I read a report (darn if I can remember where now) that tonsillectomies and appendectomies before age 20 increases MS risk an average of 30%...

If anyone can find the link, please post...darn my MS brain

OMG, who is wasting money on such a study. We all know
that the trauma/stress of any operation/assult on the
body, can trigger MS.

I think MS is already in us by way of some virus/chemical/climate?
In my case, put there by way of the herpes virus, that causes
chicken pox/shingles/etc, and a traumatic operation, I had
in 1963, triggered my MS.

After that operation, my face was numb for about a month. At
the time, i thought nothing of it, but now, Yes, I believe that
was the beginning of my MS journey. Most of us probably
have an aha moment like that.

Too late! I already had MS by the time I got my appendix out a few years ago. Still have my tonsils...

I found this: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/806905

I'm with Sally. Please.....use this money for studies that will help prevent MS. Not to study something we already know.

I still have both!!

Got my tonsils out at age 4.

However; after I had my 1st pregnancy (1984) , I right away started having an attack from my immune system. 8 years of episcleritis of the eyes, then amphious ulcers of the mouth (really bad) then both together for another few years, then an off balance feeling in my head for another few years.............on and on until BOOM.......doc said the immune system finally settled in and decided they would attack my brain and be MS.
Basically my immune system went awry after the birth of my daughter.

Good Grief! One study says being overweight increases odds of MS, another says mono, another blames your ethnicity or sex, yet another blames where we grew up in the world, another claims smoking increases the risk...

Can't they just say they have no friggin idea and are grasping at straws??? Spend some serious money on an actual cure - then if you know how to nip it in the bud, they can work backwards to figure out the trigger.

I agree with you on the money spent.
However; I think most of the DMD's were accidently found to work for MS. They really don't know why they work, but they only know they work.
If they find the weakness that causes us to get MS, then they may be able to find a cure.
I'm hoping they "accidently" stumble across the culprit!

I had to laugh at this comment. I wish they would.

As for tonsillectomies/appendectomies, I have not had either surgery. In fact, knock on wood, I've never had surgery. So, I think this theory is "grasping at straws" as jprinz put it.

I don't know why I have MS. I don't know what triggered it. Looking back I had symptoms since I was 16 that I just ignored and kept on going. I'm a tenacious little one and don't like to stop for anything. I know that a few years ago, my body was thrown on to the MS roller coaster, and what a ride it has been.

I do think researcher need to look within our bodies to figure it out. What is it that we all have that triggers MS. I really think it is something within our genes, whether a gene/geonome is turned on or off. I think that something triggers the gene/genome to turn on or off, whether it be a virus, chemical, or some other environmental trigger who knows. I think that would be a bigger issue and area of research than tonsillectomies and appendectomies and their increasing the risk of MS. But, this is just my opinion and I'm not a researcher/scientist.

I still have my tonsils and my appendix at the age of 44. I don't smoke, I don't use artificial sweeteners, I've never had mono, but I do have MS.