Myths – Multiple Sclerosis

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We set-up this page to keep track of any popular “Myths” and/or “Facts” that might be of interest to those Battling Multiple Sclerosis, or are just looking for information about M.S. We hope to keep it up to date by adding sites and “myths” found during our blog postings .. and posting myths from other sites that we visit on our way! Each topic heading below, is the location of where we have found the following myths from, and we hope that it’s okay to repost the information below. If you are the owner of the following websites and wish to contact us about this, please do so .. and email our webmaster … hart (at) PetLvr (dot) com

National M.S. Society – 9 Myths

Myth: Multiple Sclerosis is fatal

Fact: It isn’t. Statistics show that most people with MS have a near normal life span. Most deaths associated with MS are due to complications in advanced, progressive stages of the disease. Effective early treatment of MS should help to prevent those complications. In very rare cases, MS is malignantly progressive and may be fatal.
• Read about the Society’s recommendations for early treatment

Myth: Everyone with MS will be in a wheelchair sooner or later

Fact: Not true. Many people with MS remain able to walk without help. However, the likelihood of needing a mobility device increases the longer someone has MS. In addition, people who are still able to walk may use a wheelchair, cane, scooter, or other device to conserve energy or prevent injury from falls. Only 25% of people with MS use a wheelchair or stay in bed because they are unable to walk, according to a well-designed survey completed before the new disease-modifying drugs became available.
• Read about the Prognosis of MS and 4 courses of the disease
• Read more about Progressive MS

Myth: Because there is no cure for MS, there’s nothing that can be done for me

Fact: It is true that there is no cure for MS yet, but there are now FDA-approved medications that have been shown to modify or slow down the underlying course of MS. In addition, many therapeutic and technological advances are helping people manage symptoms and lead productive lives. Advances in treating and understanding MS are made every year and progress in research to find a cure is very encouraging.
• Read more about MS Treatments

• MS Symptom Management
• MS and Bladder and Bowel Problems
• MS and Cognitive Problems
• MS and Fatigue
• MS and Pain
• MS and Vision
• Medications Used in MS

Myth: I should stop working. The stress will aggravate my MS

Fact: There is no scientific evidence that the normal stress of working has any effect on MS. But symptoms, such as fatigue, can cause problems on the job. Approximately 30% of people with MS are working full-time after 20 years. The National MS Society thinks that number could be higher, and works to change the attitudes of employers and employees alike.
• Read more about MS and Employment

Myth: I shouldn’t have children. I can’t be good parent with MS

Fact: Children are far less fragile than you think, and are more able to accept painful realities than we generally assume. Parents often try to protect their children by hiding painful issues, but open and honest communication among family members is valuable and important.
• Read more about how to talk to your children about MS

A family may include a person who doesn’t always feel well, and needs extra help. The sharing you do together can make your family feel close. Just as the experience of MS itself varies from person to person, so too do the concerns of families.
• Read some questions and answers that families may have

Even if a parent can’t go skating or go on long hikes, there are many things families can do together. It’s important to be supportive and let kids express their feelings.
• Read Teen InsideMS—letters, stories, and artwork about MS
• Visit Keep S’myelin—our interactive children’s newsletter

Most women with MS find their symptoms lessen during pregnancy. Then, the risk of an attack rises somewhat in the first six months after delivery. Overall, pregnancy and childbirth have no long-term effect on MS.
• Read more on MS and Pregnancy

Those who worry that their children will develop MS should know that the risk is actually very small: somewhere between 1% and 5%.
• Read more on MS and genetics

Myth: Natural treatments are “safer” than prescription medication

Fact: Controversy continues to rage about the value of alternative approaches. Advocates of alternative therapies sometimes claim that conventional medicine is ignoring or suppressing treatments that can alleviate symptoms or even cure some diseases.

Opponents of alternative therapies maintain that conventional medicine adopts whatever therapies can be proven safe and effective, and they challenge the advocates of unproven treatments to produce the scientific evidence that will substantiate their claims.
• Read more about Complementary and Alternative Medicine

No dietary claim has yet held up in scientific studies. However, for general good health, people with MS are strongly advised to follow the low-fat, high-fiber, varied diet recommended by the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.
• Read more about MS and Nutrition Myth: No one will love me now that I have MS

Fact: Confronting the challenges of MS draws many couples closer together. Talking about problems and developing solutions can deepen both partners’ sense of intimacy.

Sexuality does not have to disappear from the lives of couples when one partner has MS. Instead, partners can find satisfying approaches to sexual intimacy that overcome the barriers.
• Read more about MS and Intimacy

Myth: No one can possibly understand what I’m going through

Fact: Approximately 400,000 Americans acknowledge having MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million individuals.
• Read personal stories of trials and triumphs, view artwork, share experiences, and know that you are not alone

Through our network of chapters, the National MS Society offers support programs for everyone affected by MS, including referral to chapter-affiliated self-help groups.
• Find your chapter

Myth: Scientists aren’t making much progress in the fight against MS

Fact: There has never been a more exciting time in MS research. Until 1993 there were no medicines that could alter the underlying disease, and now there are six approved drugs for different forms of MS. The National MS Society is spending $40 million every year to fight MS, including funding more than 350 in-depth investigations into virtually every aspect of this disease.
• Get an idea of how far we’ve come in the fight against MS
• See how the Society is tackling the disease through research

ALSO: …..

* Stories Linking Aspartame and Multiple Sclerosis Unfounded
* Low Dose Naltrexone Update
* No Evidence That Heavy Metal Poisoning is Responsible for Causing MS