Study of four provinces finds MS patients had higher incidence of four conditions prior to diagnosis

A UBC study suggests conditions such as sleep problems, irritable bowel syndrome and depression are more common among multiple sclerosis patients five years before they developed signs of the disease. The lead author says during the five years before the first symptoms show up, MS patients are up to four times more likely to be treated for sleep problems, while irritable bowel syndrome was twice as common. Fibromyalgia was more than three times as common in people later diagnosed with MS, while rates of migraine and mood and anxiety disorders were also markedly higher. The study analyzed health records of MS patients in four provinces - B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.