@Rach_LS 

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Rach_LS

Confused.com

Hi peeps Where to start?! I’ve had two MRIs and I’ve got a lumbar puncture coming up in Jan. The Neuro suspects RRMS as there has been two incidents within 6 months. The 1st was my leg feeling odd and wooden, followed by a summer of walking around with drop foot. The 2nd was my right arm and hand suddenly went numb, uncoordinated and useless to the point I couldn’t cut up my own food etc for a few weeks. I could live with the dodgy leg, but as I’m a fairly active musician, the lack of dexterity and strength in my hand drove me mad!! That has at least improved, with a lot of daily rehab, so I can just about blag my way through a set on my sax. After my first MRI, a friend suggested VitD. I supplemented with that and a few other things, and in my 2nd scan a month later, one of the lesions in my brain had reduced slightly. The neuro has suggested looking at the DMTs, but reading up on them I feel a bit horrified. I’ve never really been one for popping pills and the thought of these intensely powerful drugs scare the life out of me. Apart from being clever things in the way they suppress the immune system, stopping the myelin getting attacked etc, my question I suppose is why the treatment doesn’t look to building the immune system up to work efficiently to produce the same result?! Has anyone successfully managed MS without the pharmaceutical powerhouses? I’m tempted to at least try for a bit asking for high dose VitD alongside managing stress, eating less cake and exercising. As the usual prescribed drugs don’t technically stop the progression of the disease, do the pros outweigh the cons in taking them? I’m scared of declining them as it probably goes against the medical grain, but I’d like to know if anyone has managed MS alternatively through supplements and lifestyle as my intuition is nagging at me. As far as the pending diagnosis goes, I’ve at least made peace with it and am treating it with curiosity and kindness, at last listening to my body and mind.....probably the life lesson I needed to take stock!! Thank you Rach.🎷
@Vixen

Hello rach_Is, welcome to Shift. Well, of course, you don’t need to really think about DMTs until a diagnosis is, or isn’t confirmed. However, there are lots that choose not to tread the DMT path, for personal and good reasons. Regardless of what you might decide, a focus on healthy diet and rest/exercise is a staple. As is avoiding stress. I did decide to start a DMD when I was diagnosed two years ago. I guess as I’m older, I felt that I didn’t have too much time to waste and wanted to try to slow down progression, it’s working out OK by. Have full on respect for those who decide not to dabble. Untilmately, there is no way for me to ever know if I would have been better, or worse off for having taken them, but hey ho. It sounds like you’re really on top of things and asking great questions. Good luck with this process and let us know how things unfold x

@jreberg74gmail

Hello @Rach_ls, i was diagnosed with ms in 2007. The neurologist gave me info on the drugs and i went home and studied up. At that time, the side effects from the drugs seemed worse then the unknown of ms. So i declined them. I did keep reading up on what ms was and what new drugs were coming out. I also drastically improved my diet and the way i deal with stress. 2 neurologists later, he was still pushing drugs. I asked him if i were on drugs, would you consider the treatment successful at this point. After consideration, he said yes and was more open to taking about alternatives to drugs. I liked him. I am now on my 6th neurologist, and still not on drugs, they still make me uneasy. I know when i eat unhealthy, all sorts of things start happening. I have made peace with my decision and life will be what it will be. Oh, i should probably mention the numerous nerologist are due to their retirement or me moving. Good luck with either path you choose.