My partner has just been diagnosed with Benign MS. I was wondering if anyone else on here has any experience with it? Does it deteriorate over time? He has had double vision for six weeks but it’s clearing up. He has always had wobbly moments and tingling from time to time.
Benign MS is a bit of a controversial diagnosis. Strictly speaking it is a diagnosis made in retrospect. That is, one made after an initial diagnosis of Remitting Relapsing MS has been made and about 10 years have passed with little or no disability or neurological deficit having been accrued. Only then can one truly be said to have Benign MS.
And even then a relapse can still occur that may leave the person with a significant degree of disability. There is also evidence to show that people with Benign MS also have some degree of cognitive impairment as well as suffering from fatigue so all round it is a highly contentious diagnosis.
If your partner has just been diagnosed with MS and has only had the disease for a short time then I am afraid there is no way of knowing at this stage whether the course of MS he will have will be benign or not. There are some factors that can indicate statistically whether or not he may have a milder course of the disease but like all stats they are only indicators and not hard and fast rules which apply to all.
Please read this link. It explains things well.
http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/benign-ms-misinterpretation-or.html
And if his neuro insists on handing out a Benign MS diagnosis to a newly diagnosed person I would be considering a second opinion and a change of neuro.
Cheers,
Belinda