husband has been diagnosed w/"something besides MS"

Bearygood

I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you implying that your husband has MS and has now been dxed with something else as well or is it that MS was suspected but they feel it's something OTHER than MS? To answer your question both ways, having MS does not make us immune to having other disorders. As far as other conditions that can resemble MS, there are several but alcoholism is not one of them.

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Dxed RRMS April '07
Not on DMDs

itsanewme

I asked him if he thought it meant not MS but something else
or something along with MS
and he has the feeling they mean along with MS

(I know alcoholism and MS are 2 different diseases. Just wondering if it could have been picked up on)

Bearygood

Hard to say. I'm not an expert by any means but I do know that effects of alcoholism can possibly show up in the brain. But exactly how I'm not sure and I'm also not certain that it could be assessed conclusively that whatever was seen was due to alcoholism. I just looked it up and although I only skimmed it, it seems as though the cerebellum might be implicated, due to a thiamin deficiency that can come along with alcoholism. Sorry I can't be of more help but perhaps someone else can offer you more information. Please do keep us posted though -- I'd be very interested in hearing about the findings so I can learn more about this!

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Dxed RRMS April '07
Not on DMDs

NY 1009

Alcoholism can cause neurological damage and the symptoms can come pretty close to symptoms of MS.

My exhusband started losing the ability to write. It happened gradually, which effected his ablility to even turn a water knob off that runs to a hose to water a garden. he was a gardener for 30 yrs.

Then it started to effect his ability to walk properly. His gait was off. He walked as if he was walking on egg shells. He'd pick his leg straight up off the floor high up in the air to take a step, which in turn made him look like he was drunk all the time.

Everyone who sees him on the street in his home town thinks he's drunk all the time, when he was able to go out at the time. he doesn't go out much anymore. Even the police pulled him over from watching him while he walked into a deli store to get cigarettes. They did a breathe test on him for alcohol.

Bearygood

Sx, sure. Sorry, perhaps I should have clarified but I thought that itsanewme was referring to findings in the brain.

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Dxed RRMS April '07
Not on DMDs