Actress Alison Peebles uses LDN to treat her MS
- From: "BigArtie" <badegg69@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:10:20 -0400
08/21/07 - Health section
'MS killed my father...now I'm fighting it too'
By LIZ BESTIC
For years, Taggart actress Alison Peebles, 52, kept her diagnosis of
multiple sclerosis hidden from all but her close family and friends. Here,
she talks frankly to Liz Bestic about the disease and how she copes:
When I first heard the diagnosis, it felt like a death sentence. I had a
pretty good idea of what MS was all about because I watched my father go
downhill with the same disease.
He had been diagnosed when I was two, but in the early stages it did not
have a huge impact on his life. He had always been fit and sporty ? I
remember him taking us camping and hill walking.
However, as the disease progressed, he became fatigued and eventually so
incapacitated he could walk only with the aid of a Zimmer frame. He died in
1971 when I was 17.
So when, 30 years later, I sat in a neurologist's consulting room and was
told I had the same disease, I burst into tears.
I'd suspected something was wrong. A couple of years before I'd had moments
of numbness and tingling in my hands.
Gradually, over the next year, the numbness had begun to creep up my body ?
it was a strange and uncomfortable feeling, like a steel corset around my
middle. Some people refer to it as the MS 'hug'. I had also started to
notice I was clumsier.
But my first unofficial diagnosis came in October 1999 when I was doing a
play in Scotland and stumbled. The theatre doctor did some simple tests,
checking the strength of my grip and observing how I was walking and
standing, as well as taking a short medical history.
She said that though I would need to have more tests, she believed I could
be in the first stages of MS.
It was a shock as I had been led to believe by the doctors who treated Dad
that there was no genetic link with MS.
Other doctors I saw told me they didn't think I had the disease. One said it
could be my age (I was 44), another suggested it might be the onset of the
menopause. One told me I was neurotic and another said I was under stress.
The most laughable diagnosis was being told I drank too much.
However, I only drink socially and before seeing that specialist, I had been
on a six-month detox when I was not drinking at all.
Eventually, I went to see a neurologist and underwent a series of tests,
including CAT and MRI scans, to check for lesions in the brain. Multiple
sclerosis means 'many scars' and these occur in the brain or on the spinal
cord.
The results, in conjunction with my loss of movement, suggested it was MS,
but this was not considered conclusive until 2001, when I had a sample of
fluid taken from my spine (a lumbar puncture) and analysed. It showed the
immune abnormalities characteristic of the disease.
The first thing I did after I was diagnosed was to ring my big sister,
Sheila, who lives in Ireland. I couldn't bring myself to tell my other
sister, Elizabeth, or my mother, Marie, for three years.
It was awful keeping it from them, but I wanted to protect my family because
of what had happened to Dad. Once I finally told friends and family, they
all wanted to do something to help. I was bombarded with the latest weird
and wonderful 'cures' for MS.
Most of these, and many of the drugs available, are for the
relapsing/remitting form of MS, but I have progressive MS, which affects
only 5 per cent of those with the disease. All that can be done for my type
is to treat symptoms such as bladder problems and fatigue.
Other symptoms can include dragging feet, visual problems and pain, which
can get progressively worse. I have difficulty with mobilday ity and balance
so that is likely to get worse as I get older.
At first I was afraid to tell anyone because I thought I might never work
again as an actor.
I was right to worry, because no mainstream TV or film offers have been
forthcoming since I did a documentary for BBC Scotland last year about my
condition.
Despite my track record and experience, I fear I will be considered for a
part only if it's sitting, lying down or requires a stick. If you see people
with mobility problems in a role, it's for plot reasons, and that needs to
change.
My world is slowly shrinking. In the early days, even though I had tingling
fingers and was clumsy, I could still go hill walking. Now, I can barely
walk 50 yards without feeling wiped out.
I also suffer from urge incontinence, a common symptom of MS.
It feels as if you constantly want to go to the loo, but once you have been
you still think you need to go.
It's not painful, but it causes frequent bladder infections. One last year
after a run of infections that were being treated with antibiotics, I woke
up to find I was blind in one eye.
I was rushed to hospital and told I had optic neuritis, an inflammatory
condition involving the optic nerve. It can be triggered by any type of
infection and is common in those with MS as their immune system is not
working properly.
Luckily, my sight came back after being treated with steroids, but it could
happen again. I try to stay positive and not dwell on the negative effects
of my MS.
Recently I have started to be careful about my diet, cutting out wheat,
dairy and fat to help with the symptoms of fatigue.
I also see a Glasgow GP who has devised a daily regime of supplements,
including omega 3 oils, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc and
ginkgo biloba.
Though MS is a result of a combination of factors, including genetics, I
believe lack of vitamin D - which the body needs sun to produce - is a major
component.
The incidence of MS is higher in the northern hemisphere, where there are
fewer days of sunlight.
For the past year I have been on a controversial drug known as LDN -
low-dose naltrexone - which is not available on the NHS, but doctors will
prescribe it privately.
The drug is an opiate antagonist and is used in high doses to treat people
who are addicted to heroin.
Dr Bernard Bihari, a neurophysician in New York, discovered that in low
doses it seemed to help the symptoms of MS.
It works by briefly obstructing the effects of brain endorphins, which act
like natural painkillers.
This has the effect of stimulating production of these endorphins which, in
turn, stimulate the immune system.
I have noticed an improvement in my fatigue levels and the terrible spasms
in my legs seem to have stopped. The drug is controversial because of a lack
of conclusive tests and trials of its use with MS.
On the internet, I discovered hyperbaric oxygen therapy, where you breathe
oxygen under pressure. The theory is that more oxygen is forced into the
tissues and brain. The treatment is known to help with scarring on the
nervous system, fatigue levels and bladder problems. I have the therapy once
a week at the MS Therapy Centre in Glasgow and have found it's a real help.
I have also had two sessions of hypnotherapy, which had me striding across a
room. The theory is that you have to return to your subconscious mind to
relearn how to walk.
It's not that I can't walk, but I get extremely tired and find it hard to
deal with long distances. However, I am not naive enough to think it will be
a cure and know it works for some people, but not others.
One thing which is very important is exercise, even though I find it
difficult to get motivated because getting up in the morning is difficult.
Regular exercise can improve my mood but, of course, I can't jump, run or
walk any distance so aerobic activity is impossible. I am not a strong
swimmer, so I find that too exhausting.
The MS Trust has just brought out a DVD that encourages even those in a
wheelchair to get active. I am determined to follow the regime because any
exercise can improve symptoms.
I want to keep on top of this illness for as long as I can. My big hope is
that I can work as much as possible because acting has always been an
important part of my life.
Though my father died of this disease, I'm hopeful that, 30 years on, things
have moved on enough for me to be able to retain a better quality of life
for longer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find this story at
'MS killed my father...now I'm fighting it too'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=476698&in_page_id=1774
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