Misinformation everywhere

[JudySz]

I really cannot get mad at a fifth grader, but I am so angry. Went to grandson's school last night and his gifted class had a health fair. His display was about the dangers of smoking, which, even though I smoke, I agree that there are many dangers from smoking...One girl on his team said that smoking causes MS. Well, one of my dd's relatives and, of all people, my dh both looked at me and said they did not know that. Of course, you did not know that cause it is not true.....I got to the point that I e mailed those that were there articles from ms websites saying that it is not true...

I am also upset with the teacher for not checking this so called fact. My grnadson is not allowed to use
Wikepedia for his research (parent decesion) cause there are things that are stated to be true that are not. I do not know if this is wher this girl got her info or not but being that students have to reference where their facts came from, and that there are only 17 kids in this class, I feel the teacher should have fact checked some of their facts.

Just had to vent. So glad you are all here to listen to me rant once in awhile.

JudySz

[TLC_31]

Yes, there is misinformation everywhere, including from a small percentage of the contributors to this forum.

Smoking does not cause MS ... I have it, and I have never smoked. However, enter "smoking causes MS" into Google and you will find evidence that smoking might contribute to MS, including yours.

From a 2003 article: "The risk for developing MS was nearly twice as high in people who currently smoked or had ever smoked than in nonsmokers." http://www.neurology.org/content/61/8/E11.full

From 2009: "... there is very convincing evidence that smoking contributes to the development of MS and the progression of MS, especially when people start smoking very young." http://ms.about.com/od/newsresearch/a/smoking_mech.htm

A fifth-grader at a science fair could have very easily taken information from credible sources and drawn conclusions that aren't quite accurate. I hope you can help make it a learning experience -- both about MS and about fact-checking -- for the student and the teacher. Sometimes we have to make the mistakes to learn.

[gomer]

I lost faith in STUDIES long long ago......

Just prior to surgery in 1991, I was asked if I would participate in a CDC study related to the cancer I had surgery for in 1982.

When the CDC researcher called me it was a real EYE OPENER. The study was to "show" a connection between risk factor -A and health issue-B. I was eliminated from the study because MY case did not support the desired RESULT the study was designed to show. .... YEP! The study was designed to ONLY show the result that had been predetermined!

Later on I learned it was not unusual for "studies" to be designed to show a specific result, and if it does not prove out, the study is tossed in the cir-file or redesigned & redone. Not exactly scientific or honest in my book.

Drug companies all the time commision multiple studies for their drugs. Then they cherry pick the studies most favorable for their drug. Unfavorable studies often (not always tho) get lost in space, dumped (or never happened) that is until some serious problem surfaces after a drug is in general use.

Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

[CasinoKathy]

Hi Judy, I agree about the misinformation. It's everywhere and when it pretains to us personally it's hard to take without venting, so I completely understand. Whether it's smoking, drinking or even eating we will hear stories, sometimes so far fetched that it blows the mind.

Sometimes I find that I have to laugh at some of the absurd things people come up with on why those of us have come down with this terrible disease. I wouldn't wish ms on my worst enemy, but sometimes certain folks can push my buttons just alittle too far!

[dpmich]

Now I may not be the brightest person anymore but my main question is: when was the CAUSE of MS discovered and why didn't anyone tell US?

Oh they don't know the cause of MS yet? HHhhhmmmm. How can they know then, that any one thing can make the "chances" of getting/causing MS higher? Really? I am not denying smoking is harmful and that it probably does cause damage to the brain, that being said, what part of smoking impacts the MS and how do they know that?

I figure if they are smart enough to know all of that, then they'd dang well better start passing out the cure as well! I'm ready for one anyhow. No, I don't smoke, today is actually my one year quit date. However my Uncle never smoked and dang, he got MS.

[Mable]

Sibling studies

How can they know that one thing increases your chances of getting MS? Sibling studies.

This is from Maghzi AH et al. Cigarette Smoking and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis: A Sibling Case-Control Study in Isfahan, Iran. Neuroepidemiology. 2011;37:238-242

"Methods: MS patients registered with the Isfahan MS society database were compared to their healthy siblings who served as controls. Data regarding the smoking habits of patients and their brothers & sisters (siblings) were collected using a specially designed questionnaire.

"Using a sibling pair method our data confirm the association between smoking and MS."

The abstract of the study should be easy to find online. There are a number of other studies suggesting the same thing.

This is a sensitive issue for me because I had none of the risk factors for getting MS--except I smoked a lot as a kid. Today, I kind of think the tobacco is responsible for my dx. None of my sibs have MS, and none of them smoked like I did.

[JerryD]

So Judy,
Smoking has nothing to do with getting MS. Neither does stepping off the curb in front of a bus! Then, I guess both are an integral part of your health care regimen!!
I don't trust anything that doesn't prove itself to my suspicious mind.
If you are disgusted with misinformation, you have a good reason to vent. But smoking cigarettes doesn't a healthy lifestyle make. You can believe it or stick your head in the sand.
I guess you have no problem with the dmd's, that are riddled with negative side effects for some.
I don't want to kill the messenger, here. But, really... really, we need to discuss the merits of cigarette smoking. How about the merits of smoking cessation. Much more worthwhile and satisfying!

[Thinkimjob]

I've told this one before, but...
It comes from Theodore Dalrymple, a UK doctor and author.
There was an elderly man, unable to move or talk much, stuck in bed, no chance of recovery or improvement.
His one pleasure in life was a cigarette every now and then.
They put a sign above his bed on the wall, where he couldn't see it.
"Please don't give George cigarettes. They are bad for his health."

[Pkar2]

Hi, Mabel

That was very well written and I agree with it. So does my Nero Dr. at Cleveland Clinic, in that he stated he was glad I no longer smoked and asked if I was aware that it has been proven that it makes the ms progression move quicker.

I, too, was a heavy smoker as a teen. Stopped in my early 20's and started back up in my early 30's. Was having many problems in my late 30's and one Dr suspected ms. Quit smoking at that time and never had another problem until I turned 50. Then, we all knew it was ms. I just wonder if quitting smoking helped it to hit later in life. All I know is that I'm sure glad I quit.

[BigA]

People are rude and should not comment on diseases they don't know about.

Job - I agree. It's probably not an actual story, but it could be true.

But I do believe that smoking was one of the many factors which contributed to my getting MS and there is evidence that's it's not good for you, espeically if you have MS.

[Dayna]

Go to the most informative website, imo. National MS Society website. Link on smoking: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/abo...hol/index.aspx

"The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General has established that smoking causes serious health problems. Subsequent studies by many other groups have confirmed this. Smokers are generally recognized to have higher rates of lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other respiratory problems, and lower birth weight infants than nonsmokers. Smoking is known to produce shortness of breath, susceptibility to lung infections, and heartbeat irregularities, which might transform a mild or moderate neurological limitation in a person with MS into a severe disability. Furthermore, smoking presents a significant fire hazard when the smoker suffers from weakness or incoordination.

Smoking May Increase the Risk of Developing MS and May Speed Disease Progression:

In addition to these general health and safety concerns, there have been studies suggesting a relationship between smoking and the onset and worsening of MS. In a study of a Norwegian city study published in Neurology in 2003, the risk of MS was significantly higher among smokers than among those who had never smoked. A 2005 paper in the journal Brain supported the link between smoking and the risk of developing MS, and suggested that smoking may be a risk factor for transforming a relapsing-remitting clinical course into a secondary-progressive course.

There's a little more to read there, but I just wanted to copy some of it. I read this on other sites as well, and it started driving me insane, so I put my two pack a day habit down 2.5 years ago. Whatever you choose to believe, I do hope you decide to quite someday, because you'll feel better in so many ways. Note: fatigue isn't one of them. Go figure.

[SwedishPrince]

Many people focus on the "why" so much... seems like we want to have all the answers. Why did so-and-so have a heart attack... stroke... M.S..... why did he/she get cancer? So easy to hang it on a convenient "vice" such as smoking, drinking, over-eating, etc.

Some people feel better and more self-righteous if they can point to your bad habit and say, "see, you just brought it on yourself." Unfortunately, stopping the bad habit (assuming that was the one and only thing that gave you the MS to begin with) will not turn back the clock and take away the disease.

Rather than worry about the "why" so much, we'd be better off concentrating on "how can I make it as better as possible"... take your meds, eat right, get rest.... and stop smoking because, yes there is a link in SOME if not MANY people.

[BigA]

After I was diagnosed and had my VitaminD levels checked, they were rock bottom. I told my friend that I should have taken my VitaminD like my mom kept telling me. I felt so stupid.

My friend said: "So what? That's the past and you don't know for sure"

he's right. It doesnt' matter, actually. There is no past, really - I mean it's not there any more. It's as if I was born with MS now because it's here and I can't go back. trying to go back mentally and "fix" it is not only a waste of time, it's harmful.

We have MS. No going back, only forward.

[Sequoia]

Well put, BigA!

[Sir-Voor]

I hate the way words get changed and the whole meaning of a statement chances.

With this it likely started off as “there is a link between smoking and MS progression” and then somehow the progression got dropped. And someone heard “there is a link between smoking and MS” and changed to it to “there is a link between smoking and getting MS” and before you know it a fifth grader is saying “that smoking causes MS.”

Although if that one piece of MS misinformation causes a kid not to take up smoking, I may just smile and say “Yep, smoking is dangerous.”