Insomnia & Multiple Sclerosis
 

From LifeExtension Mag April 2008

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/...Cruel-Hoax.htm


Guess what is elevated in MS and does much of the damage???

Yep!! Pro-inflammatory cytokines!!!!

jackD

And this is why... I have 90 capsules of Tryptophan in my cupboard.

My neuro DID tell me to be careful with taking it too often, because he feels it has potential to hurt the liver, but my nutritionist swears by it. I get mine at the compounding pharmacy. :)

Cytokines info playground
 

If you happen to be research minded and a little weird then this "CYTOKINES INFO PLAYGROUND" will satisfy all your cytokines info needs.

http://www.copewithcytokines.de/cope.cgi

http://www.copewithcytokines.de/cope.cgi?key=MMP%2d9

Check out this page on NGF -Nerve Growth Factor

http://www.copewithcytokines.de/cope.cgi?key=NGF

Note the fact good old reliable Vitamin D3 causes our brains to produce more NGF Nerve Growth Factor came as a real surprise to me. Vitamin D3 also lowers MMP-9s.

This "potent producer of NGF" is another reason to take a LOT of Vitamin D3.

jackD

Cherie's my research minded girl. I'll take full credit for being the weird one. :D

I have insomnia on and off. I don't take Interferon drugs.

I have a difficult time turning off to sleep. I seem to be a person who gets more energy as the day goes on.

Most people get sleepier and I rarely do!:Sigh:

Maybe this is due to MS, but probably it is due to my own strange metabolism.

Tootsie:)

I'm not on an interferon. But I have insomnia that's really horrible. I'm trying to not blame this on the MS, because I dont like having everything blamed on the MS, sometimes there are other reasons.

What is vitamin D3?
 

Thanks for all the info. I have heard of vitamin D , of course, but not Vitamin D3.

Turkey is renowned for Triptophan. Should we include this in our diet once a week? I did not know that there were pills with Triptophan. I suppose if the source is food, such as Turkey, it is more beneficial for the body.

If old age causes so many problems because of the surplus production of... (forgot the word), then medication that produces (?) serotonin might be a consideration for old people. Question mark here. Some old people seem to be OK but simple blood tests could tell a doctor if a prescription is recommended.

It disturbs me to think that people out there are suffering and not sleeping when there is a solution.

Thanks again for the info. and forgive any mistakes i might have made!

You may not want to blame the MS for the insomnia but my main point was that MS IS probably the main culprit. Pro-inflammatory cytokines like Gamma Interferon and TNFa which are elavated in MS cause lots of damage to lots of things.

I only mentioned the Interferon Beta contribution because the referenced link included that comment and IFN-Beta users may suffer more from insomnia and depression.

The relation to MS depression should also be noted. Insomnia, depression and fatigue are an awsome burden for us MS folks. It appears that treating the insomnia will also help treat the depression problem.


I have purchased some L-Tryptophan and intend research the proper dosage and give it a try.

jackD

I took 1 500mg capsule a night, but since mine is though a compounding place, not sure what's all in it.

It IS covered by my medical insurance through work, surprisingly :)

It did help me to sleep for sure!

My L-Tryptophan comes in 2,000 mg capsules and the bottle says that "Serving Size: 4 Capsules".

This is why I am going to do a bit more research on the amount to take to get a favorable sleep results.

jackD

depression/interferon and MS
 

When I got my diagnosis of MS, I was immediatley put on an anti-depressant. My doc said..."MS can cause depression and Interferon has been known to cause depression.

Kind of an ounce of prevention thing.
Gotta say I felt better.....
Now I'm taking Chantix to quit smoking (wow...never thought I would just "forget" to smoke}
Anyway, that stuff wakes me up in the middle of the night and I can't fall back to sleep...

Then the cat thinks I'm up and its time to play>>>>>>>>>:Red eyes:

I really do agree with you. As I age I could blame many things on MS. I don't think all the symptoms, health problems are from MS, but there is a tendency (not unfounded) to blame MS.

So many symptoms of MS are similar to other things; I suppose that's why neuros do so many tests.

I have friend and family who have insomnia. Some people say to drink a glass of milk at night and it will help. I don't know but it's an easy thing to try!

One of my family members had been suffering from insomnia for as long as I can remember. She doesn't have MS or thyroid problems. Who knows why she has it.

Tootsie:)

I suffer tremendously with insomnia. If I get to bed before 3am, it is a GOOD night. And this is even with taking ambien every night. Sometimes I take something in addition to that, in hopes of knocking myself out. Doesn't always work.

I have noted that my insomnia peaks and gets MUCH worse right at the onset of an exacerbation. In fact, my first exacerbation - which led to diagnosis - came right after having a 2-3 week period of not getting to sleep before 6am and even then struggling. Of course, immediately after that period, I couldn't move and the fatigue was out of control.

I'm thinking of going to a sleep study place (doc referred me and insurance will pay), but I'm chicken...the thought of being hooked up to wires and wide awake, unable to sleep with no TV, 'puter, or books to keep me occupied.

I've tried every sleeping pill, none work any better than the ambien (which I've been on since January).

Right now, the insomnia seems worse and I'm afraid that it means something bad is around the corner.

~Keri

You sound worse than I did/do. Hopefully you get something figured out so that you can sleep. It's torture when your brain wont let you sleep.

Here is a little tech info on what cytokines are and do.

Cytokines: Soluble glycoproteins secreted by immune system cells that modulate immune and inflammatory responses. They are divided into two broad categories: pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 2 (IL-2), and interferon gamma (IFN-g), are associated with the T-helper type 1 (Th1) cell subclass, and upregulate cell mediated inflammatory responses. Anti-inflammatory cytokines include transforming growth factor beta (TGFb), interferons alpha (IFNa) and beta (IFNb) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Interleukin 4 (IL-4), associated with the T-helper type 2 (Th2) subclass is involved in allergic inflammation, but downregulates cell-mediated immune responses. Cytokines play an important role in MS, based on studies of both the EAE animal model and human disease. The pro-inflammatory cytokines are considered to induce or worsen disease features in MS. In contrast, anti-inflammatory cytokines are thought to be protective and to ameliorate disease features in MS.

They direct/cause the MMPs to do lots of MS damage but that is another posting.

jackD

I just noticed my vision is dim tonight. I hope that's not the harbinger of doom that the insomnia has probably been a warning of.

shrinkage not doom
 

Yep. Vision is the second thing to go. Insomnia can also contribute to brain shrinkage. See my last MRI below. Radioligist said; .

jackD

http://home.ix.netcom.com/~jdalton/pic049.JPG