The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Drugs

Will Myrbetriq Solve My MS Pee Problems?

Myrbetriq

I’ve had pee problems for as long as I’ve had multiple sclerosis. Many folks with MS have these issues, including urinary urgency, frequency, or both, bladders that don’t empty completely, or streams that don’t start when you need to go. There are medications to treat these problems. The best known is probably Ditropan (oxybutynin), which has been around for quite a while. I’ve been taking the generic oxybutynin once a…Continue Reading

Satisfied With Sativex in Belgium

Sativex

Could a cannabis spray be just what the doctor ordered to treat our MS symptoms? I’m talking about Sativex (nabiximols), which has been developed as a treatment for moderate and severe MS spasticity. Sativex combines THC, the chef intoxicant in marijuana, with CBD, marijuana’s nonpsychoactive component. It’s sprayed under the tongue or inside the cheek several times a day. The treatment has been approved in several countries, including the U.K.…Continue Reading

The DMT Tool Could Help You Chose an MS Treatment

DMT tool helps decisions

Sometimes it seems as if people with MS are asked to flip a coin to make what’s arguably the most important decision they make about their treatment: which disease-modifying therapy (DMT) to use. More than 20 DMTs are approved in the U.S. and many of those are available in the rest of the world. There are pills, injections, and infusions, and their efficacy, side effects, and costs vary significantly. One…Continue Reading

Older People With MS Need More Respect

older people with ms

As comic Rodney Dangerfield might have said, older people with MS “just don’t get no respect.” By older, I mean those of us who are 55 and up. By respect, I mean attention from researchers and from some neurologists. So, as I approach my 73rd birthday, I have to tip my cap to doctors Eva Strijbis, Anne Kerbrat, and John Corboy for some respect they’re showing to us older people…Continue Reading

An Ocrevus Patient Dies of PML. Need we Worry?

Ocrevus and PML

The journal JAMA Neurology recently reported that a 78-year-old man with progressive multiple sclerosis died after being diagnosed with the brain disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The man, diagnosed with MS about 30 years ago, had been treated for two years with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), and had no previous immunotherapy.  As of last December, 10 cases of PML had been reported in people being treated with Ocrevus since the U.S. Food…Continue Reading

What Can You do About Paying for MS Drugs?

multiple sclerosis expenses

If you’re having trouble paying for your MS drugs, you’re not alone. I regularly see social media posts from people whose insurance has changed or whose insurance company has suddenly dropped a medication from its formulary (the list of medications it will pay for). Or, it has decided that you must change from a brand name drug to a generic one. Sometimes the problem is that the person with MS…Continue Reading

Get Your COVID Vaccine as Soon as You Can

covid vaccine vials

The advice issued last week by the U.S.-based National Multiple Sclerosis Society about COVID-19 vaccination couldn’t be clearer: “Get your vaccine as soon as it is available to you.” The new MS Society guidelines say that the two COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the U.S., both of which use an mRNA model, are “safe and effective.” The risk of contracting severe COVID-19 far outweighs any potential vaccination risks, they add.…Continue Reading

What’s the Impact of Ocrevus’ Shortened Infusion Time?

Ocrevus and PML

One of the key considerations when choosing a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is how much it will disrupt your life. It’s one of several factors that need to be evaluated, of course, but it’s important. Unlike shots and pills, infusion treatments can require a significant amount of time. So, will the U.S. Federal Drug Administration’s December approval of a shortened infusion time for Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) be a big deal for people…Continue Reading

Could This Lawsuit Threaten Patient Assistance Programs?

Patient assistance programs

The manufacturer of Copaxone is the target of a US Justice Department lawsuit and its outcome could affect many of us who receive copay help for our medications. The legal case involves the interaction between pharmaceutical companies and nonprofit organizations that provide grants to people who need help paying for their treatments. For example, when I couldn’t afford the monthly copay for Aubagio (teriflunomide) several years ago, I qualified for…Continue Reading