Those that remember I lived in Colo for 3 years. The first 2 years I was off birth control pills (bcp) to save money. The only time since I was dx.

During that time I had the worst flares of my life. I'm left with sensory probs galore.

Once I started back on the pill, my flares stopped rebounding and I finally leveled off. Using my 20/20 hindsight the only correlation I've come up with is the bcp.

Since ms sx can be reduced while pregnant, maybe there is a connection?

Anyone else have similar or opposite experiences?

I believe that it's the hormone level that keeps you from flaring quite so bad. I went on birth control (Ortho Trycline) in 1996, and I've been on them ever since. They switched me to the low dose (Ortho Tricycline-Lo) a couple of years ago.

As soon as they switched me over, I started having vertigo, fatigue and numbness/tingling. I thought I must be going through early menopause! It didn't get really bad until last year - lots of stress, brown recluse spider bite, and a flu bug set something off, and I ended up with a big flare (and a diagnosis.)

I've heard good things about Estriol, which is a female hormone replacement.

Interesting observation. I am not sure, but I do believe all my serious MS sx happened when I quit. BUT I know I had optic migraines when I was on the pill, and that is why they took me off....

It makes sense to me that the hormones would stave off MS....

I couldn't take b/c pills, like so many other medications.

I know that progesterone (for getting my cycle back on track during peri-menopause) was a good thing for me though. I think that had more to do with avoiding PMS so much . . . which in turn improved my moods/stress level. That's gotta' be good for the MS.

Cherie