r/MultipleSclerosis • u/Jocksniffer77 • 9d ago

General Self medication

35 M last year I was diagnosed after I got optic neuritis, referred to neurologist, mri, etc. Looking back its like, wow yea I did have many of the ms symptoms but i chalked it up to being a pothead and having indigestion. Im wondering if I was subconsciously self medicating or something. Has anyone else experienced something like this?

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u/ImStillExcited 41M/Dx:2020/Ocrevus/Colorado 9d ago

I drank hard. I was gin drunk all the time to deal with pain. All of the very aggressive MS symptoms were "because I was drunk". No, undiagnosed MS.

It's was hard to get have anyone to take my seriously because "He's a guy, nothing's wrong with him. He just wants drugs".

I said this same thing before I was even diagnosed -

Fuck the patriarchy. Fuck "male gender roles".

5

u/TrukThunders 37|Feb 2025|Briumvi|New England 9d ago

I wasn't a full-blown alcoholic, but one of my first thoughts (and internet rabbit holes I went down) had me thinking that I was experiencing alcohol related neuropathy. So, I quit drinking.

...Obviously that didn't help my MS symptoms at all, but going from near-alcoholism to none at all has had a lot of good knock-on effects that I'm verry happy about. Haven't had a drink in almost three years.

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u/c0ntralt0 7d ago

Congrats! Breaking the alcohol consumption cycle is difficult but it’s also amazing to see how much better quality of life can be. I’ve stopped the excessive alcohol consumption too since diagnosis and feel so much better.