News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
Can you use your mind to attack your MS, just as you use things such as medications and physical therapy? Some people who believe in the benefits of mindfulness think you can, at least to some extent. Mindfulness is defined as “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us,”…Continue Reading
There are more than a dozen disease-modifying therapies available for treating MS. Some are shots, some are infusions, and some are pills. Some are more effective than others. The marketing intelligence company Spherix Global Insights regularly surveys which of these treatments are being used by neurologists and what’s influencing their selection. Here’s what the latest Spherix quarterly survey shows about what’s being prescribed. Just over half of the 100 neurologists…Continue Reading
Americans who want to treat their MS with a stem cell transplant have a tough road to follow. They’re forced to travel to Russia, Mexico, or somewhere else out of the country and to spend a lot of money to avoid the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s stem cell treatment barrier. But now, a crack may be appearing in that wall. An article in STAT reports on surgeons at Houston’s Memorial…Continue Reading
Happy new year to all. The start of the new year seems like a good time to assess what my journey has been like since my first round of Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) back in December 2016. The road has had bumps and hills and dips. But, overall, Lemtrada has taken me where I hoped it would — a place where my MS seems to be stable and my symptoms seem to be…Continue Reading
(This first appeared as my column in www.multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com) There is some good news about stem cell therapy and some that’s not so great. A just-published study concludes that one form of human stem cell therapy is more effective at treating multiple sclerosis than the best of the MS medications being used currently. The not-so-good news is that approval of this therapy in the U.S. still seems to be a long…Continue Reading
[This first appeared as my column on www.multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com] Oral multiple sclerosis meds appear, more and more, to be the first choice of patients who are just beginning to receive an MS treatment. A recent report by the independent marketing research firm Spherix Global Insights shows that oral disease-modifying therapies captured a significantly higher share of the market at the end of 2016 compared to 2015. Tecfidera was at the top of the…Continue Reading
(This is an updated version of my column that appeared earlier this month on www.multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com) My neurologist calls Lemtrada “HSCT lite.” She says that not only is the drug able to reduce exacerbations and limit the overall progression of Multiple Sclerosis, it’s actually reversed some symptoms in some of her patients. I guess I’m going to find out if she’s right about Lemtrada because I’m getting ready to start…Continue Reading
Whole body cryotherapy is one of the latest “treatments” claiming to help multiple sclerosis patients. Those who sell WBC machines and who operate WBC “spas” claim that it can also help a range of other ailments, from asthma to rheumatoid arthritis. They say it can improve blood circulation, increase metabolism, improve recovery and soreness after workouts and relieve joint and body pain. That’s a lot of problems, and the Food…Continue Reading