Hi TL

First of all you are a really good friend, both caring and compassionate, to be worried about your friend.  You ask some really good questions and I will do my best to answer although just to tell you up front...I am neither a doctor nor a chemical addiction expert. 

I do know some things about chemical addictions from a nine month internship I did with alcohol and drug abusers who also had mental illness.  And I have a very personal connection with this topic as my father died of his alcohol abuse when I was just a little girl.  Know that from my standpoint addictions are extremely difficult to treat.  Usually there is a lot of other stuff going on in addition to the addiction.  And in the case of your friend, the other stuff includes some major health issues.

Concerning your friend's health issues, wanted to let you know that Health Central has a reall good Diabetes site for you to look at.  You may find the Diabetes site here.

Okay...it seems you are asking two questions and one is what are the effects of alcohol abuse on MS and...also can alcohol abuse be a cause of MS.

I will take the latter question first and really...nothing I am reading in the literature indicates that alcohol abuse leads to getting Multiple Sclerosis. 

But as for the effects of alcohol on MS..let's just say it isn't good.  I think what happens to some people who are hit with being told that they have a chronic disease like diabetes or MS is that...some people self medicate.  You feel rotten so your instincts tell you to do anything to feel better.  And too, you have to realize that one of the major symptoms of MS is depression.  So you not only have the disease to deal with but you also have emotional issues to contend with as well.  Your friend has been hit doubly hard and may not know how to deal with it.

As a friend this is really hard on you.  You want to help but you don't know how.  I would start by opening up that dialogue with your friend to say, "Hey, I care about you and I am worried about you." And then explain why.  You can tell your friend how you can be of help.  Listen, be empathic, and don't judge.  You can tell your friend about the Health Central sites to get more information on these diseases.  You can suggest support groups.  The biggest help in the long run, though, is probably going to be some sort of therapy to replace the drinking with something else...something which will help...maybe even an anti-depressant.

You and I both know that the drinking is only going to exacerbate symptoms and particularly for MS.  Multiple Sclerosis already causes gait and balance issues, as well as congitive issues.  Add alcohol and you may be in for a wild ride which could ultimately be very dangerous. 

This is not the first time this question has come up here.  It seems to be more common than we know.  Here is how I have answered this question about alcohol and MS in the past.

I wish you the best of luck with this.  It is going to be tough.  Please come back to tell us how it goes.  I am sorry that your friend has to go through all of this and I am sorry you have to watch it all happen before your eyes. 

Thank you for your question.

kim

3/ 9/10 6:31pm

hello i also have somone in my life that uses alcohol before and after told of tj MS!  PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!!

diane

5/ 5/11 10:06am

help..... i hav a boyfriend that was an alcoholic for like 30 yrs, he is sober now of 9 months after being found near death on a street and spent 10 days on a ventilator. he detoxed and body checked out ok but now hes having nerve damage, the peripheal nerve, is in pain mgment and his neurologist now just tested him for ms. he has alot of issues. he is in sever pain and this is devasting our life , the 4 yrs of knowing him and going thru the drinling was hard enuf and now no alcohol and my life is still disrupted. please someone comment and give me more strength to help us sustain our lives...... GOD BLESS others who can relate to me.  email is kiddos1953@yahoo.com