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Can MS be genetic?

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Posted 6/1/2008 4:11 AM (GMT 0)
I haven't been dx with MS, truly believe it is what I've suffered with for years.  Now my 16 yr old daughter is having some of the same problems I do.  I don't tell her my symptoms so when she comes to me and tells me the things shes having problems with it scares me.  I am just learning about MS.  I've been trying to figure out for yrs what is wrong with me.

I never even considered that MS could be inherited.  No one in my family was ever diagnosed with it.  My mom has always been sickly and could never find out why and my grandma was the same way.  She died of emphysema and never smoked a day in her life, so we never knew what caused it.  We've all had problems with tiredness.  I've always wondered if we all had something wrong with our immune systems but never considered MS till now.

Any advice on this would be great.

Posted 6/1/2008 4:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Domanique

Welcome to the board! I'm so sorry or u'r years of symptoms and wondering. Limbo can truely be hard! I was having this discussion with a dear friend not too many days ago. All that i've ever read on this subject suggests that ms is something seen more from sibling to sibling rather than something passed from parent to child. Given that no one in u'r family was dx'd may mean that they (and u) were suffering some other disease. Are u'r symptoms similar to thiers?? What symptoms do u have?? Please keep at working for that dx, but don't let it drive u'r life if possible. Take care of that daughter and u'rself and again, welcome to the board.
Posted 6/1/2008 5:19 AM (GMT 0)
Hello damonique,

Welcome to the board. I am so sorry that you and your daughter are both experiencing unexplained symptoms.  I would like to caution you from self-diagnosing.  This can be a very difficult disease to diagnose even for experienced doctors.  There are many, many other diseases that mimic MS.  You need to see a doctor but as I just got done posting to someone before you, please don't tell them that you think you have MS.  That tends to really put doctors off.  They often think that you are suffering from hypochondriasis or anxiety or perhaps some other mental disorder.  Just give the doctor your symptoms, and when you started experiencing them and which symptoms are the most troubling, then you will give the doctors something to work with.  The doctor will also ask about family history and that will give you a chance to share your mother's and grandmother's information.  I wish you the very best of luck.  I hope you and your daughter get some answers and treatment very soon. 

Posted 6/1/2008 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Have you seen a doctor to discuss any of this? There sometimes is a genetic connection with MS, but certainly not always, and with a history of other females in your family dealing with undiagnosed ailments, there could be some other disease or infectious process going on, too.
Posted 6/1/2008 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi There Damonique,
I really am sorry that both you and your daughter are experiencing symptoms. I am not sure i understand the whole genetic thing with ms, but have read that there are links to parents passing the ms on. In my case, i do not have anyone in my family with ms, however, i have several relatives with autoimmune disease. I have a great aunt with RA. My mothers sister has RA also, (my aunt). My moms first cousin has Lupas and another first cousin with RA. My neurologist seems to think there is a connection here, and that the autoimmune in the family just manifested itself differently in me with the ms possibly. If i find that link i will post it. I think about this all the time and it really bothers me because i too have a daughter and worry every day will i pass it on to her. It really scares me.
Take care
Lynn
Posted 6/1/2008 7:26 PM (GMT 0)

Here is a link to the National MS Society page which specifically talks about genetics and MS:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/who-gets-ms/genetics/index.aspx

Lynn...if you already have a daughter it's a little late to be worried about "passing it on" to her.  If indeed there is a genetic link, you may well have already passed it on to her -- in the womb, in your eggs, before she was actually conceived. It's not like -- you have MS, and somehow she'll "catch" it from you.  She may have a genetic predisposition for it...or not.  The scientific evidence isn't entirely clear, and I've seen several different studies that suggest that there is more likely a genetic influence for all autoimmune diseases, not only MS. That is to say, it appears that autoimmune diseases "run" in families -- as you already noted, several of them occur in your family (and in mine).  But for everyone like us where there are people in our families with autoimmune diseases, there are lots of others who only can identify themselves with MS, and no one else in the family seems to have anything related.

Posted 6/10/2008 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Lynn I can so understand your worries about passing ms on to your daughter They really havent came up with a definite answer as to whether or not it is heridatary..i knew a woman who indeed got the gene from her dad I also know other ms ppl who have grown children who did not have ms So I dont think anybody who has a close relative ie  A child getting ms is naieve  and yes it is and and always  will be a concern If it wasnt then that is when u should worry.So I cant see why anybody would not see a mother's worry and concern..i do think it is a random thing but you never know nor do the "experts" and lynn if your daughter would Godforbid get ms what an inspiration she will have in you and I do think in our lifetime they will make greater and biggers strides with medications..I dont think you should worry about your daughter just enjoy her!!!! barb

Posted 6/12/2008 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Sweetlydia66,
Not to rub it in, but I honestly believe that you did not pass MS on to your daughter. In certain circumstances, there could be a genetic factor but not always. We are here to support you no matter what.
Posted 6/12/2008 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
Wow how cool you came from another site to offer support!!Gee Lynn hope that makes you feel better...barb scool
Posted 6/30/2008 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
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