Multiple Sclerosis

[cazzer]

Sorry if I spelled that wrong...
Anyway...a friend of mine is in hospital at the moment.
She's having bladder problems and its causing nerve issues.
They're doing some sort of spinal tap on her this morning.
She's worried it's MS as her mother has it.
Does anyone know if MS is hereditary and how likely it is to be passed on if so?

A quick answer would be appreciated as she's havin kittens at the moment (figuratively obviously)

[SGirl]

http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/ms-1/multiple-scler...

article said:

MS is not strictly an hereditary disease. However, there is an increased chance of MS developing in close relatives of affected people. For example, a mother, father, brother, or sister of a person with MS has about a 1 in 100 chance of developing MS (compared to about a 1 in 1000 chance in the general population).

[mrsxllifts]

As above really, its not herediritory (sp) but it does raise your chances slightly. Let your friend know, they're not alone, my mum has MS and I panic everytime I burn myself and don't think it hurts as much as it should!

[cazzer]

Actuall from what you guys have said and what I've read this morning I don't think I'm going to tell her what she wants to hear.
I think I'll try and steer her away from wikipedia.

[LMC]

It's all too easy worrying about the worst case scenario....not so easy to get it out of your mind, no matter what friends and relatives tell you.

But she should just wait and see what the tests bring up.

[cazzer]

The tests, believe it or not, have shown a swelling in her brain thats pressing on her spine.
This is after the NHS have been telling her its a bladder infection for 4 weeks.

[968]

cazzer said:

The tests, believe it or not, have shown a swelling in her brain thats pressing on her spine.
This is after the NHS have been telling her its a bladder infection for 4 weeks.

Presumably it was the NHS that found the swelling in her brain too?

[odyssey2200]

How old is your friend Cazzer?

I got it diagnosed at 43 and was told that it was probab;y benign as I was old!

If your friend is in her teens/20 it doesn't sound good

fingers crossed for her!!

[cazzer]

968 said:

cazzer said:

The tests, believe it or not, have shown a swelling in her brain thats pressing on her spine.
This is after the NHS have been telling her its a bladder infection for 4 weeks.

Presumably it was the NHS that found the swelling in her brain too?

After 4 weeks of telling her it was a bladder infection yes.
They have also told her that she probably won't be able to walk properly again as it's now affected the nerves in her legs.


And she's 24.

Edited by cazzer on Thursday 4th June 17:05

[odyssey2200]

cazzer said:

968 said:

cazzer said:

The tests, believe it or not, have shown a swelling in her brain thats pressing on her spine.
This is after the NHS have been telling her its a bladder infection for 4 weeks.

Presumably it was the NHS that found the swelling in her brain too?

After 4 weeks of telling her it was a bladder infection yes.
They have also told her that she probably won't be able to walk properly again as it's now affected the nerves in her legs.


And she's 24.

Edited by cazzer on Thursday 4th June 17:05

MS effects the nerve linings IIRC

Mine effected the optic nerves and I was blind in one eye for a week.

[jagracer]

cazzer said:

968 said:

cazzer said:

The tests, believe it or not, have shown a swelling in her brain thats pressing on her spine.
This is after the NHS have been telling her its a bladder infection for 4 weeks.

Presumably it was the NHS that found the swelling in her brain too?

After 4 weeks of telling her it was a bladder infection yes.
They have also told her that she probably won't be able to walk properly again as it's now affected the nerves in her legs.


And she's 24.

Edited by cazzer on Thursday 4th June 17:05

Did a GP tell her she had a bladder infection or had she had lots of tests in hospital? If the former then GPs will always tend to look for the obvious things not something that is probably quite rare and 4 weeks isn't that long a time to be misdiagnosed.

[cazzer]

jagracer said:

cazzer said:

968 said:

cazzer said:

The tests, believe it or not, have shown a swelling in her brain thats pressing on her spine.
This is after the NHS have been telling her its a bladder infection for 4 weeks.

Presumably it was the NHS that found the swelling in her brain too?

After 4 weeks of telling her it was a bladder infection yes.
They have also told her that she probably won't be able to walk properly again as it's now affected the nerves in her legs.


And she's 24.


A week and a half of the GP and 2 and a half weeks of the Hospital.

Edited by cazzer on Thursday 4th June 17:05

Did a GP tell her she had a bladder infection or had she had lots of tests in hospital? If the former then GPs will always tend to look for the obvious things not something that is probably quite rare and 4 weeks isn't that long a time to be misdiagnosed.

[968]

cazzer said:

jagracer said:

cazzer said:

968 said:

cazzer said:

The tests, believe it or not, have shown a swelling in her brain thats pressing on her spine.
This is after the NHS have been telling her its a bladder infection for 4 weeks.

Presumably it was the NHS that found the swelling in her brain too?

After 4 weeks of telling her it was a bladder infection yes.
They have also told her that she probably won't be able to walk properly again as it's now affected the nerves in her legs.


And she's 24.


A week and a half of the GP and 2 and a half weeks of the Hospital.

Edited by cazzer on Thursday 4th June 17:05

Did a GP tell her she had a bladder infection or had she had lots of tests in hospital? If the former then GPs will always tend to look for the obvious things not something that is probably quite rare and 4 weeks isn't that long a time to be misdiagnosed.

Well actually inflammatory conditions affecting the spine can indeed present with bladder problems and the symptoms can be very similar to that of an infection of the bladder. Investigating with a CT scan of the head and spinal column followed by a lumbar puncture is both highly unpleasant and expensive. I suggest your friend was quite unlucky. It depends on what other signs and symptoms she was displaying. MS can be notoriously difficult to diagnose, and having worked in Neurology during my training, and subsequently seeing many patients with optic neuritis going onto develop MS, I would say that diagnosis is seldom straightforward. It's fair enough to be upset about the consequences but your anger is misdirected, frankly.

[cazzer]

I dont think that diagnosis is an exact science.
I think it's the three weeks with three different anti-biotics before anyone thought it might be something unusual.
Not only that, but sending a 24 year old (who lives alone) home with a catheter in and expecting her to deal with it alone for a fortnight just doesnt seem right to me.
Perhaps you're right, and perhaps it's just because it's a friend, but it seems like a lot of assumptions were made before any testing occured.

[968]

cazzer said:

I dont think that diagnosis is an exact science.
I think it's the three weeks with three different anti-biotics before anyone thought it might be something unusual.
Not only that, but sending a 24 year old (who lives alone) home with a catheter in and expecting her to deal with it alone for a fortnight just doesnt seem right to me.
Perhaps you're right, and perhaps it's just because it's a friend, but it seems like a lot of assumptions were made before any testing occured.

3 weeks on an antibiotic is not that unusual, particularly if the patient has an infection with a resistant strain of bacteria. Sending patients home with indwelling catheters is not that unusual, however district nurse arrangements can and are usually made for such cases where there is concern about the patient's ability to cope. The thing is that common things are common, to use a medical aphorism. MS is relatively uncommon, in comparison to urinary tract infections, in young women.

[Scraggles]

friend has ms, his speech has improved to the extent that understand at least half of it, not very good with hints and he was hinting that his wife was not getting enough sex and could I help ?

sent the wife a loosely worded email and she asked him what it was about, did not say a lot... figured no loss

saw him a few weeks ago and the hint got dropped again, suspect he has not bothered to ask her either

when u get ms, make sure u get an exit plan, he would have liked to have died a few years ago, as it is, he is trapped for several more if unlucky

[cazzer]

She's now lost the use of her legs

Hoping to god it's temporary.

[odyssey2200]

cazzer said:

She's now lost the use of her legs

Hoping to god it's temporary.

Cazzer

IIRC There are different types of MS, starting at benign, where you get one attack and may never get anothere as long as you live (some people are only found to be sufferers at autopsy, having died for completely unrelated causes.

There is a type that can come and go at will on a regular basis, and then there is the worst, progressive type that gets you and slowly fks you up.

Fingers crossed that IF it is MS that she has one of the first 2.
I had my attack over a year ago, lasted about a week and have been fine since, but it could come back tomorrow, it could come back today, or it may never happen again.

Look after her. I remember blubbing like a baby when the doc told me I had MS.

[Scraggles]

m8 has the worst sort

in a wheelchair, nappy and catheter, no sex for the past 10+ years, not able to use a pc or a tv remote for the past 5 years etc....

[cazzer]

Well a week on steroids in hospital and shes been told....
"hmmm, they didn't work, lets try some different ones"

She currently has no bladder control....limited movement in her legs.
She can just about stand with a zimmer frame.

She was absolutley fine 2 months ago....its bloody scary.