M.S. - Multiple Sclerosis: Various Views

Here's some information that, until today, was added onto another topic at Lumigrate (about Lyme being cause of M.S., essentially).  I had added this, about the airborn Chlamydia possibility, as a comment under a topic at Lumigrate where I had carefully and generously credited the website I was suggesting as a resource, and referring people to (for going to look at the full information they carried).  While taking a portion of what they had at their website -- which I felt was within their posted use guidelines and said so in the topic -- I did as I so often do -- make it easier for Lumigrate users to read by bolding key things. 

My thinking is if someone is gleaning a lot of sources and this one pops and appeals, and I'm strongly encouraging taking the link to the source, the user is going to benefit because they have more of a chance of going to the source I suggest.  Almost 3,000 people had accessed the thread by yesterday / today, when an official take down notice came via my hosting service, initiated from an attorney for the people I had previously credited and suggested following by taking the link I provided multiple times.  For the number of years since it had been posted, that's not a really high number, but still, it was almost 3,000 people who had the opportunity, from Lumigrate, to find the resource I was suggesting and USE IT!  So, they don't want that from Lumigrate, which is fine.  I'm therefore creating this topic to replace that one, and beginning it with what I had added on after as another  similar possible cause -- 

www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3572695.htm

A portion of what you will find at this link:

David, an expert in infectious diseases who used to treat MS patients, drew on all his experience to formulate a revolutionary theory. He believed that Sarah’s MS was triggered by an infection. The bacterium he honed in on was called Chlamydia Pneumoniae. 

Dr David Wheldon
When one thinks of Chlamydia, one automatically thinks of venerally transmitted Chlamydia. Chlamydia Pneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen. It’s spread by droplet infection – coughing and sneezing. 

Narration
Infection is so common that it’s likely you’ve been exposed by the age of twenty. The bacteria finds shelter inside blood vessels and nerves, causing low-grade infection over decades. Convinced that Sarah’s body was under attack from this bacterium, David worked tirelessly to find a solution. Together with a colleague in the US, he formulated a cocktail of antibiotics to eradicate this insidious bacterium. 

Dr David Wheldon
It’s been shown that a single antibiotic doesn’t eradicate the organism, and these three antibiotics work together in a very specific way. 

Dr Maryanne Demasi
How long does the treatment go for?

Dr David Wheldon
I think the treatment should be for a minimum of a year. 

Dr Maryanne Demasi
A year?

Dr David Wheldon
Yes. 

Dr Maryanne Demasi
That’s a long time on antibiotics. 

Dr David Wheldon
It, it is a long time, but it’s a very, very difficult organism to eradicate. 

Narration
Sarah’s neurologist insisted she would never regain her function. But David showed me the lesions on Sarah’s MRI scans before and after treatment. The results were nothing short of miraculous. 

Dr David Wheldon
I’ve never seen anything like it before. Some lesions have quite literally vanished. Sarah had been numb from the waist down and literally couldn't feel her legs. Sensation came back fairly quickly, in, in, in five or six months. 

Dr Maryanne Demasi
Did this shock the neurologists?

Dr David Wheldon
Ah, the neurologist wouldn't see the scan. He says, he says, ‘I’m not looking.’ 

.... and the ending .....

Assoc Prof Robert Heard
In an unguarded moment, maybe after a drink or two, a couple of neurologists might say to each other, ‘You know, it just has to be an infection, doesn’t it?’ And in fact I’ve had that exact conversation with well-known MS specialists. But we just can't put our finger on it. 

Narration
But despite the anecdotal evidence, Dr Heard warns that responsible treatment is all about evidence-based medicine. 

Assoc Prof Robert Heard
If we’re going to do experiments in patients, we’re going to use them as guinea-pigs, we need to have that clinical trial informed by some solid science. 

Narration
But clinical trials to obtain solid science requires funding, and getting it is virtually impossible. Why haven’t the clinical trials been done?

Dr Paul Thibault
The problem is that the antibiotics used have been around for many, many years. They’re all off patent, they are inexpensive, and there is no profit in it. 

Narration
So as the debate rages on, what hope is there for MS sufferers?

Dr Paul Thibault
We’re looking at treating the cause of the disease, and therefore, if we can get patients early enough, we could cure MS. 

Narration
But it’s this sort of statement that worries neurologists. 

Assoc Prof Robert Heard
I think people have used the C-word and talked about cures for as long as MS has existed. And I think to use the word ‘cure’ at this stage of our scientific understanding is highly irresponsible. 

Narration
Dr Thibault has decided to put Vicki on antibiotics to see if she makes further progress. Like Vicki, David Wheldon knows that clinical trials will take time, and it’s time that MS patients can't afford. 

Dr David Wheldon
The clinical trials are not there. It’s … that has to be said, it’s, um, and I wasn’t going to wait for them either, you know. I’d be a widower now if I was waiting for, for clinical trials. Sorry. 

Narration
It may be too early to tell if we stand before a cure for MS, but if we do, these men will be remembered as the pioneers.