Until very recently I was the only person in my family with M.S. but now my uncle is in the process of being diagnosed with it. Therefore the line of M.S. goes down my mothers side. Someone mentioned that they thought this was the case, that M.S. is passed on through the mothers DNA and I wondered if there was any truth in this, I have two sons which worries me. Therefore I wondered does everyone have relatives with MS on their mothers side or does it work both ways, fathers too?
No-one on either side of my family has it but my blood father (he’s a git and I don’t recognise him as a dad) has a mild case of Parkinson’s which is neurological.
No MS either side,but mother half Oirish and had Lupus for 20 years,but been in remission for eight years.I’ve got red hair and am a gob hte of some repute. Diagnosed MS 12 years ago on Friday 20th,been GS for 47 years
It’s surprising how few statistics there are about familial m.s. The medics are at pains to emphasise that it is not hereditry yet there are quite a few examples, some on this site, where more than one member in a family has m.s. Until some researchers grasp this particular bullet we are not going to have any conclusive answers.
On that same page (top right, under ‘Related Resources’) you will find a link to the ‘Genes and MS’ fact sheed which will give you the facts and figures as the experts currently understand them, if that’s what you want.
On that same page (top right, under ‘Related Resources’) you will find a link to the ‘Genes and MS’ fact sheed which will give you the facts and figures as the experts currently understand them, if that’s what you want.
Alison
Thanks Alison. Read the section on genetics. It’s unclear saying that 50 different genes likely to play part in developing m.s.and then adding that these 50 genes are very common and most people who do NOT have m.s. also have these genes. Possibly the same genes ‘behave’ differently in different people - this would explain why with identical twins where one develops m.s. it doesn’t follow that the other will also develop m.s. What surprises me is how little physiological testing takes place on us once m.s. has been diagnosed.
i hope its not passed along i have two sons and a granddaughter i would hate to think that they may be at risk.i can put up with anything as long as my kids are ok.no one else in our family has had it although my dad has been disabled for over thirty years with spinal problems causing his legs sometimes not too work.i must admit that since i was dx 5 years ago i do see a few similarities between what i,m going through and what my dad went through at the start.just let my kids be ok thats all i ask.
I am Norn Irish and no-one in my rather large extended family have it - that I know of anyway. And like Wb - I also am of the ginger persausion and am a bit of a gob… - well you get the idea - funnily enough also had it for 12 years.
My mother had MS (she is now deceased) my brother has it and me too. I was told years ago, that it tended to past down the Mother’s side which I am sure influenced my sister not too have any children. I met Alastair Compston an MS specialist in 2010, at the time he was looking into links between MS and family members. Nice guy, told me DMD’s were the best thing for highly active RR MS, which I had. Not heard anything more from him about his research into family links but I notice he is involved into the development of the DMD Alemtuzumab, so I guess thats where his focus has been!. All the best, Peter.
My younger brother has ms. He was diagnosed at the same age as me (40) and has slightly different symptoms. Our grandmother on dads side had petit mal epilepsy, as far as I know she was the only relative with any neurological illness.
My Mum’s sister had MS (really bad and died aged 56) and a male cousin on their Dad’s (my grandfather’s) side of the family who ended up a full time wheelchair user. The MS nurse told me that it’s not hereditary, but that “genetics play a part”. My brother had bells pallsy when he was a child, but thankfully no other neuro symptoms since then.
A niece on my Dad’s side has had MS for years; her father had developed Parkinson’s disease in his later years. I was diagnosed in 2008 and am now 62. I take Rebif 44 mcg and haven’t had a relapse since 2008.