This article says that MS is an anxiety disease

[Richard Long]

It nearly knocked my socks right off -- I was one really anxious guy for many years... it developed into agoraphobia & made me housebound for nearly a year, even though I could walk and drive


MEDICATION IS not always the best treatment for anxiety-related illnesses which have become a significant health issue, an international neuroscience conference at NUI Galway (NUIG) has heard.




Research carried out at the University of Bristol suggests that prescribing anti-depressants and benzodiazepines for such conditions is not always the most suitable option.




Speaking at Neuroscience Ireland's second annual conference on the psychopharmacology of psychiatric disorders, Prof David Nutt said anxiety was a very serious problem and neuroscience was making "real progress".
Anxiety-related diseases include Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.



Three of the main anxiety disorders are among 20 key disability conditions worldwide.




Trials conducted by a Bristol University research team involved enlisting volunteers who agreed to expose themselves to panic attacks in a bid to devise more effective treatments.




The trials, supervised by Prof Nutt, involved applying controlled doses of carbon dioxide to the candidates to simulate situations which might cause anxiety.




The volunteers were then given new drugs, the impact of which was monitored by the research team. "Very good progress" was being recorded, said Prof Nutt.




Leading neuroscientists, post-doctoral researchers and graduate students from all over Ireland, Britain and Europe are attending the two-day conference at NUIG, which is being hosted by Neuroscience Ireland. Neuroscience Ireland was established to advance research and education in the neurosciences in Ireland.




"Neuroscience is an emerging discipline of great strength in Ireland," Dr Karen Doyle, lecturer in the NUIG's physiology department and head of the neuroscience cluster within the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science said. "The main themes of this conference reflect areas of research strength within NUIG and Ireland as a whole."




Such areas include the mechanisms of cell death in neurons, which may underpin the development of devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.




Strategies to promote regeneration of neurons, which may assist in the discovery of new therapies, are also being examined at the conference. The link between glial cells and the development of multiple sclerosis, and the challenge of pain management and control are among issues being explored.








(I am having a hard time resisting any comments about the name of the Professor...)


I always wondered if my anxiety attacks were because certain nerves were being demyelinating -- I guess my hunch may be correct

[BBS1951]

Yes, and it could explain why Prozac, in a recent reserach study, was found to have a beneficial effect on number of relapses in MS.

[lady_express_44]

Awe, come on :rolleyes: . . . everyone knows MS is caused by anger:

"You may be slowly killing yourself every time you get angry. Any time you're aroused, the entire chemistry of your body changes, making you more susceptible to ulcers, multiple sclerosis, lupus, arthritis and other illnesses. Use that as motivation to calm down."

http://drphil.com/articles/article/221/

Cherie

[gonnamakeit]

Gee and I thought all the time that the "anxiety" diagnosis was doctor talk for,"I have no idea what is wrong with you". Live and learn.

gmi

[blossom4th]

Besides the demyelination of nerves,there is the constant anxiety of when the next exacerbation will hit,and how it will affect your body "this time" by either worsening old symptoms or adding new symptoms.So yea....I'd say there's plenty o' anxiety as a result of having MS!

[lawnerd]

About the only nice thing I can think to say about this article/ theory - including Dr. Phil's is: I guess nerves are nerves.

I believe Lyrica [I am sure I am not spelling the name of this relatively new drug correctly] was originally approved for depression. It is now frequently and successfully prescribed for all sorts of neuropathies.

I do think high levels of sustained stress - whether due to anxiety, frustration, dangerous conditions, etc - make one more susceptable to illness. BUT I do not think anxiety, at least not if it is below what are known as clinically significant levels, causes MS, ALS or Parkinson's.

If anxiety causes MS, then why hasn't the incidence of MS been as prevalent among WWII & Vietnam vets as it has been among those who have served in the Gulf conflicts?

"Medication is not always the best tx for anxiety-related illnesses" -- Then, What Is Better? Potatoes?

Panic attack scientific trials in which carbon dioxide is applied to subjects to simulate anxiety causing situations? Isn't one recommended treatment for panic attacks breathing into a paperbag - to inhale more carbon dioxide? What are these people doing, creating an atmosphere that is known to calm panic attacks and then saying they have come up with something that helps panic attacks? Curious this miracle "something" isn't identifed. . .

"Neuroscience is an emerging discipline of great strength in Ireland" -- As opposed to what? Is Ireland on Mars and has no contact and interaction with the rest of our world's neuroscience community? What a BS statement!

Prof. Nutt would do well to consult with blossom4th.

Me, I think I'll just keep wearing my hat lined with tinfoil - to deflect the rays - LOL

Happy Labor Day weekend. Aghhh! It's a . . . . HOLIDAY . . . Do you feel the holiday anxiety and stress coming on yet ? ? ?

lawnerd

[Braindead]

The FACTS folks and nothing but the facts.

Braindead


1: Neuroepidemiology 1993;12(1):6-14

Drug abuse as a risk factor of multiple sclerosis: case-control analysis and a
study of heterogeneity.

Brosseau L, Philippe P, Methot G, Duquette P, Haraoui B.

Physiotherapy Programme, University of Ottawa, Canada.

The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains unknown despite considerable
research involving a number of disciplines for many decades. Cluster analysis
was used to disentangle the possible heterogeneity of MS, based on clinical
characteristics of 108 subjects. Further on, a case-control study was conducted
within each subgroup found with the cluster analysis, to test with more validity
environmental risk factors, such as alcohol, tobacco, medication and drug abuse.
The controls with a rheumatoid arthritis condition were matched to the cases on
age, gender and same postdiagnostic period and were recruited from the same
hospital. Three main groups of MS subjects were obtained from the cluster
analysis, distinguished by the gender, the presence or not of family history and
the degree of severity of their physical disability.

The results showed that drug abuse was the only risk factor with a statistically significant
odds ratio for overall and for the unique female group without familial history of MS.

PMID: 8327025 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[newlyb12def]

I'm slightly confused.
MS may be an anxiety-related disease, but are they certain of the nature of the cause and effect relationship?
Do I have MS b/c I have an anxiety disorder?
Do I have an anxiety disorder b/c I have MS?
Or is having an anxiety disorder just ANOTHER contributory factor to developing MS?
I know that stress and anger can cause negative physiological effects. I don't think that many people can dispute the fact that psychological stress can worsen health problems.
I do suffer from depression and an anxiety disorder, but never saw the need to add xanax to my diet until my diagnosis and recent relapse.

I'd like to see Dr.Phil's clinical research investigating the relationship between anger and the development of multiple sclerosis. He does a lot of talking. He's more of a television personality than a scientist IMHO.
-Kay

[lady_express_44]

I think Dr Phil was referring to me :D . . . since I don't have depression, and have never suffered from anxiety. I have been known to get angry on occasion though, especially at comments such as these. :rolleyes:

I suppose that Dr Nuttcase has an explanation for why Northern European, Northern North Americans, Australians, & Kiwi's (who happen to live in clusters) have a much higher prevalence to MS.

Then again, maybe we are just genetically predisposed to anxiety and anger. :confused:

Or, maybe it's due to the stresses of living in some of least populated and most affluent countries in the world? :confused:

Cherie

[SuzE-Q]

Anxiety-related diseases include Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.





If that were true, then there would sure be a lot more people in remission, since so many people with MS are treated for depression with AD's which would stabilize any anxiety they had and cause their disease to go into remission.

I'll bet if we took an informal poll here of how many people take anti-anxieties or anti-depressants yet continue to have active MS attacks, it would be a lot.

[Coyote]

May be Dr. Nutcase is a nut-case. Didn't anybody notice that name? LOL.
One thing I do know is that going through a terrible time of anxiety or prolonged anger can exacerbate illnesses lying low. Lupus, MS, Sjogrens and so many more even worse things...can flare or rear thier ugly heads when you are going through a hard time.
I suppose if you have an autoimmune disease just sort of laying quiety or dormant inside of you, in other words a predisposition I suppose, it could errupt and become full blown under stress.

I have had years of coming and going crazy things. When my husband went off the deep end and my mom came to live with us, then fell resulting in her death I flared incredibly and have never gone back to having times of feeling better. The stress was bad for two years getting worse the last year. Who's to say stress or emotional upheaval does not play a part......but when donkeys fly is when I will believe it is the cause of these diseases. Like what was mentioned, why don't people from the wars all have MS in that case. How about the stressful things like losing your marriage mate or your child....why don't they all come up with a disease. Just my humble opinion. Oh yes. I'm on Klonopin and an SSRI. Why aren't I doing better then?

[Jules A]

If that were true, then there would sure be a lot more people in remission, since so many people with MS are treated for depression with AD's which would stabilize any anxiety they had and cause their disease to go into remission.

I'll bet if we took an informal poll here of how many people take anti-anxieties or anti-depressants yet continue to have active MS attacks, it would be a lot.

Antidepressants are not the same as anxiolytics but in any event I don't take too much stock in this article especially since the only time I've been anxious was in the few minutes and weeks after I heard the miserable words "you have multiple sclerosis". :mad:

[Mariel]

I seem to have famiiial MS (three others in my family) and I do not think I got it from being angry. Or depressed. It is however possible that it became clinically significant (diagnosable) after some year on a bad drug (Meprobamate). I think bad drugs may cause it to worsen.

Dr. Phil is an alcolyte to the high priestess of...I can't think of right word for Oprah in this contest.

[wumberlog]

This doesn't bode well for that "great strength" they're claiming for Ireland in neuroscience.
never heard of PML til Elan came in the picture. coincidence?

[halsgluten]

... and the “Refrigerator Mother” is the cause of all anxiety”. *

It is amazing that not even the best schools can eliminate the “false cause” fallacy (correlation is not causation).

A pet peeve of mine is “anxiety”; anxiety is a sign, not a cause! Practitioners lump anxiety and depression together and treat them with the same SSRI’s when in fact they are poorly defined signs and can be assigned to opposite serotonin levels, e.g., while depression can be a sign of too little serotonin; anxiety can be a general sign of too much serotonin. See this article: http://www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/brainstorm/br5812.htm

I had anxiety; I was worried that my fatigue would cost me my job. That’s is justified anxiety in my opinion, but my ex-doc said my anxiety was a sign of depression (another reason why I later fired her) so she prescribe Paxil. Paxil made me even more fatigued, so Paxil only made my anxiety worse (in a mellower way ;), but worse).

*Actually, I’ll conjecture that insomuch as the mother’s behavior comprises part of the child’s environment, and that environment contributes to resultant symptoms, then the mother’s behavior contributes to resultant symptoms.

Hal