vitamin D.



If you have not had the vitamin D blood test called "25-hydroxy D", please ask your doctor for this test.