Conditions such as sleep problems, irritable bowel syndrome and depression are more common among multiple sclerosis patients — five years before they develop medically recognized signs of the disease, a new study from the University of British Columbia suggests.
Prof. Helen Tremlett at UBC’s division of neurology is the lead author of the largest-ever study to examine the medical records of people who accessed care for various symptoms that aren’t classic manifestations of MS.
During the five years before the first signs show up, multiple sclerosis patients are up to four times more likely to be treated for sleep problems, she said. Irritable bowel syndrome is twice as common and rates of fibromyalgia, musculoskeletal pain, depression, migraines, depression and anxiety disorder are also higher.
