Hello, this has been a great discussion w/ interesting theories. I wanted to tell you about a guy in my area who was wheelchair bound and could not play his guitar any longer who just had a stem cell transplant. His own revitalized cells. He is walking with assistance and playing his guitar now, and is raising money to have another... The article is in The Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton,Ma. on June 15, 2012, and their site is *edit* all caps. It was inspiring to me and gives me hope.
Thinking of all of you, Laurie

Erika, I'm glad you brought up the situation where people do not have much MS in tropical climes, but you also said they didn't have much MS in far north climes. Well, I know you didn't set forth the latitudes here, but I think some northerly people do get lots of MS, particularly in Sweden and Finnland (I have no info about other Scandinavian countries or Alaska). I am wondering if this variation is a genetic thing. I am wondering if some ethnicities get it more, and they are from certain climes. I read once from a good researcher that there is a very high level in Sweden, but also a high level in Oregon's Willamette Valley, and he attributed this to arsenic in the soil, put there naturally by vulcanism. But also some ethnicities may have a harder time combating the poisons such as this.
My "other" disease, at least the first "other", the one which also has neuro symptoms, that is Porphyria, DOES have a very hard time combatting poisons such as this arsenic, and Porphyria is high in Sweden and in the Willamette Valley in the same places where MS is high (this is from old research which I don't have, so I am writing from memory, material we got on a forum from a European researcher called Hans, who was sharp as a tack but left because we fought too much). My paternal aunts, who had MS diagnoses had a mother from a far north clime, but they also lived in the Willamette Valley. I think they had Porphyria too, but of course I'm speculating, but I am doggone sure about one of them, Wilhelmina. Her sister Ethelwynne died of kidney failure at 30 and I didn't know her, so that's another story.

Anyway, as Swank said, some people may have something missing in their blood which makes it harder for them to detox poisons. Annesse has suggested pancreatic enzyme deficiency, but has not shown this to be true to our satisfaction. There could be another factor; it could be genetic, as Porphyria is. Or this could be the cause in some cases of MS, those caused by chemicals rather than an auto-immune disease.

I am rambling but wanted to get some of these thoughts out, because I think they are worth considering even if they are specs.

Right you are Mariel; there is a prevalence of MS in the northern latitudes...however, it seems that some races, especially indigenous peoples in those areas, as well as in the far north are somehow immune to developing the disease.
That apparent racial distribution of immunity seems to indicate that there may be both a genetic factor (cause) linked to MS as well as an environmental one (condition).

Global Epidemiology and Prevalence of MS
http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/ms/epidemiology.html

With respect to detoxification and a possible familial genetic link, I think that you have hit at least one nail on the head. The Hutterites (German ancestors) as well as the Scandinavian Lapps also seem to be immune to MS and I do not believe that they are considered to be separate races from those of Caucasian European ancestry; the race which has the highest incidence of MS. Thus, along with racial prevalence, geographic distribution (and possible toxins in that area), there also seems to be a familial genetic link as well.

These are the sorts of things that I am finding difficult to ignore with respect to a "one cause-one cure hypothesis".
Even when we look at the Swank diet which has proven helpful for many, if we posit that such a diet is the only solution, then by default, it would suggest that those who consumed a diet that was at the opposite of the pendulum swing should or would have a higher risk of MS.
Yet, the numbers just don't agree with that potential theory.

For example, the modern Inuit and Native North Americans consume a diet that is high in saturated fat, high in processed carbohydrate and highly toxic due to the consumption of highly processed food and refined sugars; as most do not eat their native diets any more. Yet, these races have a very low incidence of MS, despite living in a highly prevalent area. But they might not have the seed of neuro0immune disease.

But similar to those races, the modern Lapp Scandinavian diet is very high in dairy, saturated animal fat, flour products and sugar; yet these people also seem to be immune to MS, again despite living among those who have one of the highest population distributions. Apparently they do carry the seed of neuro-immune disease, for they do develop it, just not as much as their bretheren in Scandinavia.

This sort of data is strongly suggestive of a genetic and familial link to prevalence as well as to immunity. At least so far, it does seem that MS and possibly other similar neuro-immune diseases arise due to possibly more than one cause (the neuro-immune disease seeds); such as genetics, gender & familial predisposition.
Further, it also seems that there may be a multitude of conditions including childhood vaccinations, virus exposure (especially in the pre-adult ages), toxicity and possibly a lack of enzymes that promote the 'sprouting and growth' of those neuro-immune disease seeds.

It is all such a head scratcher isn't it?

Please pass the enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, LDN, beta-interferons, steroids, antibiotics and what ever else might slow down the growth of the neuro-immune disease sprouts.
Lets bring them all out so we can all have a look at them...and maybe, just maybe, someone will finally figure out what will reliably work for whom and why.

With love, Erika

Erika, I want that LDN, to give a try. My hematologist just laughed (semi-sneer) when I inquired about it, but it seems to have helped many. At this time I am acutely depressed and need some help. I can't take anti-depressants because of Porphyria. I did tolerate very very well the radiation given to blast my platelets into a reasonable number, although who knows the long term effects, so far none. Maybe I could tolerate LDN, but I don't know how to get it as my main doc ridiculed it. That is, the hemo. Maybe I will try pcp but I don't think she will have even heard of it.
I believe, Erika, that I am hereditarily inclined to porphyria and that porphyria sometimes causes the brain scars of MS (not always, sometimes). Or else I am hereditarily inclined to both diseases. (the Polycythemia Vera, my third dx, does not seem to be hereditary). I am really tired of dealing with this and wish I could take a pill to help. I very rarely take demerol, chronic pain is not bad except neuropathy in feet, so I probably could take LDN from that perspective. Way off topic. Sorry.

Hi Mariel,
Maybe check out the LDN thread. In there you will find that I had much the same experience in requesting LDN. It may help to offer to send your PCP the LDN site link via email and suggest that he/she at least watch the short informational video.

With love, Erika