IBS and Crohn's

[JerryD]

I have been reading all kinds of stuff relative to health and MS for several years. It occurs to me that there is some connection between MS , and autoimmunity in general, and IBS and Chrohns Disease. Does anyone on this board see this connection ? I am going to see my MS 'specialist', next week, and this will be a topic in our session !

[jreagan70]

The medical profession is way ahead of you on this one. The entire fields of rheumatology and immunology are based on the connection you've just discovered.

[JerryD]

As I would expect that the 'professionals' would be ! It seems that reumatologists and immunologists are as baffled by these 'autoimmune' mysteries as are the neurologists are baffled by MS !

[Sissy]

I have IBS-D.!?..I have had it right along with my MS. Mine is bad in that I have diarrhea every day..sometimes several Xs
a day. I'm told it is common with MS..
Is this what you mean?

[JerryD]

I was referring to the link between gastro problems and MS. I don't know a lot about this connection. But it seems that the beginning of my MS was after I began having constipation issues after being relatively 'regular' for my entire life. Just a thought that occurred to me. I'll bet that the neurologists hear about this with every MS consult.

[twain]

ms & Crohns

I have been reading all kinds of stuff relative to health and MS for several years. It occurs to me that there is some connection between MS , and autoimmunity in general, and IBS and Chrohns Disease. Does anyone on this board see this connection ? I am going to see my MS 'specialist', next week, and this will be a topic in our session !

I have ms and and sister has Crohn's. Could just be chance, but to me, at least, it seems to suggest some sort of connection.

[rdmc]

I was referring to the link between gastro problems and MS. I don't know a lot about this connection. But it seems that the beginning of my MS was after I began having constipation issues after being relatively 'regular' for my entire life. Just a thought that occurred to me. I'll bet that the neurologists hear about this with every MS consult.

Hey Jerry,

Interesting theory.

But could it be one of those chicken or egg situations.

You said in your post your constipation came first, then MS. But could it have been
the constipation was actually a manifestation of the MS that had yet to be diagnosed?
Constipation is often considered a "symptom" of MS because it messes with the signals
from the brain to the bowel.

I had bouts of high blood pressure before my MS was diagnosed. But I know it wasn't
the HBP that brought on the MS, but the undiagnosed MS that was messing with my BP.

Such a strange disease, and so many different symptoms, some come, some go, some stay.

I've read a few articles lately that do say they believe MS might start in the "gut."

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...in-in-the-gut/

And they're experimenting with FMT...Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, expanding those they
think it might help to MS patients.

http://www.gastrojournal.org/article...lar.google.com

The New Yorker did an article about the FMT procedure (this man had Crohn's), and it's a very informative narrative, but not for the "faint of heart" (or stomach.)

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...ent-experiment

If the links aren't allowed, and the mods have to delete them, you can find the same info by googling FMT and multiple sclerosis.