The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Tag: MS Medications

This Tool Can Help You Choose an MS Treatment

MS treatment choice

It’s not easy choosing a MS treatment. There are shots and pills and intravenous infusions. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society lists more than 20 disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on its website. Some, such as Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), and Tysabri (natalizumab), have proven to be effective at slowing the progression of MS. Others, less so. All DMTs have potential side effects, some more than others. So how do you know which…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

Making the Right MS Medication Decision

Making right MS medication decisionn

An MS medication decision is one of the most difficult decisions for someone with MS and their neurologist to make. After 39 years with MS, and with four disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on my medical chart, I’m definitely on the hit-it-fast, hit-it-hard side of that treatment decision. So, I was pleased to read an article in Brain & Life magazine reporting that “doctors today are less likely to wait to start…Continue Reading

Does Your Neuro Consider Your MS Medication Costs?

medication costs

Does your doctor think about what your medication costs will be when prescribing your MS meds? A few months ago I wrote a post about why some people stop, or skip, their MS meds. One of the reasons is that they can’t afford the out-of-pocket MS medication costs. A suggested solution is to talk with your doctor about cost whenever a new medication is suggested. But, according to the Centers…Continue Reading

We’ve Added an MS Medications Page

As I cruise around MS groups on social media I see a lot of questions involving MS medications. People want to know which meds are available to treat various symptoms. There’s also a lot of interest in comparing disease-modifying therapies, particularly the two newest: Ocrevus and Lemtrada. To help a little with this information search, I’ve added an MS Medications page to The MS Wire. You’ll see that the page…Continue Reading

Affording Your #MS Medications…or Not

Have you been in this Catch-22? You had great medical insurance when you were working. But, you’re not working anymore. Your insurance now comes with a $6,000 deductible and it no longer covers any medications. That $6,000 is about a fifth of your yearly income. You took early retirement because of your MS, but the pension you’re getting puts you over the limit to receive Medicaid help. You can’t get Social…Continue Reading