How many of you have had Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)?
 

I'm wondering how many of you have ever had Epstein-Barr virus? I had Mono when I was in the 9th grade, and if I remember correctly, I had a horribly swollen throat and had to take naps in the nurses office for 3-4 weeks, because I would practically fall asleep in my classes. With the studies that are out, showing that there may be a correlation between EBV and MS I am a bit concerned because my daughter had it pretty bad last fall. I sure hope there will be a way to know what her odds are, and if there was anything we can do to protect her.

Is there a reason why you didn't include a "NO" option Amy?

I know for sure that I haven't, but you've not given me an option to vote that way. Would you like that added?

I had a pretty serious case of mononucleosis in late '95 and early '96. Took me over a year to recover, started noticing a lot of weird things in '97 that I now know are MS symptoms. Altho, I do remember having something that I now recognize as The Hug back in the early 90s....so I might have already had MS when I had mono...I do think the mono set something off MSwise and must have made the MS Trolls angry, since I've been having stuff going on since about 1997.

Things just never got bad enough to go to a doctor until I had numbness in early 2006 and optic neuritis that summer.

I totally missed it! I will try to add it.....thanks for the heads up Koala!

Thanks Polar...I do worry about my DD, but I would just like some peace of mind knowing if there were a way to 'prevent' her from the possibility. Autoimmune diseases do run in my family...Mom has had Scleroderma for @ 20 years, my maternal Grandmother had SEVERE Rhumatoid Arthritis, my Mom's uncle has Parkinsons, sister -mild Rhumatoid has started....etc, etc, etc. I just need to keep thinking positive, since that is really what I try to focus on, but sometimes the research information makes me start to worry again, but I don't know I could ever 'not worry' about the kids....so I'll pull my big girl panties on!

I don't know how to edit the Poll to add a 'no' option?! Any suggestions? It was such an obvious option to miss! :Doh:

If you could add it, I would really appreciate that! :hug:

Although there is some presumed link...I don't know how it can be used because almost the entire adult population has the EBV.

Epstein-Barr Syndrome is very common, although most people don’t even know they’ve contracted it. It is estimated that as many as 95 percent of adults older than 35 have been infected with the Epstein-Barr virus, making this one of the most common illnesses in developed and undeveloped countries around the world.
http://www.life123.com/health/medica...ormation.shtml

You can protect her with Vitamin D....Please read the following article.
http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclero...may-prevent-ms

also, if you google 'Vit D to prevent MS'....you will get a lot of info.

Nope, never had it. Go figure.

But I do get strep throat twice a year and at least one sinus infection per season change.

I don't know if I ever had EBV, but Strep and Mono were probably my triggers and my DD had Strep and shingles at a young age, probably as precursers to her MS.

All of these illnesses lead you right back to the Herpes Virus(6, I believe)

I was tested for it several times, and always rang up negative. I chose the option that best fit "maybe but never diagnosed"

This is interesting, particularly in the context of a question asking folks if they have had this. I don't know anything about EBV, but I suppose I could have had it since I'm over 35 and have had plenty of sick days along the way. I'll not go into a whole speal on pathology, but there needs to be more to the pathology to narrow down 95% of people down to the 1 in 1000ish that have MS. Here's an interesting article:

Levin, Lynn et al. 2005 Temporal relationship between elevation of epstein-barr virus antibody titers and initial onset of neurological symptoms in multiple sclerosis

I have no idea...never tested for it. But I thought that 100% of MS patients tested positive for it?

I tested positive for EBV and got a severe case of mono that lasted for almost a year when I was 38 years old. 7 months after that I started having MS symptoms. I had never had any strange MS type symptoms before the mono. I am pretty much convinced that the EBV tripped the switch!

Never had EBV and one of the few that have normal Vitamin D levels. Outdoorsy sort of person and drank a ton of milk as a kid - bones are very strong and it took 6 years for my braces to accomplish the job of straightening my teeth because of it. I have a couple of permenant retainers to keep it that way too. :D It took downing a motorcycle to get a hairline fracture on a bone, and was the first time I ever had something break. Considering how many trees and stuff I fell out of as a kid, major surprise. ;)

I have other possible risk factors that may have led to an MS trigger, but who knows with this thing? I chalk it up to being the lotto winner of the genetics in my family. :rolleyes:

At 19 (guess that makes me a teenager still!) I got hit very hard by mono, which lasted about 2 weeks and was the worst illness/pain I've lived through. Literally, every part of me was in pain and I slept for 2 weeks solid.

I have one of the most definite cases of MS that my doctors had ever seen, but never had EBV. Years ago I was tested for it more than once when I might have been exposed to it in college, but I never tested positive.

P.S. But there's no vote for that.

Hi Susan!

I didn't realize that you're on this board until I saw this post of yours. Nice to "see" you again!:D

Good Article On EBV and MS
 

Yep, like I said, it all leads back to Mr Herpes..:D

Sounds like a really, really bad date! :p

LOL, it isn't the congenital Herpes, though..:eek::D