Beating MS With a Natural Diet - By Ashley Welch, Everyday Health Staff Writer

After being diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2000, Terry Wahls, MD, expected to lose mobility within 10 years. A former runner and taekwondo competitor, Dr. Wahls was strong, but the disease soon began to take its toll. By 2003, Wahls, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, had transitioned to secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis and underwent chemotherapy in an attempt to slow the disease. Extreme fatigue and back pain set in, and Wahls began using a tilt-recline wheelchair. It became clear she could eventually become bedridden. Wahls and her family first hit the national spotlight in January 2011, when her son, Zach, an engineering student at the University of Iowa, testified before the Iowa State House of Representatives opposing a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. A video of his moving speech, in which Zach spoke of being raised by a lesbian couple — Wahls and her spouse, Jackie Reger — and about the difficulty of having a mother living with multiple sclerosis, went viral, receiving 1.5 million views within two weeks. Vitamins and Supplements for MS Just was Zach advocated for gay marriage, Wahls works to make a difference for people like herself who are living with MS. Facing the possibility of serious disability, the fifth-generation Iowan decided to do everything in her power to slow the progress of her MS. She began searching the Internet for the latest multiple sclerosis research, and relearned biochemistry, cellular physiology, and neuroimmunology, so she could understand the studies. Unfortunately, she found, many involved tests on drugs or other treatments that were years away from FDA approval. Then it occurred to Wahls that maybe her diet could play a role in improving her MS symptoms. She searched for vitamins and supplements that had been found to help any kind of progressive brain disorder, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Lou Gehrig's disease, and made a list of those she thought she should include in her diet. After six months of taking omega 3s, B vitamins, and amino acid supplements, Wahls decided to give up on her new supplement routine. But the very next day, she says, she noticed a sharp decline in her well-being. "I felt exhausted and just couldn't get out of bed," she recalls. "It convinced me that maybe the vitamins and supplements weren't making me better, but they certainly seemed to be slowing down the speed of my decline." Will the Paleo Diet Work Against MS? In the summer of 2007, Wahls discovered the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) in Washington, an organization devoted to helping doctors and health providers use the latest scientific research to take better care of patients with complex disease. With the institution's help, she came up with a longer list of vitamins and supplements that are good for the brain. Then she had an epiphany: What if she redesigned her diet so that she was getting those important nutrients from food rather than from supplements? It was then she decided to create the Wahls Diet, a nutritional plan based on the Paleo, or hunter-gatherer, diet, and everything she learned from the IFM and her own research. Wahls changed her diet because she believed that "food is the most important thing we can do to restore our health, or to destroy it, more so than any other choices we make." The results of her nutrition plan astounded Wahls, her physician, and her family. Within a year, she was able to walk through the hospital without a cane and even complete an 18-mile bicycle tour. The Wahls Diet, along with a program of progressive exercise, electrical stimulation, and daily meditation is currently in clinical trials at the University of Iowa to see if it can have the same impact on others as it did on Wahls. The Role of MS Remission As a physician, Wahls knows that until the clinical trial is completed, it's unclear whether her diet plan actually helped her MS symptoms. Ellen Mowry, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the John Hopkins Medicine Institute and an MS expert, notes that multiple sclerosis differs greatly from person to person, and that remission — rather than diet and exercise — could be responsible for any alleviation of Wahls' symptoms. "The time between one relapse and the next is really variable between one person and the next," says Dr. Mowry. "Sometimes a patient may have one relapse and even without treatment, never have one again. Others may go 10 years before the next relapse, and still others may have relapses every couple of months." Mowry also says that more scientific research needs to be done on the role diet might play in treating MS, but switching to a more nutritious diet will usually help patients’ well-being. "Most Americans don’t eat a healthy diet," she says, "so when they switch to a healthier one, they tend to feel better. But it’s hard to know if the diet is actually helping the MS per se, or if it’s helping because it’s adding to the patient’s overall well-being." For Wahls, an important part of her recovery has been her family — wife Jackie, son Zach, and daughter Zebby. "Living with MS is far easier when you have a loving, committed family by your side," says Wahls. Jackie helped Wahls figure out how to structure her diet, while her children helped with housework as she became more disabled. Speaking of Zach's testimony before the Iowa legislature, says Wahls, "Jackie and I both watched the speech with tears in our eyes. It’s clear that he touched on something that has really resonated with many, many Americans. We are very proud of what he’s doing and the choices he’s making." Zach is the author of the book My Two Moms, which was published in April 2012. Wahls has written a book as well, called Minding My Mitochondria. She gives lectures and webinars locally and across the country to spread the word about her success with her diet. http://www.everydayhealth.com/multiple-sclerosis/beating-ms-with-natural-diet.aspx?xid=aol_eh-ms_5_20131202_&aolcat=AJA&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D414863

Trevor Bayne diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; cleared to drive

CONCORD, N.C. — Roush Fenway Racing driver Trevor Bayne, who won the 2011 Daytona 500 and then missed part of that season because of fatigue and double vision, has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Bayne, who drives full time in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing and part time in Cup for Wood Brothers Racing, has been cleared by doctors to continue racing, and the 22-year-old is still slated to run for the Nationwide title next year in a Roush car sponsored by AdvoCare. “I’ve never been more driven to compete,” said Bayne, who is sixth in the 2013 Nationwide standings heading into the season finale this weekend. “My goals are the same as they’ve been since I started racing. I want to compete at the highest level and I want to win races and championships. I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in and I feel good. “There are currently no symptoms and I’m committed to continuing to take the best care of my body as possible." In 2011, Bayne missed five weeks of racing after experiencing fatigue, numbness and double vision. It was initially thought to be complications from an insect bite or Lyme disease. At the time, tests appeared to be inconclusive. Bayne’s younger sister also has multiple sclerosis, a disease of the central nervous system that can lead to the loss of mobility, numbness and blindness. Bayne, who said he has had no symptoms since June 2011, has undergone extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota because he wanted to have a diagnosis, which he finally received in June shortly after winning the Nationwide Series race at Iowa. “There could have been local Lyme’s on my elbow and that’s why at the time we were like, ‘That’s what it is,' and it was an easy thing because I did have the rash on my arm from a bug bite," Bayne said. "I don’t know if the two are connected. I’m not a doctor and I wouldn’t want to make that call, but they wanted to do more research because I wasn’t satisfied with not knowing, so as a competitive person and as a racer you guys know how we work. "We want to know how everything works and causes and effects, so I just kept going back for checkups and this is what it has led to.” na (AP Photo) Once he got the diagnosis, Bayne said he took a while to comprehend the situation and decided this was the time to go public with it so he can talk freely about it when he speaks to groups. "I think anybody that gets a diagnosis is going to sit back and think about it," Bayne said. "What does this mean? What does it mean to my family? What does it mean to me and my partners? Our team. "The more and more I thought about it and the more and more I realized that I was fine, the more and more it sunk in that everything is going to be OK.” Bayne is not taking any medication and hopes that a healthy diet and lifestyle will keep symptoms from returning. He said he did not believe the disease nor the medical testing has impacted his performance this year. “My hope is not to ever have symptoms again," Bayne said. "Obviously, there are people who have gone with completely normal lives with MS and I hope to be one of those people. Nobody knows exactly what the future holds for anybody, but, for me, I trust that whatever God has planned for me is what’s best for my life. "I’d love to be healed. That would be perfect if that’s what He plans for, but, if not, then we’ll move on day by day." Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark said that Bayne's health has not been an issue when courting sponsors, and AdvoCare has no issues with having Bayne — the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500 as he won it the day after his 20th birthday — being its driver. “We are 100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race car,” said Roush Fenway co-owner Jack Roush. “I have full confidence in Trevor and his partners have all expressed that same confidence and support. “As with all of our drivers, we look forward to standing behind Trevor and providing him with all of the tools he needs as he continues to develop in his young career.” copied from

UPDATED: Biogen sees 'unlikely' link between Tecfidera and patient's demise

Biogen Idec ($BIIB) had a bumpy day on Wall Street Monday. A report from BioPharm Insight noted that a patient who had taken Biogen's new multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera had died, prompting a quick drop of about 3% in the biotech group's stock price, which recovered to about even later in the day.
A Biogen spokeswoman told Reuters that the death of the 59-year-old woman occurred two weeks after she stopped taking Tecfidera because of gastrointestinal problems. The MS patient had suffered from a form of pneumonia prior to her death. The news service reported that the death was unrelated to the GI problems, and the company said that it is "unlikely" that Tecfidera caused the fatal case.
The drama underscores the high visibility of Tecfidera, for which analysts have projected eventual peak sales of more than $3 billion. As long as the safety profile of the therapy remains within an acceptable range, Tecfidera could become the best-selling drug in the growing class of oral MS drugs, which includes such meds as Aubagio from Sanofi ($SNY) and Novartis' ($NVS) Gilenya.


Read more: UPDATED: Biogen sees 'unlikely' link between Tecfidera and patient's demise - FierceBiotech http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/biogen-recovers-tecfidera-scare-after-report-about-patient-death/2013-07-22#ixzz2k3oWkl63
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Author JK Rowling Contributes to the MS Cause

The question of how much – if anything – any of us living with multiple sclerosis is obligated to do for the cause is one of personal willingness.  When famous people get MS, many of us change our tune and simply expect that they will give of their time, money and talent for the cause.  I’ve always said that such a gift would be great but it’s none of my business.

Now we take someone who is one – albeit a small ‘one’ – degree of separation from the disease, I’d say that any expectation of requirement or obligation is just chucked out the window.

That’s why I think that the new Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic at the University of Edinburgh, conceived and funded by Harry Potter author, JK Rowling – daughter of Anne, whodied from complications of MS at age 45 – is noteworthy.

When her £10,000,000 donation turned into a royally attended opening (in the quite Royal sense of the word as Ann, HRH The Princess Royal), Ms. Rowling didn’t give a flowery speech or make it about her in any way.  She applauded the unveiling, she was thanked by a number of dignitaries and researchers and, well there was a PRINCESS at the thing!

Her simple statement that was given to press said that she was “elated to see the clinic formally open.” And that had “watched the clinic from the planning stages to being fully built and now ready to open” and how very proud she was of it, and to see her mother’s name on the clinic.

Some in the MS community grumbled when Rowling wasn’t living up to their hopes when word first reached us that the author had a connection to MS.  As sales of the Potter books reached as high as a hippogriff can fly, more people began to assert that it was her “responsibility” to do more, say more and to be more for our cause.  I think those voices can now be silenced.

The Anne Rowling Clinic is slated to delve deeply into the cause of progression and the ways to slow this disease.  Prof Siddharthan Chandran, professor of neurology and co-director of the clinic, may have said it best in his opening remarks; “Only by better understanding the biological processes behind these devastating diseases can we identify new targets for potential therapies and take them into clinical trials.”

Knowledge is power and, as the character of Arthur Weasley, in Rowling’s books once said, “Truth will out!”

I say, ‘thank you’ once again to JK Rowling for doing more than her fair share and doing so in grand, yet humble fashion.

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers

Trevis

Don’t forget to follow me on the Life With MS Facebook page and on Twitter, and subscribe to Life With Multiple Sclerosis.

 http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/trevis-gleason-life-with-multiple-sclerosis/author-jk-rowling-contributes-to-the-ms-cause/?xid=aol_eh-ms_5_20131104_&aolcat=AJA&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl30%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D401335

I Cannabis Can CURE Cancer- Just WHat does it do for MS and Other Auto Immune Disorders?

http://www.trueactivist.com/there-is-no-mistaking-the-evidence-cannabis-cures-cancer/

Do not take these antibiotics if you have MS

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
Gemifloxacin (Factive)
Moxifloxacin (Avelox)
Norfloxacin (Noroxin)
Ofloxacin (Floxin)

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required the drug labels and Medication Guides for all fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs be updated to better describe the serious side effect of peripheral neuropathy.

This serious nerve damage potentially caused by fluoroquinolones may occur soon after these drugs are taken and may be permanent... The topical formulations of fluoroquinolones, applied to the ears or eyes, are not known to be associated with this risk.

See Complete article here
 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/25/fluoroquinolone-antibiotics.aspx?e_cid=20130925Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130925Z1

Tel Aviv University researchers find chemicals in marijuana could help treat MS

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Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks the nervous system. The result can be a wide range of debilitating motor, physical, and mental problems. No one knows why people get the disease or how to treat it.
In a new study published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, Drs. Ewa Kozela, Ana Juknat, Neta Rimmerman and Zvi Vogel of Tel Aviv University's Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases and Sackler Faculty of Medicine demonstrate that some chemical compounds found in marijuana can help treat MS-like diseases in mice by preventing inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.
"Inflammation is part of the body's natural immune response, but in cases like MS it gets out of hand," says Kozela. "Our study looks at how compounds isolated from marijuana can be used to regulate inflammation to protect the nervous system and its functions." Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science co-authored the study.
Mind-altering findings
Israel has a strong tradition of marijuana research. Israeli scientists Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni discovered THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, in 1964, kick-starting the scientific study of the plant and its chemical constituents around the world. Since then, scientists have identified about 70 compounds - called cannabinoids - that are unique to cannabis and have interesting biological effects. In the 1990s, Prof. Vogel was among the first researchers to describe endocannabinoids, molecules that act like THC in the body.
Besides THC, the most plentiful and potent cannabinoid in marijuana is cannabidiol, or CBD. The TAU researchers are particularly interested in CBD, because it offers medicinal benefits without the controversial mind-altering effects of THC.
In a 2011 study, they showed that CBD helps treat MS-like symptoms in mice by preventing immune cells in their bodies from transforming and attacking the insulating covers of nerve cells in the spinal cord. After inducing an MS-like condition in mice - partially paralyzing their limbs - the researchers injected them with CBD. The mice responded by regaining movement, first twitching their tails and then beginning to walk without a limp. The researchers noted that the mice treated with CBD had much less inflammation in the spinal cord than their untreated counterparts.

In the latest study, the researchers set out to see if the known anti-inflammatory properties of CBD and THC could also be applied to the treatment of inflammation associated with MS - and if so, how. This time they turned to the immune system.
The researchers took immune cells isolated from paralyzed mice that specifically target and harm the brain and spinal cord, and treated them with either CBD or THC. In both cases, the immune cells produced fewer inflammatory molecules, particularly one called interleukin 17, or IL-17, which is strongly associated with MS and very harmful to nerve cells and their insulating covers. The researchers concluded that the presence of CBD or THC restrains the immune cells from triggering the production of inflammatory molecules and limits the molecules' ability to reach and damage the brain and spinal cord.
Further research is needed to prove the effectiveness of cannabinoids in treating MS in humans, but there are reasons for hope, the researchers say. In many countries, CBD and THC are already prescribed for the treatment of MS symptoms, including pain and muscle stiffness.
"When used wisely, cannabis has huge potential," says Kozela, who previously studied opiates like morphine, derived from the poppy plant. "We're just beginning to understand how it works."