Causes of ALS

[Dan Howitt]

Hi there all:
Wonderful forum. I'm Dan Howitt & have been reading through the forum for a while on and off.
Sorry to ask again about this but Ive been wondering of your own views about the possible causes of ALS. I love reading about what you all think.

 

[MtPockets]

That is a question many of us have asked over and over again. Some of the things we have found we have in common are exposures to various chemicals such as being a fireman. In fires we were exposed to mixtures of many unknown products.. Also the combination of shots that were given to us in the military. There is also a surge of ALS in soldiers that fought in Iraq. I believe when I joined the service and was given the mixture of over 30 immunizations at one time, maybe they combined in some way to cause ALS later in life. Another common symptom is head injuries. I had a serious head injury, over 20 years ago that may have lead to this disease.
There are just so many variables for all researchers to consider it is hard to pinpoint one cause. Then again maybe there are multiple causes. Maybe one day soon they will discover the cause, and a cure. We can only hope.

 

[tinyintexas]

i heard that the military has said that 50%

Hey there Capt! I understand that as of the 25th of September that the US military has signed into effect that all persons who have been in the military and get ALS will receive full military benefits! I must say when I did hear this ... I had to call the South Central Texas ALS Foundation for an answer AND sure enough YES, this is the case. From what I understood is that, 50% or more that have been in the Military get ALS, if you ask me I think that the shots MAY have something to do with it..............I have had a head injury (frontal lobe) 20+ years now, I guess we will see if I am the next -------God I hope not! My brother who passed away was a veteran and I had to fight the system to get any help -- he passed away the 3rd of September this year so HE wont see the benefits of this BUT I am going to make this make sure that people who have this disease get the benefits that they deserve and will work with the ALS Foundation until I leave the planet! Thank you for listening Janice Paige

 

[MtPockets]

I have already filed with the VA and waiting for their reply.
Thanks for the info.

 

[lwebb3]

I have a head injury, but i doubt that alone causes ALS, or probably has nothing to do with the initiall cause. Not from reading research or performing any, but from studying biology, I have started to assume that ALS is 100% a prion disease. I do not know where the initial prion comes from. It may come from bad genes, and also I would say it is contageous. People say it is not contageous, but if it is a prion disease then it can be. Another reason why I say it can be contageous is because of its incubation period. Most all prion diseases have somewhat of an incubation period before obvious symptoms show. Most prion diseases i have read about, all manifest in ages 30 to 50, just like people say ALS manifest mainly in middle age people. I also would assume, with low probability, that ALS could be agrivated and maybe caused by unesesary amino acids that our body does not use at all to make protiens, like MSG.

 

[TxRR]

I filed a claim with the VA back in Feb. '08. The only difference is I have PLS and not ALS so we'll see how it turns out.

Has anyone here with an ALS claim received benefit's yet? I was just wondering if they (VA) was moving any faster?

 

[ZenArcher]

They are saying 6 - 12 months. Of course my claim had been in for 16 months prior to the making ALS presumptive. We'll see what happens.

 

[TxRR]

Great. Thanks.

 

[Shawn]

i think I got ALS when my dentist removed a rather large cyst below my upper two front teeth. Immediately my speech was slightly slurring. He said it would go away as I healed. It didn't. i got worse and was diagnosed 7 months later.

Then a year to the day after the first operation, the cyst returned; different dentist and much better job. My energy came back after a bit but the damage was already done.

Maybe it was the trauma of surgery, the cyst or my job as a roofer, i don't know. But the coincidence of the cyst was too much for me to rule out as being the culprit!

Then again, maybe it's just 'the luck of the draw!':roll:

 

[bossman]

there are a bunch a great reasons here for why you get ALS. I have one of the best doctors in the country. This man will not tell me how or why someone would get this. The reason for it is. He has no idea how it starts this is from a man who is one of the best. I had a fall, and I thought this may have triggered it.

 

[Al]

Hey Shawn. I've been wondering how you've been. I hadn't seen many posts from you.

AL.

 

[patricia1]

I got sick after a DPT injection but I also was operated on for 6 hour And my family thinks it was the anesthia.

But its all here say

Pat

 

[joelc]

It is great to speculate but the truth is no one has any clue as to what causes ALS.

I think it is going to be a big surprise to all of us when they finally figure it out and tell us.

 

[thelma313]

My dad was diagnosed with ALS in August. My dad had been exposed to all sorts of chemicals in his 30-plus career in construction and his love of gardening. He says all his problems started when he was on Lipitor. I agree that statin inhibiting drugs can be destructive to the brain since they block the body from producing fat, including good fats which are essential brain food. (What's really frustrating is he didn't even have high cholesterol and was given the prescription as a "preventative measure") Perhaps that left him vulnerable?

It is so heart breaking. He is on anti-depressants but still has intense emotional lability. He was a very stoic man and now he is so sensitive and fragile. He's fighting hard though and I am very proud of him!

 

[Shawn]

Hey Shawn. I've been wondering how you've been. I hadn't seen many posts from you.

AL.

hi Al, i have been good, except having had to remove my appendix (they put a breathing tube in! Yuck!), and recently inserted a feeding tube (yaay! no more choking! ). Both sent my energy levels way low.

i have been visiting the site and reading lots, just don't have much to add. we applied to the March of Dimes for van and bathroom conversion. After the second attempt they approved us, so some muchly needed conveniences coming finally! My wife HATES all the paperwork and hoops they make you jump through.

you were a firefighter in Mississauga, right? did you know Jim Goodlad?
how have you been?

cheers, Shawn