News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
A pair of studies released in December conclude that you are what you do when it comes to multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. I agree. The first study, published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, concludes that aquatic therapy is better than conventional physical therapy (PT) at easing fatigue and improving balance. It’s a small study. Among 26 people with relapsing-remitting MS, 14 performed progressively harder balance and gait exercises in…Continue Reading
I’m always on the lookout for a new style of shoe, one that can handle the unique demands of a person with multiple sclerosis (MS). I need a shoe that will prevent the toes of my left foot from catching on a rug or a curb due to my foot drop and that will allow me to stand comfortably for several minutes without exacerbating my usual leg fatigue. I need…Continue Reading
The fast track may have turned into a dead end for tolebrutinib, Sanofi’s Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor for multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied approval of the experimental treatment in its current form, saying “a favorable benefit-fisk profile could not be established for any patient population.” In a Complete Response Letter (CRL), released with redactions on January 6, 2026, the agency said…Continue Reading
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a tough illness to diagnose. Its symptoms aresimilar to several other illnesses, and the National Multiple SclerosisSociety says MS is incorrectly diagnosed 5% to 18% of the time. It can alsotake a long time to reach a firm MS diagnosis and that can mean months, oreven years, of delay in starting an MS treatment. Tools to assist a neurologist in making an MS diagnosis include magneticresonance…Continue Reading
Forty-five years ago—in late August 1980—I’d just returned home from a business trip to Detroit. It was a long, stressful, tiring week. A day or so later, I was walking backward, and I fell. I wasn’t hurt—“no harm no foul,” right?—but it was surprising. And there was, in fact, a foul. It’s called multiple sclerosis (MS). As almost everyone connected to this illness knows, MS is a progressive disease. We…Continue Reading
What does a hurricane have to do with my multiple sclerosis (MS)? Watching the season’s first major hurricane blow its way up the east coast of the U.S. a couple of weeks ago, and now in the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season, I’m thinking back three years to Hurricane Ian. In September, 2022 Ian slammed into southwest Florida, its eye passing right over the community where my wife and…Continue Reading
My smartphone can do just about anything. Could it also predict mymultiple sclerosis (MS) progression? Maybe. Scientists at Google have teamed with others at the University of California and the Duke University School of Medicine to develop a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) learning methods to analyze data collected by smartphones and wearable devices. They report they’ve been able to predict the appearance of five, high-severity MS symptoms –…Continue Reading
Using disease modifying therapies (DMTs) to treat older people who have multiple sclerosis, like me, isn’t a simple choice. Many neurologists seem to make their recommendations guided by a 2017 review by University of British Columbia researchers, reporting that disease activity declines as people with MS grow older. It suggested that those of us who are 55 or older – and are having no relapses, new brain lesions, or other…Continue Reading
I like to play brain games. The Words with Friends app and on-line puzzles, like Connections on the New York Times app, keep me thinking. That’s important to someone with multiple sclerosis (MS), where cognitive fog and fatigue are both common symptoms. So, I was very interested when I was offered the chance to try a website and app called BrainHQ. It’s more than just a game. BrainHQ is designed…Continue Reading
The headline on the news release that dropped into my in-box recently read: “FDA Announces Plan to Phase Out Animal Testing Requirement for Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Drugs.” Take animals out of the drug approval process? Really? Monocolonal antibody therapies are some of the highest efficacy treatments in the multiple sclerosis (MS) arsenal. They include Tysabri (natalizumab) Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), Ocrevus (ocrelizumab, Kesimpta (ofatumumab), and Briumvi (ublituximab). (Notice the “mab” at…Continue Reading