Can West Niles cause MS???

[TrishaT]

I am 46yr old female and 5 yrs ago I got West Niles Virus after that my health went down the tubes. About 3 months later I got really ill, I ran a 103 degree fever for 2 1/2 weeks. I went to an Infectous Disease Dr and he ran every test he could (Blood work, MRI's CT Scans, LP) nothing showed up. The only things he found were; EBV (I had Momo in High School) and one of the MRI's showed Lumbar Spinal Stenosis w/ruptured disc so he told me I had Fibomyalgia. I started having trouble with my memory, speech, dragging my right leg, and weird spasms in my toes and fingers (like a charlie horse but they bend backwards at the joints and it lasts for up to 5 minutes at a time. They did a LP which was normal and said no MS.
2 yrs ago I lost my job and insurance, so I haven't been back to a Dr. and about 1 yr ago I started with a headache in the back upper part of my head that has never gone away, most of the time it is a dull ache but it is always there, when it is really painful I get floaters in my eyes.
I don't know if I have MS or not but most of what I read on the internet lists my symptoms as MS.
Please answer my question and any other help would be great.
Thank you.
Pat

[Lulu54]

Hi Pat,
While you wait for a reply from our expert Dr. Kantor, I would like to invite you to join us on the MS forum.  

The community is very knowledgeable about this disease, and we even have a member who is a doctor, even though she is a pediatrician who retired early because of her own battle with MS.  :-)


A large, caring group of responders can be found at -

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Multiple-Sclerosis/show/41

hope to see you soon,
Lulu

[Quixotic1]

Hi, and I hope you do join us over on the MS Forum.  There has been no implication of the West Nile Virus being a risk factor or an infectious trigger for MS.  The main infections that have some evidence for this role are the Epstein-Barr Virus, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and mycoplasma.

Quix

[TrishaT]

Thank you so much for responding. I had Mono in High School (EBV) and then again right after I had West Niles, the Dr said I got it again, (I thought you could only get it once) as to pneumonia.... I have had pneumonia 11 times, hospitalized 5 of those times but I'm not sure what type of pneumonia they were.

I am just tired of going for test after test and one time it will show something wrong then same test again and nothing wrong. The Dr.'s can't figure it out and just sick of not knowing.

Pat

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Trisha, I spoke incompletely about the EBV.  It is not just an infection with EBV that appears to play some role in the triggering of MS, but rather the suffering of the severe form of EBV infection - Infectious Mononucleosis (mono).  That's what you had, so that certainly can preceed MS.

As far as being a trigger for MS showing up any infection can preceed the onset.  Mind you the infection does not "cause" the MS, but the increased immune activity that accompanies an infection can trigger the onset of MS (which was going to show up sometime soon anyway).

Please join us over on the MS Forum.  Your problems with dragging a leg, difficulties with speech and weird "sustained" spasms are common in MS, but not specific to it.  They can occur in other disorders also.  I would be worried about weakness, foot drop, and spasticity.

An negative LP cannot (read that CANNOT) rule out MS.  I think you need a current detailed hisotry and exam by a good neurologist and a full batch of testing for the mimics of MS.  We can help you understand what you need to know over on the other forum.

The recurrent pnuemonias are not related to MS.  There is not a weakness of the immune system in MS, nor is there any predisposition to infections.  MS does not suppress the overall immune system.

Quix, MD

[popcorner]

hi , i am 45 year-old ,male diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 5 years back and the cause is not known yet, my condition starts as left lower limb weakness ,then the other leg is involved and my left shoulder is hurting me even by fine touch so i am not moving my shoulder to avoid pain , my condition becomes worse and progressive ,
     now i am using wheelchair since 8 months in which i was admitted in the hospital , with severe pain and spasm in my lower limbs ,that time i could not event flex my legs and they were streched as sticks.
i am using alpha-interferon (rebif  44) 3 times weekly  since 4 years ,baclofen daily and acetaminophen but my condition becoming worse day after day , my Dr told me to put a Baclofen pump , but before i have to try the effect with an injection in my spinal cavity ,   but he told me also this pump is only to relieve  pain and spasm of your legs    ,

-I would like to hear your advice about the pump ?
-and i want to know about stem cell therapy in M.S and success rates and where it can be done ?
- also i saw in the TV Show ( the Doctors) , that device which is placed in the legs as a ring which help to walk ?    please inform me about it and where it done >>>please help !
      

[popcorner]

i m sorry to correct something  ....i am using      interferon beta-1a

[Mand125]

Hi there

Your post might get lost as it is in with another one.
The best thing would be to post a seperate question..

Also you might wish to join us over on the MS Forum while you are waiting for an answer from the doctor.

Lulu - LGK54 has put a link further up this page.

Mand