Tie One on for Multiple Sclerosis
When I worked as a healthcare research there was a lot of discussion to to whether multiple sclerosis is genetic/inherited condition.
Indeed it does seem that genes do play a part in causing multiple sclerosis. The Duke University Medical Centre has put together a very useful page covering much of the current research.You can see it by clicking on http://www.chg.duke.edu/diseases/ms.html.
What interests me is to what extent have our readers with multiple sclerosis come from a family where others also suffer from MS.
To help us get a clearer picture we have launched a new on the subject which you can find below.
Please feel free to use the comments box to add any further information which you think may be of interest to our readers.
Thanks very much in advance!
| mschopac | AngelCook My Mother also died of MS complications 41 years ago, when there was no treatments. I also Have MS and so does my sister. |
| AngelCook | My mother in law died from MS complications, meaning hear brain couldnt tell her vital organs how to function. Sounds to me like MS killed her |
| clifton29 | JeffBarnfield You don’t die of MS, people with MS or who have relatives with MS read these comments and might be alarmed, choose your words carefully Jeff, love and peace. |
| JeffBarnfield | My mother had MS and she died at age 44, she started becoming ill at about 28 years of age.Her older brother also died from MS but he lived a normal life until his late 50’s when he then became ill with MS and he died in his 70’s. Both lived in London as children and played together in a new subdivision with virgin soil.The theory is for these two people that MS is in fact a virus that once contracted can lie dormant in the body for years until it is triggered by another illness or stress.In my mothers case she was perfectly healthy until we (including me) were involved in a serious car crash where the car rolled multiple times.Soon after the crash mum became ill with MS.In her elder brothers case all I know was that he was an easily stressed person and any number of events could have triggered his MS, it was rather unusual that his MS developed so much later in life.Both had the severe form of MS with no remissions. |
| mschopac | It took 5 years for me to get diagnosed with MS. I was also told it was all in my head, anxiety etc even though I told Drs. my Mother had it and died at 49. |
| mschopac | MarciaBeavers It is know that you are more predisposed to getting MS if you have a family member who has it. I myself have it, sister has it and my mother had it. |
| MarciaBeavers | I was 38 when I was diagnosed, now my daughter, at the same age iI was has been diagnosed. What are the chances, Our Drs all say it is very odd |
| DebraDrayton | as far as i know i am the only one |
| DebraDrayton | as far as i know i am the only one in my family. |
| MarthaCPulrang | My dad had it. A cousin(paternal side) was dx’d with it. Pretty sure at least one aunt had it. And that my dads father had it. |
| DevaMarcy | I am the only person in my family who has it |
| DavidJamesAndrew | My father has PPMS, and one younger brother has similar symptoms but has not been diagnosed yet. With hindsight I have had symptoms since I had Chicken Pox and Mumps together when I was 13, but have always felt something was different . I have a cousin on my fathers side that has Lupus |
| jendie | My maternal grandfather had it, he died 2 years before I was born. I have it, and my mom was diagnosed with it 12 years after me. Mom also has Rheumatoid Arthritis, so we’re guessing that many of her early symptoms were blamed on the RA. Mom was in her mid-60s when she was diagnosed. I had a sister who had type 1 diabetes, no MS for her. |
| winnienicci | There is no one in my family apart from myself that has MS, one thing that makes me wonder is…2 of my three children has Diabetes Melitus or, Type1Diabetes, This disease is an autoimmune disease as I understand MS is. I cant help worrying that there is a genetic link sonewhere And It is me that has passed on the ‘faulty gene’. |
| KatrinaScottSmith | My maternal grandmother had MS and my sister 4 years older than me was diagnosed at age 19. She died when she was only 33 from a terrible case of it. I am 44 and was just diagnosed last year. Never thought that this would happen to me. I’m in it to kick MS in the rear! |
| RobynnKerr | My Mom had MS as well. |
| jodyann32 | I’m 32 years old with MS. My Dad and his Sister both have MS as well. |
| HatRak333 | In reply to SarahStables. SarahStables I believe it’s a combination of genetic and where you live while growing up. My brother and I have it. My two sisters don’t. They moved to California. My Mom had it and two cousins on my mom’s side have it. We grew up in Ohio. I agree with you, but I don’t really want to eat hay with a horse! lol |
| Donboy | I have a second and third cousin, whom I have never met, on my fraternal grandmother’s side who both have M.S.. It is also believed that my great, great grandmother had M.S., as well, but no way to prove it, seeing as that was 150 years ago. |
| SarahStables | My maternal grandmother’s cousin has ms, my mother’s cousin has recently been diagnosed and my paternal cousin was diagnosed around same time as me! Therefore if it’s not genetic I’ll eat hay with a horse!!! |
| KatrinaScottSmith | In reply to ElizabethTrott. ElizabethTrott Well said, Elizabeth, I totally agree–my turn–look out world, let’s kick this thing in the rear! (Maternal grandmother had MS, my sister had MS (died at age 33 in 1999) and I now have MS (I’m 43). Let’s do this! |
| KatrinaScottSmith | My maternal grandmother had MS, died at age 24 in 1947. My older sister had MS, diagnosed at 19, died in 1999 at age 33. I am 43 and was recently diagnosed with MS. I don’t understand why/how some still say it isn’t hereditary or genetic. |
| HatRak333 | I forgot to mention that I have two sisters and they don’t have MS. We grew up in Ohio, but my sisters moved to California. I think that has something to do with it. |
| HatRak333 | I have MS. My brother has it. I think my mom had it because I am feeling the same way she used to tell me how she felt although she was never diagnosed with it. I have two cousins on my mom’s side that have it. I pray my kids and grandkids don’t get it. |
| HolliNorris | My Dad had MS and my maternal aunt had MS. Research that I have read indicates that a first line relative having MS takes your odds of having MS from 750 to 1 in 30. Having 2 first line relatives from maternal and paternal makes the odds of getting MS 1in 15. Staggering results. |
| Joyce Pharis | In reply to LeslieCarbaughEvans. LeslieCarbaughEvans I have MS and so does my daughter. she was dx’d in her 20s and me in my 50s |
| Karen Brown | I have cousins on my dad’s side – one with MS & his brother (another cousin of mine) had Systemic Lupus. (Both auto-immune disorders.) I had cousin on my mom’s side who had severe MS. Also my mother had an auto-immune disorder specific to the thyroid gland; Hashimoto’s disease. My oldest daughter,age 31, has Rheumatoid Arthritis & the Dr suspects possible MS or Lupus. She’s in process of testing. I have BOTH Lupus and MS! Genetics has to play a role in my opinion. |
| RockFed | I went back 4 generations on both parents, no one has ever had it. |
| LeslieCarbaughEvans | Me, my daughter, her father (no relation to me), and his sister all have MS. I was not blood related to my first husband and father of my children, but he and his sister both have MS. Then my daughter was dx’d in her 20’s and I was dx’d in my 50’s. We were however born and raised in the same small hometown in northern VA. where there was no industry or factory…just rolling mountain scenery. So I’ve been caregiver and now the tables are turned. |
| ElizabethTrott | Is multiple sclerosis a genetic condition? Have you inherited MS? Great question – Here’s my answer ! I’m the 3rd female in 2 generations to be blessed with MS. My mother’s sister (Disseminated Sclerosis) in the late 50’s early 60’s, next my mother in the 70’s, then me in 2010. All of us diagnosed in our 40’s. It was not so great to hear that MS is NOT Hereditary, but more likely if it’s already in the family. Then again, “I’ve been there, done that, bought and worn the Tee Shirt” as a carer and know that it’s my turn to round, face the challenges and wake others up to the problem. Look out world, I’m coming through !!!!!!! |
AngelCook My Mother also died of MS complications 41 years ago, when there was no treatments. I also Have MS and so does my sister.
My mother in law died from MS complications, meaning hear brain couldnt tell her vital organs how to function. Sounds to me like MS killed her
JeffBarnfield You don’t die of MS, people with MS or who have relatives with MS read these comments and might be alarmed, choose your words carefully Jeff, love and peace.
My mother had MS and she died at age 44, she started becoming ill at about 28 years of age.Her older brother also died from MS but he lived a normal life until his late 50’s when he then became ill with MS and he died in his 70’s.
Both lived in London as children and played together in a new subdivision with virgin soil.The theory is for these two people that MS is in fact a virus that once contracted can lie dormant in the body for years until it is triggered by another illness or stress.In my mothers case she was perfectly healthy until we (including me) were involved in a serious car crash where the car rolled multiple times.Soon after the crash mum became ill with MS.In her elder brothers case all I know was that he was an easily stressed person and any number of events could have triggered his MS, it was rather unusual that his MS developed so much later in life.Both had the severe form of MS with no remissions.
It took 5 years for me to get diagnosed with MS. I was also told it was all in my head, anxiety etc even though I told Drs. my Mother had it and died at 49.
MarciaBeavers It is know that you are more predisposed to getting MS if you have a family member who has it. I myself have it, sister has it and my mother had it.
I was 38 when I was diagnosed, now my daughter, at the same age iI was has been diagnosed. What are the chances, Our Drs all say it is very odd
as far as i know i am the only one
as far as i know i am the only one in my family.
My dad had it. A cousin(paternal side) was dx’d with it. Pretty sure at least one aunt had it. And that my dads father had it.
I am the only person in my family who has it
My father has PPMS, and one younger brother has similar symptoms but has not been diagnosed yet. With hindsight I have had symptoms since I had Chicken Pox and Mumps together when I was 13, but have always felt something was different .
I have a cousin on my fathers side that has Lupus
My maternal grandfather had it, he died 2 years before I was born. I have it, and my mom was diagnosed with it 12 years after me. Mom also has Rheumatoid Arthritis, so we’re guessing that many of her early symptoms were blamed on the RA. Mom was in her mid-60s when she was diagnosed.
I had a sister who had type 1 diabetes, no MS for her.
There is no one in my family apart from myself that has MS, one thing that makes me wonder is…2 of my three children has Diabetes Melitus or, Type1Diabetes, This disease is an autoimmune disease as I understand MS is.
I cant help worrying that there is a genetic link sonewhere And It is me that has passed on the ‘faulty gene’.
My maternal grandmother had MS and my sister 4 years older than me was diagnosed at age 19. She died when she was only 33 from a terrible case of it. I am 44 and was just diagnosed last year. Never thought that this would happen to me. I’m in it to kick MS in the rear!
My Mom had MS as well.
I’m 32 years old with MS. My Dad and his Sister both have MS as well.
I have a second and third cousin, whom I have never met, on my fraternal grandmother’s side who both have M.S.. It is also believed that my great, great grandmother had M.S., as well, but no way to prove it, seeing as that was 150 years ago.
My maternal grandmother’s cousin has ms, my mother’s cousin has recently been diagnosed and my paternal cousin was diagnosed around same time as me! Therefore if it’s not genetic I’ll eat hay with a horse!!!
SarahStables
I believe it’s a combination of genetic and where you live while growing up. My brother and I have it. My two sisters don’t. They moved to California. My Mom had it and two cousins on my mom’s side have it. We grew up in Ohio. I agree with you, but I don’t really want to eat hay with a horse! lol
My maternal grandmother had MS, died at age 24 in 1947. My older sister had MS, diagnosed at 19, died in 1999 at age 33. I am 43 and was recently diagnosed with MS. I don’t understand why/how some still say it isn’t hereditary or genetic.
I forgot to mention that I have two sisters and they don’t have MS. We grew up in Ohio, but my sisters moved to California. I think that has something to do with it.
I have MS. My brother has it. I think my mom had it because I am feeling the same way she used to tell me how she felt although she was never diagnosed with it. I have two cousins on my mom’s side that have it. I pray my kids and grandkids don’t get it.
My Dad had MS and my maternal aunt had MS. Research that I have read indicates that a first line relative having MS takes your odds of having MS from 750 to 1 in 30. Having 2 first line relatives from maternal and paternal makes the odds of getting MS 1in 15. Staggering results.
I have cousins on my dad’s side – one with MS & his brother (another cousin of mine) had Systemic Lupus. (Both auto-immune disorders.) I had cousin on my mom’s side who had severe MS. Also my mother had an auto-immune disorder specific to the thyroid gland; Hashimoto’s disease. My oldest daughter,age 31, has Rheumatoid Arthritis & the Dr suspects possible MS or Lupus. She’s in process of testing. I have BOTH Lupus and MS! Genetics has to play a role in my opinion.
I went back 4 generations on both parents, no one has ever had it.
Me, my daughter, her father (no relation to me), and his sister all have MS. I was not blood related to my first husband and father of my children, but he and his sister both have MS. Then my daughter was dx’d in her 20’s and I was dx’d in my 50’s. We were however born and raised in the same small hometown in northern VA. where there was no industry or factory…just rolling mountain scenery. So I’ve been caregiver and now the tables are turned.
LeslieCarbaughEvans I have MS and so does my daughter. she was dx’d in her 20s and me in my 50s
Is multiple sclerosis a genetic condition? Have you inherited MS? Great question – Here’s my answer !
I’m the 3rd female in 2 generations to be blessed with MS. My mother’s sister (Disseminated Sclerosis) in the late 50’s early 60’s, next my mother in the 70’s, then me in 2010. All of us diagnosed in our 40’s.
It was not so great to hear that MS is NOT Hereditary, but more likely if it’s already in the family. Then again, “I’ve been there, done that, bought and worn the Tee Shirt” as a carer and know that it’s my turn to round, face the challenges and wake others up to the problem.
Look out world, I’m coming through !!!!!!!
ElizabethTrott Well said, Elizabeth, I totally agree–my turn–look out world, let’s kick this thing in the rear! (Maternal grandmother had MS, my sister had MS (died at age 33 in 1999) and I now have MS (I’m 43). Let’s do this!