By Ed Lash
Controlled clinical trials have not been done for allergies and multiple sclerosis (MS). Many neurologists feel that this would be necessary for proof of efficacy. The National MS Society also feels that way, but states that “Good general health, sustained by a well-balanced diet is still the recommendation of our Medical Advisory Board, and the appropriate treatment of allergies and infections is always recommended for optimal general health and well-being.”
Part 1 of ALLERGY AND MS, in last month’s edition of Action, mentioned a book that discussed allergy and MS. Another interesting book with this subject is MS: Something Can Be Done and You Can Do It by Robert W. Soll and Penelope Grenoble. In describing one of his early cases, neurologist Dr. Soll tells about a woman who was completely paralyzed on her left side, with only minimal movement in her right arm and leg.
Her speech was hardly understandable and, during the first 24 hours in the hospital, she was getting worse and was transferred to intensive care. There she was given supportive care, treatment for her bladder infection, and medication for controlling her MS. Because she couldn’t take food in a normal way, she was fed through a tube in her stomach with Vivonex, a liquid diet containing essential nutrients. She thrived on this nutrient and gradually gained strength over the next month, despite the fact that medication had to be discontinued after only a few days. When given more solid food, she had an allergic reaction to chicken, which was a frequent menu item in her home. With her only treatment being diet management, she left the hospital four months later and was able to move all her extremities, dress herself, and walk with only the minimal assistance of a walker. The authors also mention other ways a person might uncover their hidden food allergies without going to an allergist.
Allergy books say that food sensitivity becomes more common when approaching middle age or later, especially due to over-indulgence with a particular food-another good reason for concentrating on a wide variety of well-balanced foods when planning our meals for the week. Allergy books also say that discovering what the allergic food is, your system should be able to tolerate it occasionally, but not more frequently than once in five days, regardless of the quantity on that one day.
One woman, who had a few cats, discovered she was allergic to cat dander. After giving her cats away, she had learned that weekly washing of cats (you must begin washing them when they are still kittens), will solve her problem, and it did.
MS has been described as a disease of an over-active immune system causing an immunological reaction in the central nervous system. Certain stressors, such as infections, heat stress, emotional stress, or allergy, seem, for some people, to trigger an immunological reaction to such an extent as to cause the immune system to become reckless and cause MS symptoms, or even non-MS symptoms, to worsen.
Should we all be tested for allergies? I don’t think so. Only a small percentage of MS people have allergies, and most of them probably do not get an immunological reaction severe enough to affect their MS. In addition, there are a number of other more likely stressors to work on, each stressor affecting each one of us differently because we are all different chemically, physically, and emotionally. Besides, recommended strategies from your doctor should always be considered first, and perhaps combined with improvements in lifestyle (i.e., moderate exercise, good sleep habits, reasonably good nutrition, stress management, etc.).
It could be a detective story finding and controlling the possible stressor (or stressors) that may act as triggers for each individual with MS. Given the galaxy of possible triggers and sensitivities, some of us may never be successful in solving that mystery. But it seems to me that after trying all the many other possibilities without success, no one should give into their MS without checking with a competent allergist.
FURTHER READING:
The Pulse Test: Easy Allergy Detection, Arthur Coca. (Arco Books, paperback)
How to Control Your Allergies, Robert Forman, Ph.D. (Larchmont Books, paperback)
Tracking Down Hidden Food Allergy, William G. Crook, MD (Professional Books, paperback)
Note: Self-help is not intended to replace medical treatment. It should be used together with the help of appropriate professionals in a team effort.
Ed Lash is a United Spinal member who lives in Trumbull, Connecticut. He can be contacted by e-mail at edlash.ms.selfhelp@juno.com, or by phone at 203-445-0118.
