MS comorbidities: Welcome to the party!

 Multiple sclerosis is a wacky disease. Ask anyone battling it. The constellation of possible MS symptoms is baffling to contemplate. Experientially, MS brings a host of surprises, as the MSer’s body seems to betray him or her in all sorts of surprising (and seemingly unrelated) ways. 

 

 Vision disturbances can crop up. A limb may go numb for a while or longer. Incontinence may sink in. Spasticity might strike. Walking can become difficult. Vertigo could stop by for a spin. Fatigue might suddenly become overwhelming.

Once diagnosed, we find it’s easy to blame all sorts of health complaints on MS. On the other hand, MSers can be prone to several other illnesses and complications. That’s called comorbidity.

 

What are the most frequently found comorbidities with MS?

Here’s a garden variety:

• anxiety
• arthritis
• asthmatic bronchitis
• cardiovascular disease
• chronic lung disease
• cognitive/memory issues
• deep vein thrombosis
• depression
• diabetes
• high cholesterol
• inflammatory bowel disease
• migraines
  
• obesity
• psoriasis
• sleep issues
• stroke
• thyroid disorders
• urinary tract infections
• and more.

 In many instances, medical experts aren’t altogether sure whether MS causes a certain comorbidity or vice-versa. For example, MS can cause a person to live a more sedentary lifestyle, which could lead to (or aggravate) blood pressure issues, diabetes, heart or lung disease, obesity, and other ailments.

 Additionally, comorbidities may arise together, perhaps randomly. And lots of medical conditions share symptoms, so it may be difficult to pinpoint whether a symptom stems from MS or from an existing comorbidity. 

Comorbidities can also delay and complicate a person’s initial diagnosis of MS, as symptoms of other conditions may mask MS’ appearance. They can also make MS treatment more difficult to manage and may even set the stage for MS to progress faster in some patients.

 It’s a crazy world out there, especially with the less-than-pleasant bonus of comorbidities with MS.

Related items:

• Ain't nothin' pseudo about a pseudo-exacerbation.
• Just in case: 10 top items to pack for a hospital stay
• Managing chronic illness can mean redefining goals.
• Maybe MS has taught me something, after all.
• MS is like the cancellation disease.

 

Image/s: Public domain photo and user-created word-graphic

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Should MS treatments stop after age 50?

 

Maybe you’ve heard this: Plenty of multiple sclerosis doctors seem to be halting patients’ disease-modifying treatments at or after age 50. Others point to 60 as the magic age when such prescriptions may cease. The popular theory says the efficacy of such medications commonly diminishes as patients age, while the risks of continuing with the drugs may increase.

 However, recent research also reveals that up to a third of those included in the studies found their MS relapses and related disabilities increased after discontinuing their meds.

 

Holy moley. What’s a middle-aged MSer to do?

 We have to wonder whether this is an efficacy issue (for the medications), an economical one (for insurance companies), an efficiency concern (for medical providers) or perhaps an ethical one (for all of us).

 

We have to be our own advocates.

 Most definitely, each MSer needs to continue to research and learn and question his or her own care and treatment.

 Some of us may be able to stop disease-modifying treatments without suffering for it. After many years of unchanged MRIs (e.g., no new lesions), this may be an option. But this tactic is clearly not for everyone battling multiple sclerosis. Those with the most progressive forms of the disease may be least likely to benefit from such a choice.

 This simply cannot become an across-the-board standard for all MSers, regardless of health challenges, symptoms, and other conditions.

 

It’s not like the medical world can turn us out to pasture, as we age.

 Some 50-somethings (or even 60-somethings, 70-somethings, and beyond) still pursue a wide range of activities and endeavors. We may still have careers in our later years. We juggle multiple responsibilities and chase all sorts of interests.

 

Don’t let them tell you it’s all downhill from here.

 We still have mountains to climb and summits to reach. And if that means we need to continue disease-modifying therapies, then let’s make darn sure those remain available (and insurable) for us.

 

Related items:

·        Ain't nothin' pseudo about a pseudo-exacerbation

·        Beware the MS hiatus hangover

·        Changing meds: Safety tips for tossing leftover drugs

·        Reviewing the four types of multiple sclerosis

 

 Image/s: Adapted from public domain image/s.

 

 

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Got MS? Should you get the COVID-19 vaccine?

 Multiple sclerosis warriors are wrestling with this sticky question, as pharmaceutical giants feverishly roll out their own versions of coronavirus vaccines. For many, this is an answer to prayer. But for MSers, the whole COVID-19 issue may be stealing our sleep.

 

The answer is that there is no easy answer.

I’m not playing click-bait or bait-and-switch here. It’s the reality.

 

MS is different for everyone who has it. And that colors the answer about the vaccine.

Each of us needs to make his or her own inquiries about the vaccine.

At this moment, it seems specific testing has not been done with MS patients and COVID-19 vaccinations. That makes our decision more difficult. It does appear a group of MS experts are examining the possibilities, so we may learn more about this eventually.

Here are the questions I have asked, in my personal search for answers about the accepting a coronavirus vaccine. Frustratingly, there are at least two sides to every answer.

 

What kind of MS do I have?

Life is very different for those with the more progressive forms of MS than it is for those of use currently living with relapse-remitting MS (RRMS). So is the COVID-19 threat.

 

Based on my type of MS, how should I proceed?

Those with progressive types of MS may be categorized as high-risk and boosted ahead in the line to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. The coronavirus can be extra dangerous for those already immunocompromised and physically challenged in various ways by MS. On the other hand, their personal medical conditions (and MS medications) may increase their risk of MS complications arising in response to the vaccine.

Those of us with RRMS tend to have stretches of time (of unpredictable duration) where some or most of our symptoms seem to abate. Of course, the last thing we want to do is awaken the sleeping giant. COVID-19 can do exactly that. Can the vaccine to that too?

 

Am I taking medications that may compromise my immune system?

Many of the disease-modifying therapies commonly prescribed for MS are aimed directly at the immune system. That may forestall some MS flare-ups, but it can also leave a person extra vulnerable to infection. And that includes the coronavirus. For that reason, a physician might direct an MS patient to have the COVID-19 vaccine.

At the same time, lots of experts recommend MSers refrain from this vaccine (and perhaps also flu shots) because those shots are intended to cause the body to produce antibodies. That means rousing the immune system.

The issue is really a double-barreled shotgun for anyone with MS.

 

Which would be worse, catching COVID-19 or reacting to the vaccine?

It’s a crap shoot for sure. The simplest response sounds like a pat answer, but it rings true:

Check with your own MS doctor.

Sorry, that’s the best we can do.

 

Which COVID-19 vaccine will I be offered?

It’s too early to tell, at least around here. Currently, two coronavirus vaccines are in play, with more potentially entering the arena soon. Each may come with its own set of potential side effects and risks. We may or may not have the opportunity to pick which shot we receive, as shipments seem to target various organizations and facilities.

We kind of have to watch and wait … and pay attention.

 

As for me, I am generally leaning towards receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

I took a flu shot for the first time in a decade last fall. And I had minimal adverse reactions. I did feel a little funky for a couple days, but I have (so far) avoided the flu. My hopes are high that I will respond similarly to the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

My opinion about the COVID-19 vaccine may change before I am eligible for it.

We are likely to learn a lot more in the coming months, so I’ll be reevaluating my position on an ongoing basis. My personal characteristics place me pretty far down the list in vaccine priority.

I refuse to pass judgment on anyone who does or does not choose to have the coronavirus vaccine, although I do look forward to the day when the pandemic lifts.

 

On the up-side, we MSers are pretty good about enduring injections.

We definitely take this in stride. I cannot tell you how many people I have heard complaining about having to get a COVID-19 vaccine, simply because they dread shots.

Heck, we could do it ourselves!

 

Related items:

• Reviewing the four types of multiple sclerosis
• Are flu shots safe for people with multiple sclerosis?
• MS is like the cancellation disease.
• MS symptoms fire when we’re sick.

 

Image/s: Adapted from public domain image.

 

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

You are invited to join the Kicking MS to the Curb page on Facebook and the Making the Most of MS board on Pinterest.

What's a weather-related migraine?

Migraines can rain on any headache sufferer’s day, no matter what the weather outdoors may be doing. At the same time, plenty of people with migraines claim certain weather patterns make their crippling headaches considerably more likely than others.

Those with multiple sclerosis seem to be particularly prone to migraines, although no one seems to know why. (Personally, I can attest to this!)

What’s the story on weather-related migraines?

Maybe it’s meteorological. Certain weather conditions are generally seen as potential triggers for migraines. Here are some such phenomena frequently regarded as strong setups for these truly terrible headaches:

• bright sunlight (especially glare)
• deep-freeze cold
• dust storms
• extra-dry air
• extreme heat
• high humidity
• lightning
• low cloud ceiling
• strong winds
• sudden barometric pressure shifts
• and a coming storm.

Essentially, nearly any sudden, extreme sort of weather may produce the perfect storm for triggering a migraine. One prevailing theory suggests weather changes may alter brain chemicals (such as serotonin), which could open the door to a whopper headache. Barometric pressure changes may also affect blood vessels in the head, much like what can occur in a pressurized airplane cabin or a submarine (or at extra-high or extra-low altitudes).

In fact, some meteorological experts (like Accuweather) actually track and predict migraine-risk weather patterns. As a migraine-prone MSer, I periodically look at such forecasts. I may even adjust my schedule to avoid overloading myself on days marked for high probability of migraines.

Today, for example, has been called a high-risk day for migraines. But I pretty much knew that, even before I looked at Accuweather’s forecast. There’s also a wind-chill advisory, a fresh-overnight six-inch snow cover, and a low cloud ceiling.

Please pass the headache tablets, would you?

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain artwork.

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