My MS Journey: Beyond Medication

Finding My Own Formula: When Life Throws You a Curveball

It's funny, isn't it? As science geeks, we spend our lives in the lab and/or in front of data, searching for answers. And then pow, life throws you a curveball that no AI-deep-mixture-of-experts-400B-parameter-ML-model can predict.

The Unexpected Twist

For me, that curveball was in 2011. I was at King's College London , deep in neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience . Life was a blur of research, deadlines, and the kind of late nights (in the pub) that academics know all too well.

Then, one day, my vision decided to play tricks on me. I woke up with double vision. Thought I was just overtired. I took the week off. It kind of resolved itself. It was weird and panic inducing

Thankfully - and I will forever be grateful - the insight of my then boss, Professor Christopher E Shaw , led me to the MRI. That scan rewrote my script. Multiple lesions lit up like buckshot across my brain. It looked like Multiple Sclerosis. Those words hung in the air, heavy with uncertainty. A kick in the you-know-what.  I took it well apparently..

My Unique MS Snowstorm (and Daily Weather Report!)

MS is a 'snowflake disease' - everyone's experience is different. Here's my personal snowstorm, a peek into my daily 'weather report.' For 10+ years, I've navigated symptoms that keep things "interesting" - every day is a roll of multiple 20-sided dice.

Imagine daily heat sensitivity - any warmth feels like a sauna - fatigue that builds like a slow-motion train wreck, and brain fog that makes finding keys an Olympic sport. Add walking challenges - feels like wading through treacle - foot drop and stumbling on flat surfaces, balance issues, the occasional 'pins and needles disco' in my hands, headaches that feel like tiny ninjas attacking my brain, and the joy of slurred speech that sometimes makes me sound like I've had one too many, and that MS Hug...Things get wilder after illnesses - Man Flu, COVID. My right leg occasionally gives up. Sleep? 4-6 hours is my usual. The emotional rollercoaster is real!

Questioning Conventional Wisdom

After the MRI and the diagnosis, the neurologist was quick to reach for the prescription pad. Standard M.O. But something didn't feel right. Maybe it was paranoia, maybe stubbornness, but the whole thing felt rushed - he was too quick to push drugs.

The science geek in me took over. I had the most personal experiment of my life staring me in the face  - I think this was also a coping mechanism and a bit of weird denial or a death wish - I knew there was no cure.

I had access to the research. I read everything. Clinical guidelines, trials, alternative therapies, side effects. Left no stone unturned. I was lucky - my MS didn't seem rapidly progressive.

I questioned everything. What were these drugs really going to do? Medication? Not yet. Not until there's a magic pill with nano-bots that can rebuild myelin sheaths. Until then, I was going with a lifestyle recalibration and reboot. And hoping for the best.

Reinventing My Lifestyle

I stumbled upon the Swank Diet, then the Wahls Protocol by Terry Wahls MD . What struck me wasn't just the science, but the logic. Could food manage this condition?

I decided to try. Quite decisively - I went cold turkey. Out went modern habits: alcohol, constant coffee, fast food, late nights. In came vibrant colours - fruits and raw vegetables, quality protein, whole foods. Mega-nutrient smoothies. Nuts. Seeds. Omega 3. Kimchi. Bone Broth. Vitamin D and more. Hydration. Supplemented with movement & mediation. Regular exercise became non-negotiable. Sleep hygiene topped the list.

Looking back, it felt "crazy" - the neurologist wasn't thrilled. It felt like declining conventional wisdom. I needed to understand what my body (& mind) was telling me.

The diets weren't magic bullets, just frameworks that made sense for me. The Swank Diet emphasised low saturated fat. The Wahls Protocol highlighted nutrient-dense food as medicine. Later, I explored the DASH and MIND diets for overall health: all anti-inflammatory and more (I'm not doing them justice).

The common thread? Simple: Eat real food. Eat clean. Eat you greens. Move your body. Prioritise rest. Sound familiar? It's the kind of advice that often gets lost in the noise of modern life (and distant memories of being nagged by your parents) - a truth we all kind of ignored and still do to a certain degree.

Within a year, the changes were undeniable. Energy stabilised. Symptoms calmed. Sleep improved. I even accidentally fell into intermittent fasting - who knew skipping breakfast would become a science-backed trend!

The Bigger Question: Why Not Lifestyle Medicine?

Maintaining this intensity isn't easy. Fast food is convenient, socialising revolves around drinks & late nights, gym memberships are expensive, eating well costs more, infections trigger flare-ups, Netflix destroys sleep, and work stress is unavoidable. It's too easy to fall off the healthy lifestyle wagon -  sometimes we’re even dragged off it kicking and screaming.

A decade on, I'm lucky, I'm still mobile - but not as mobile as before, still engaged in life, a husband, a father, and working. The MS is still here - a low hum beneath the surface. I've had my compromises. I love coffee too much, pizza and beer occasionally win. Work stress is unavoidable. And I’ve definitely felt the consequences of quick, processed meals and holy-hell those ‘MSG hangovers’ are a real thing, right?

I remain medication-free, managing through lifestyle and carefully selected supplements - my personal "magic pill box." (Happy to share details - message me).

This journey raises a bigger question: Why aren't these approaches more integrated into mainstream healthcare, offered alongside - or even before - medication for chronic conditions?

Imagine healthcare systems supporting access to fresh, nutritious food. Picture prescriptions including vegetables, quality proteins, gym memberships, stress management programmes, and maybe CBD...Shifting our entire healthcare mindset from reactive to preventive. Radical? Is it more radical than the spiralling costs of chronic disease? This is not just financial. These conditions can be a living hell. We're also talking lives. Families. It's people, people.

A Call for Dialogue

The research is building. Studies highlight lifestyle modification and dietary interventions' potential for MS and related diseases. Flex your AI muscles and "Deep Research" this stuff. Its worth it.

Whether you're managing a chronic condition or optimising wellbeing, exploring these approaches - Swank, Wahls, DASH, MIND, "biohacking" - is a sound investment. Take the best of them all. They're about building a foundation for a healthier life.

If you've read this far - thank you. My story isn't a definitive answer. I'm not claiming solutions or suggesting you decline medication. This is my story. Like I mentioned - I'm lucky. So far, the MS is manageable. We're all different. This is my personal experiment and ongoing journey.

What lifestyle changes have made a difference for you? Have you explored these approaches? What are your thoughts on integrating lifestyle medicine within healthcare?

Let's talk. Share your experiences, questions, perspectives.

Shout out to: National MS Society The Mighty Aaron Boster MS Workouts MS Society Terry Wahls MD and more...

Some Reading

1. Dietary interventions for multiple sclerosis‐related outcomes - PMC - PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7388136/

2. Nutrition Facts in Multiple Sclerosis: ASN Neuro: Vol 7, No 1, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1759091414568185

3. The Role of Diet and Interventions on Multiple Sclerosis: A Review - PMC - PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8955724/

4. Diet & Nutrition for Multiple Sclerosis | National MS Society, https://www.nationalmssociety.org/managing-ms/living-with-ms/diet-exercise-and-healthy-behaviors/diet-nutrition

5. The Role of Diet and Lifestyle in Managing Multiple Sclerosis | Rush, https://www.rush.edu/news/role-diet-and-lifestyle-managing-multiple-sclerosis

6. Diets and Nutrition for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/overview-diets-for-multiple-sclerosis

7. Wahls Protocol Diet for MS Treatment: Effectiveness and Foods, https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/wahl-diet-ms

8. Full article: ALSUntangled #76: Wahls protocol, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21678421.2024.2407407

9. Wahls Protocol: MS Diet Benefits, Recipe Ideas, and More, https://www.verywellhealth.com/reasons-to-try-the-wahls-protocol-for-ms-5218077

10. The Wahls Diet for MS: Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid - HealthCentral, https://www.healthcentral.com/article/wahls-diet-ms

11. Review of Two Popular Eating Plans within the Multiple Sclerosis Community: Low Saturated Fat and Modified Paleolithic - PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6412750/

12. Effectiveness of various diet patterns among patients with multiple ..., https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10243296/

13. Cover Story: A Closer Look at Diet and MS | MSAA, https://mymsaa.org/publications/motivator/winter-spring24/cover-story-closer-look-diet-and-ms/

14. Nutritional Intervention in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Correlation with Quality of Life and Disability—A Prospective and Quasi-Experimental Study - MDPI, https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4087/6/1/4

15. MIND Diet Impact on Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Biochemical ... - MDPI, https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/18/10009

16. MIND Diet Adherence Might be Associated with a Reduced Odds of Multiple Sclerosis: Results from a Case–Control Study - PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8857348/

17. MIND Diet Impact on Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Biochemical Changes after Nutritional Intervention - PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39337497/

18. The Effects of Gain-Versus-Loss Messages Following the Dietary ..., https://brieflands.com/articles/jjcdc-151494

19. Breaking boundaries: the transformative role of exercise in ..., https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11089092/

20. Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis - Neurology.org, https://www.neurology.org/doi/abs/10.1212/01.wnl.0000129534.88602.5c

21. Relationship between physical activity and coping with stress in ..., https://www.elsevier.es/en-revista-international-journal-clinical-health-psychology-355-articulo-relationship-between-physical-activity-coping-S1697260023000510

22. (PDF) Exercise, Diet, and Stress Management as Mediators Between Functional Disability and Health-Related Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis - ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258182844_Exercise_Diet_and_Stress_Management_as_Mediators_Between_Functional_Disability_and_Health-Related_Quality_of_Life_in_Multiple_Sclerosis