Polio connection?
 

My Mother had polio as a teenager and has post polio syndrome now. I'm wondering if there is any connection between mother's with polio and children with MG. Do any of you have Mothers who had polio?

No polio in my family

kathie

Hi, Kim. No, neither of my parents had polio or post-polio syndrome.

Who knows what effects the polio vaccine had on anyone. I won't get into the discussion on vaccines because it takes up too much energy! ;)

Post-polio syndrome gets worse with aging, certain diets (not enough nutrition/too many free radicals), etc.

Is it possible that there is a genetic mutation involved with acetylcholine in the children of anyone who had polio? Absolutely. But good luck pinning down any corresponding research proving that.

I would love to know the mechanisms that create channelopathy issues in children of those who have had polio or PPS. It's logical that there is a connection, given the pathophysiology of polio.

The first article below is very good in explaining why PPS patients benefit from Mestinon and other similar drugs.

How is your mom doing?

Annie

http://www.post-polio.org/edu/hpros/task/pathclue.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=4CF...holine&f=false

There is also anecdotal use of L-Carnitine, CoQ10, etc.

Thanks for the research. I did some research too and found some information that there is suspicion that polio causes defects of the receptors in children of mothers who had polio. My mother is doing fine. She is 84 now. She has always been a health food fanatic and is doing as good as can be expected considering her age and PPS symptoms.

I'd done research years ago for a friend of a friend. What I dug up didn't really sit well, given how many people had polio vaccines. Yes, the vaccine is great in that it kept people from getting polio, but there were varied effects on those who had it (and depending upon which version they had).

The virus conferred IgG mediated immunity into the bloodstream and is supposed to protect the motor neurons. MG is an "IgG" mediated immunity disease, whereas celiac disease, for example, is IgA. It's not a huge leap from there to conclude that the vaccine could potentially contribute to any number of neuromuscular diseases, including ALS.

There was both an oral and injectable version of the vaccine. The oral one sometimes caused a neurological infection and paralysis. Other vaccines, such as those for the flu, now have adjuvants such as squalene in them to "supercharge" the immune system to produce the antibodies. In those with an autoimmune history, that's not a great thing to have added to the body.

They added formaldehyde back in the flu vaccine last year. Oh, goodie.

The history of the polio vaccine is fraught with issues, such as the rhesus monkey kidney cells that were used to prepare the virus were found to have a virus (SV40) that was later shown to cause tumors. A person could do a thesis on the development of the vaccine alone.

If you have a history of immune issues in your family, or have a heritage which tends to acquire them (i.e., Northern European), then vaccines should always be thought of in that context.

There are so many factors that could make an immune system go haywire or that could contribute to a mother with a history of polio and PPS having a child with a NM disease. It's a guessing game, although I suspect someone out there knows the connection. :cool:

I'm glad your Mom enjoys a good life. I hope you do, too.

Annie

Thanks Annie! Yes, I have a wonderful life. Although MG made me radically alter my life, in some ways it is better. I worked in the rat race as a lawyer. I loved it, but MG put an end to that. At 56 I medically retired. Now I've slowed way down. It took a couple of years to adjust and not feel guilty for being home. Now my husband and I spend 6 months in Mexico and 6 months in California. I am as active as I can be tap dancing, playing pickleball and surfing. I spend the morning doing something active and the rest of the day on the couch playing computer games or crocheting. My life is very full.

Coincidental or what? no one in my family that I know of has had Polio. But I did have the polio vaccine as a child and I now have MG and also have so far, had three operations for the removal of multiple tumors. Makes you wonder.