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    Curious about Eating Disorders & MS

    I have a friend with MS and Lupus (and has had depression along with these illnesses). I am not yet dx, but have had many years of MS sx, and am getting close to a dx with an MRI that recently showed several lesions that look like MS-type lesions.

    Anyway, we both had fairly serious eating disorders in our younger years while we were living in completely separate countries with no contact.

    I am curious as to whether there is a higher incidence of eating disorders among those with MS (even as a really early sign) similar to a higher incidence of depression and other brain chemical abnormalities.

    Any thoughts?
    20+ years of sx - no dx yet - getting close!

    #2
    good question

    I would ask the NMSS to see if they have done any kind of studies with this. I have not seen it, but I also have not looked either.

    It makes sense. I am sure your immune system was really stressed during the eating disorder time. But, lots of diseases stress the immune system.

    Lots of eating disorders also do not end up with MS.
    God Bless and have a good day, Mary

    Comment


      #3
      Oh, yes, I realize lots of eating disorders do not end up with MS, just as lots of depression does not indicate MS. I just know that MS can not only eat at your myelin, but can also screw up your brain chemistry. I believe that eating disorders are associated with similar types of disordered brain chemistry as depression, OCD, etc.

      So, I just thought that maybe there was a higher incidence of eating disorders (and OCD for that matter) with illnesses like MS where depression is much greater than in the general population.

      Thanks for your reply. I have not seen any scholarly articles about studies related to MS and eating disorders.
      20+ years of sx - no dx yet - getting close!

      Comment


        #4
        Well, there is this:

        http:// http://psychnews.psychiatryo...ticleid=105590

        Interesting, but it doesn't say anything about a link from one to another.

        Comment


          #5
          Article

          Can you type the whole web address for the link to the article, as your copy/paste link is missing all the middle information. I found the website, but cannot find the article.

          Cheers,
          Helen
          20+ years of sx - no dx yet - getting close!

          Comment


            #6
            Sure thing (sorry, my Kindle is apparently out of paste lol).

            http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.or...ticleid=105590

            Comment


              #7
              Interesting

              Thanks for reposting the link.

              That was a very interesting article about the possibility that eating disorders are correlated with an autoimmune response. And if that is the case, then it would/could make sense that there might be a higher incidence of eating disorders among those with MS, just as there are also several other autoimmune conditions that MS'ers can have alongside their MS disease.

              I never would have found that article with my typical "Google" search criteria.

              Cheers.
              20+ years of sx - no dx yet - getting close!

              Comment


                #8
                TY for posting this question and to whoever posted the article afterwards. I dealt with a pretty nasty eating disorder myself for many years before the whole MS thing came lumbering forth. While my eating disordered days are behind me for the most part I've often wondered if they didn't contribute to the severity of the MS that I deal with now. It's a bit of food for thought that I wouldn't mind chewing over.. (bad pun definitely intended heheh) Hoping you have much healthier days ahead of you.

                ~Elly~
                I choose to live and to grow, take and give and to move, learn and love and to cry, kill and die and to be paranoid and to lie, hate and fear and to do what it takes to move through.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Eating Disorders & MS

                  I think for those who are struggling with this sickness have a low self-esteem and often a remarkable need to management their environment and feelings. This Eating disorder is a unique respond to a wide range of inner and exterior disputes, such as stress, stress, disappointment and feeling like life is out of management.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Mice View Post
                    I think for those who are struggling with this sickness have a low self-esteem and often a remarkable need to management their environment and feelings. This Eating disorder is a unique respond to a wide range of inner and exterior disputes, such as stress, stress, disappointment and feeling like life is out of management.
                    That's what i think about the topic, what you think? Please do give your ideas and suggestions

                    **URL removed by Moderator in compliance with MSWorld Guidelines. This may be put in your Profile for all registered, logged-in members to see. Go to UserCP > Edit Details**

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Eating disorders are often (not always) similar to depression and other "mood" disorders such as bipolar, etc. They are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, not just by a need to manage your environment. Just as depression can be triggered by a sad event, and if you have a chemical imbalance, it does not go away after a normal amount of time being "sad", an eating disorder can be triggered by control and self-esteem issues.

                      However, it is important not to assume that an eating disorder is entirely psychological, but realize that it is a combination of physical and psychological.

                      My original post commented on this, because depression is so common amongst MS as a primary sx, as well as secondary sx. I wondered if an eating disorder could also be a primary sx of MS lesions and/or various MS-related chemical imbalances.

                      I am very interested to find out if there are many other MS'ers that have suffered from eating disorders at any point in their lives (before MS dx or after).
                      20+ years of sx - no dx yet - getting close!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        My guess would be that the stress people with eating disorders put their bodies through could likely trigger their MS but I'm not sold on a true physiologic connection.

                        There can be some sort of OCD component with eating disorders but I believe they are largely psychological and the thought patterns and resulting actions are what eventually result in chemical alterations. Just my two cents largely based on the success of CBT with this population.
                        He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
                        Anonymous

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I have battled minor eating disorders all my life. Minor because I have never seen a doc because of it.
                          Do think it is MS related.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I also suffered from an eating disorder in my late teens but have been recovered nearly three years before I started having MS symptoms. Not sure if there is a connection or not. I do know however that my MS started becoming apparent due to extreme stress.
                            Dx RR August 2013
                            DMD Betaseron
                            Nursing Student (RN)
                            Mother to 1 year old

                            Comment


                              #15
                              If for no other reason than the fact that there are more women with MS than men and that a fair amount of women in general suffer from an eating disorder it is not a stretch that there will be many among us that have been touched by this condition also.

                              "The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

                              In their lifetime, an estimated 0.6 percent of the adult population in the U.S. will suffer from anorexia, 1.0 percent from bulimia, and 2.8 percent from a binge eating disorder.

                              Women are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. They are three times as likely to experience anorexia (0.9 percent of women vs. 0.3 percent of men) and bulimia (1.5 percent of women vs. 0.5 percent of men) during their life. They are also 75 percent more likely to have a binge eating disorder (3.5 percent of women vs. 2.0 percent of men). "

                              http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publi...ca/index.shtml
                              He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
                              Anonymous

                              Comment

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