The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Drugs

Pills the most popular for 1st MS treatment

Pills

Times, they’ve been a-changin’ for disease-modifying therapies. When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1980, there were no DMTs. The first, the injectable Betaseron (interferon beta-1b), was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1993 for relapsing-remitting MS. A few years later, I was thrilled to be included in the Phase 3 clinical trial of Avonex (interferon beta-1a), the second injectable, even though it required a self-injection…Continue Reading

New lower-dose MRI contrast agent used on first patient

mri machine

If you have multiple sclerosis, I’m sure you’ve had several MRIs by now. You’ve probably also had one using a contrast agent. That contrast agent is made from a rare earth element called gadolinium. Mixed with other chemical ions, it highlights lesions or areas of active MS inflammation that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for a radiologist to see. It’s a useful tool, but there have been concerns about…Continue Reading

Briumvi, a New MS Treatment, Could Improve Life Quality

briumvi vial

The multiple sclerosis treatment arsenal has gained a new weapon. Shortly after Christmas, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Briumvi (ublituximab), joining a small group of disease-modifying therapies that aim to halt MS progression by knocking out certain B-cells in the immune system. Why does Briumvi target B-cells? B-cells remember past threats to the immune system so that invaders, like viruses, can be stopped quickly. But some B-cells, carrying…Continue Reading

A Shark Bites into Prescription Costs

Shark bites into prescription costs

My multiple sclerosis prescriptions cost me a lot, even with good insurance. Your prescription costs are probably also high, no matter what your illness is, if you don’t live in a country where the government picks up your drug costs. But now billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban is taking a shark-sized bite out of the cost of some of those medications. Cuban is an investor who regularly appears on the “Shark…Continue Reading

I’m Giving Three MS Drugs a Second Chance

MS drugs

Over the many years I’ve lived with multiple sclerosis I’ve used several MS drugs to treat my symptoms. Some have helped, some haven’t, and some worked at first but then lost their efficacy. I recently returned to three MS drugs that I’d stopped using for various reasons. Here’s why. Provigil Provigil (modafinil) is a medication that reduces fatigue, one of my most troubling symptoms. For many years I used modafinil,…Continue Reading

My Lemtrada Journey: Slowing on the Final Stretch

Lemtrada journey

I’m marking a big anniversary this month. It’s been four years since I finished the second round of treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), my final disease-modifying therapy (DMT). That means that, after about 60 monthly blood draws, I’m finished being stuck. Lemtrada is usually a two-phase series of injections, with each phase separated by a year. The medication wipes out most of the cells in an MS patient’s immune system with…Continue Reading

What’s New About COVID-19 Vaccines and MS?

covid-19 injection

A little over a year ago, I wrote about whether people with multiple sclerosis (MS) should get a COVID-19 vaccine. I was anxious to be vaccinated as soon as I could, but I was also concerned about how the vaccines would affect someone with MS. Would the side effects be worse for MS patients than for healthy people? Would the disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) used to treat MS affect the ability…Continue Reading

My MS Bladder Coaster is Looping Again

My MS Bladder Coaster

I thought I finally had this bladder thing licked. After years of urinary urgency and frequency, I’d been doing much better. I was sleeping at least seven hours a night without having to go to the bathroom, and bathroom trips were less frequent in the daytime, too. When traveling by car, the once common question “How long to the next rest area?” became less of a concern. During our annual…Continue Reading

Time to Make a Date for the Flue Vaccine

flu vaccine

A couple weeks ago, my wife and I rolled up our sleeves and got our shots again. No, not the COVID-19 vaccine. We’ve already had two of those shots, and expect to receive a third before Thanksgiving. Our latest shot was the seasonal flu vaccine, which we’ve gotten every year for as long as I can remember. With all of the attention on COVID-19 vaccines, you may have forgotten about…Continue Reading

Generics or Brand Names: Is a Pill a Pill?

generics

I take a bunch of pills every day. Most of them are generics. I’ve used baclofen to treat my leg spasticity, oxybutynin for my bladder, and modafinil to fight my MS fatigue. There’s also atorvastatin to keep my cholesterol in check, and levothyroxine to do the same for my thyroid levels. All are generics. Over the years, I’ve read many social media comments from people questioning whether generics are as…Continue Reading