Effects of Fasting on Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease mediated by myelin activated T-cell crossing the blood-brain barrier. This disease starts by an autoimmune attack on the myelin sheath. The characteristic feature of MS is relapsing-remitting neurological signs affecting various parts of the nervous sytem at different times. During the Ramadan month, fasting permission is a common question. According to some evidence, fasting not only has no adverse effect on stable MS disability indicated by expanded status disability scale (EDSS) of 3, but also has regenerative neuroimmunological benefits. Although some MS symptoms, such as blurred vision, spasticity, gait ataxia, fatigue, weakness, and cognitive problems, could exacerbate during fasting, they remit immediately after fasting. Nevertheless, the patients with active MS or history of new attack during or after Ramadan, those on treatment with antispasmodic, anticonvulsive, corticosteroid, and immunosuppressive drugs, and patients with EDSS of > 7 are supposed to abstain from Ramadan fasting, specially in hot summer months.