MS treatment decisions Archives

Pills the most popular for 1st MS treatment

Posted on July 24, 2023July 23, 2023

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

How Old is Too Old for Aggressive MS Treatment?

Posted on November 4, 2019November 3, 2019

A question raised by neurologist Gavin Giovannoni on the Barts-MS blog lit up my radar recently. Dr. G asked whether “elderly” people with MS should be treated differently than those who are younger. The question arises because a case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a serious brain disease, was recently reported in a 76-year-old MS patient. According to the blog, citing Roche Pharmaceuticals, the man has had MS a long…Continue Reading

MS medication decisions need guidance

Posted on June 24, 2019June 24, 2019

More than 15 MS medications, or disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), are available in most countries to treat MS. DMTs come in the form of injectables, infusions, and pills. Some are new, others have been around for more than 20 years. Some have a greater possibility of serious side effects than others. Some DMTs are highly effective at slowing or stopping disease progression; others, not so much. It’s a difficult choice to…Continue Reading

Debating Whether to Stop Your MS Medication

Posted on February 19, 2019February 19, 2019

Thinking about changing your M S medication

I see a lot of reasons why people stop, or refuse to start, an MS medication. “Thinking of stopping the…meds. Sick of the shots and how they hurt to take them” “I stopped all of them….all multiple times. It takes too long for an appointment and I tapered off “ “Half the s**t will kill you” “My body and my choice” “The side effects are worse than the disease” Forty…Continue Reading

"People newly diagnosed with MS will truly benefit from this book, while those of us who’ve lived with MS for a while will wish we’d had it ourselves!…Neurologists should consider keeping a copy of this book in their waiting room because their patients are going to need it." - Tamara K. Sellman, reviewing for Multiple Sclerosis.net.

The Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox is designed for MS "newbies" but it's great info for everyone. I combine more than 40 years of living with MS with some easy to understand info about diagnosis, treatments, visiting the neuro, relationships, mobility aids, travel and more…a lot of what you get in this blog. A paperback and an e-book are available on Amazon.