Multiple Sclerosis

Before our modern medications, people with MS may have had a shorter life expectancy due to death from complications of progressive MS. Without treatment, people who have relapsing MS have about a 50% chance of it changing over to secondary progressive MS within 10 years, and they have far more chance of death due to complications when that occurs.

With today's medications and early diagnosis and treatment, people with MS have lifespans which are comparable to those without MS.

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Hi I've had MS for over 50 years. and I'm still here (with attitude). Also I know people with MS in their late 80's and 90's and they are still here. The trick is to keep yourself healthy, exercize, watch what you eat and take advantage to the medication that is available today.

I personally use Avonex but there are many good treatment options. and like the person before me wrote, MS does not kill you complications from something else does but that can be true for anyone with or without MS. Most the people I know with MS are living normal lifespans same as people without MS.

Go to some of the MS websites like; National MS society or MS society of America etc. Google MS for MS organizations they are massive. ALSO, you can go to a MS chat room and discuss your ms with other ms'rs like MSWorld.org or PeoplewithMS.org (or Com) I always get the last part confussed! LOL. Good Luck

MS is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system attacks the myelin coating of nerve ending, thus producing symptoms. It is not, in itself, a disability.

However, the patient's individual and combined symptoms can lead to disability. For example, a patient may suffer from numbness in their legs brought on by MS for many years without impairment of movement. But if that symptom worsens and causes the legs to cease functioning normally, a person may be considered disabled. There are MS patients that never become disabled in the course of their lives while others deteriorate as time passes.

The worst long term effect i suppose would have to be death!

Maybe endocrine system affect multiple sclerosis.

Search for HPA axis(Hyperresponsiveness), cortisol(long-term effect), hippocampus(damaged by cortisol), hypothalamus and homeostasis.

Lots of good information:

http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/stress.html

http://www.geocities.com/hotsprings/3468/endocrine.html

http://www.geocities.com/hotsprings/3468/hypothalamic-axis.html

Hope this helps!