MS not an immune disease!
 

I'm sure all will find this article very interesting. It goes against the current thinking of most MS researchers and as a result, the scientist who wrote it is likely to be on the receiving end of a lot of flack.

http://asknicola.blogspot.com/2011/1...erosis-is.html

Harry

Sounds like a reasonable theory, just as does the Auto Immune theory. Is any of this going to lead to a cure? NOOOOOOOOO!!! :mad:

Makes sense to me. Maybe with CCSVI there will be additional research on this theory.

Wonder why it wasn't in any news media?

I say everyone post their LDL levels.

I wish Dr. Swank was alive to see this vindication of his view about fats and MS. He posited many many years ago that saturated fats caused an attack on myelin. However, he did still refer to it as an auto-immune disease, saying that consumption of fat causes a reactive auto-immune attack on myelin. His test for MS (which he used in conjunction with standard tests) was to see if blood cells slowed down in the presence of oil in a petri dish.
I was tested by him and my cells slowed down.

Concerning the request to state one's LDL, mine at last count was l79, and my HDL (the good cholesterol) was only 27. This very low HDL is characteristic of people with one of my other diseases, Polycythemia Vera.

I can't take statins because I have Porphyria. However, I have been on the Swank low fat diet for over a quarter of a century, with one modification, eating more eggs than he
advised (egg cholesterol has been shown to be more beneficial than harmful in current research). I have always gotten along well with eggs. It is important for me to force myself to eat good fats so my dry skin won't blow away.

I also limit my sugars, although I must have adequate carbohydrate because I have Porphyria. Dr. Swank did not limit pure sugar, although he probably would have advised moderation. I eat a little sugar, but not much. If I eat sugar it's pure sugar, not a substitute, most of which are toxic for Porphyria. I eat some honey and maple syrup to sweeten things like baked apples and cereal. Dr. Swank himself lived into his mid-nineties because (he said) he followed his own MS diet, even though he did not have MS.
He followed the diet because it's healthy for arteries and hearts.

Here's to you, Dr. Swank! A toast to you on Christmas Eve, 2011.

PS, I know I have a lipid disorder, although it has not been diagnosed. I have always had trouble digesting fats, and some time ago (ten years) a naturopath did a lipid study on me which blew her mind with the results. I had a skewed profile, with Omega 3 three times normal, even though I was unable to tolerate things like fish oil; I presume this might be due to not metabolizing Omega 3 and thus having it floating around in my blood, although I do not know, and she did not know. My other Omegas were low. Today I am unable to eat much Omega 3--just a few walnuts, occasional tuna or sardines, a little bit of walnut oil.
But must be careful to limit it. Bizarre?

I dont care what causes MS, I just want someone to make it <swear word> go away.

I can barely walk right now...going to the bathroom...well, that's just TMI, I just want someone to figure out a cure and give it to me so that I can hopefully either go back to normal, or figure out a new normal and not have to worry about something new happening every few months.

Wherever the MS comes from it's a sadistic disease. I'm really really tired and frustrated and just want it gone.

My sister was all excited about this article and she emailed it to me. I think she was a little disappointed with my “wait and see” attitude. Even if it is a correct evaluation of what causes MS, it’ll be years and years of doctors bickering with each other and political posturing before it gets its share of the funding for research. Meanwhile I am more concerned about how the heck I am going to get to the bathroom without breaking my neck.

I hate to seem so negative on this joyful Christmas day, but it is not all bad. If they cure MS in my lifetime, that’ll be great. But either way, I am going to be all right. I've got it covered. My MS has been the source of a million small (and not so small) coping mechanisms. I’ll be fine.
:) :thud: :)

Non-MSers often think they read an article, a cure is right around the corner and......
Me. I wait and wait. No matter what happens, I know it's too late for me. I can only carpe diem, it's all anyone, MSer or not can do.

My sister is the same way. :rolleyes: I hate to poo-poo every new "discovery" she sends me but I don't think she realizes how many of these things we see day in and day out.

Hi Sally,

If this theory pans out, then controlling the problem would possibly lead to the closest thing to a cure that I've seen. But one must remember, it won't do anything for axons that are already damaged by MS.

But we can also expect to see this scientist coming under a lot of flack from the established world of MS medicine. After all, she has just told them that decades of work they have done using the auto immune theory is out the window.


Merry Christmas.

Harry

The scientific world suggesting that MS is not an auto immune disease, is not new Harry. I believe John Hopkins brought up that possibility years ago.

I have failed on 3 DMD's and have really thought, what if the side effects of these drugs are worse than the MS!
I have often thought what if THEIR theories are wrong and we are all taking these powerful drugs!!
Really makes you think!!

The "not autoimmune theory" has surfaced a number of times over the years but each and every time the established world of MS medicine has always been quick to dismiss it, often very aggressively. And it won't take long for the attacks to happen on this latest theory. Instead of co-operation, it will be confrontation. How very sad.

It's almost like they (the medical community) don't want a cure. :mad: Shocking.....:rolleyes:

No money in a cure. They can make more by selling us medications to "manage" MS. If they cure it, they lose all that income from the modulating meds.

Plus, they make money doing "research". If they cure it, there would be no more reason to do the "research", so no more research money.

Sadly, I agree. I'd like to think that isn't so, but the devil's greed, makes sinners of us all, if we let it.

Did any of you ever go to an investers forum? You wouldn't believe the cruel posts about the poor sick gineau pigs (us) and making a killing in the market.:rolleyes::mad:

Interesting link Harry, thanks for adding it.

Personally I think MS is a blanket term for what is likely numerous disease processes. The presentation and progression are too unpredictable to satisfy me that we are looking at the same disease. While I'm definitely open to the metabolic theory I believe MS to be largely of an autoimmune origin.

I don't believe scientists or even the pharm companies are doing anything to keep us sick. They have families also and especially with the scientists they have far more to gain by finding a cure and moving on to another condition as there is no end of horrid diseases out there to work on if for some stroke of genius someone managed to solve the mystery of MS.

Kicker, ditto...

Jules,

The metabolic theory does involve the immune system but as a reactionary force as opposed to origination one. I guess time will tell whether it's correct or not.

As for Big Pharma....i agree with you in that they don't want to keep people sick but their focus is not about cure, it's about long term treatment. They are in business for one reason only and that is to make the bottom line as black as possible.

What I would like to see (and it won't happen) is co-operation among the scientists and docs when it comes these recent theories. But the established world of MS medicine is extremely protective of their theories and don't get in their way....or else!

Harry

I think it has been suspected to be related to inflammation for a long time and that's why even neuros will say you should take vitamin D and get sun to lower inflammation. I think that's why Copaxone works well for so many, because it tricks the body into thinking there is inflammation in the area of the shot so the body "flares" there instead of going into attack mode on the nervous system.

That is my crude understanding of how they think Copaxone works against MS relapses.

I read the report from Rocky Mountain MS Center with interest too.
I also liked how they tied everything up into perspectives like: The disease should be called Relapsing Repairing. We do well with that until the system can no longer repair itself and then it becomes Progressive. They suggest that the people who do well are fortunate that their systems are able to repair the damage. So a remission is not a true remission. The disease goes on and thankfully the brain has fixed itself.
Some people come along who do not enjoy that luxury. The go right into progression. Its all about our systems being able to self repair.
They also suggest that a patient can appear fine in an exam but the disease can be very active. Makes me wonder if a routine MRI is in order to really see whats going on. And now, the think B-cells may play a larger role than T-cells. Sounds like a lot of study still needs to be done.

One thing is for sure...M.S. involves the immune system and the brain. The two least understood mechanisms in the human body. I always wanted to be an enigma!