News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
I grew up in Lower Manhattan. Though I’ve lived in Maryland since 1973, once a New Yorker…always a New Yorker. So, I’ve always felt the closeness of a New Yorker to the events of September 11, 2001. Earlier this month I finally had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum to pay my respects to those who died there and also to see the magnificent 1 World Trade…Continue Reading
“You are what you eat,” some say, and that may be even truer when it comes to your MS. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston report that bacteria living in your stomach may influence cells that help control inflammation and degeneration in your brain. “For the first time, we’ve been able to identify that food has some sort of remote control over central nervous system inflammation,” says Francisco…Continue Reading
Patients who use mitoxantrone appear to be at increased risk of colon cancer, according to a new study, and as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mitoxantrone is used to treat aggressive relapsing-remitting, and also progressive, MS when the patient doesn’t respond to other drugs. It suppresses the immune system and was first developed as a treatment for some cancers. Its use is limited because past studies have shown that…Continue Reading
Want to know how it feels to live with MS? Take a ride on this bike. Those of us who have MS know that our disease has lots of symptoms. There are the legs that feel like they have 20 pound weights on them…balance that can have you lunging for the grab bar in the shower..feet that trip on the smallest crack. Some of us have some of these symptoms,…Continue Reading
Would it be useful to monitor your Multiple Sclerosis symptoms during the course of your day so that you and your doctor could be alerted that an exacerbation might be just around the corner? A research project based in Europe is studying whether a wearable device and a smart phone could be used to monitor MS patients and those with two other relapsing/remitting central nervous system diseases; epilepsy and depressive…Continue Reading
OCT was new to me. When I read, in the MS Connection newsletter, about a test that might show some of what an MRI shows, but without having to slide into that tight tube, I had to investigate further. OCT, or optical coherence tomography, uses light waves to take a picture of your retina. You’ve probably had one during an eye exam. It’s that test where they put drops in…Continue Reading
Why didn’t someone think of this long ago? The “Ogo” is the coolest thing I’ve seen for getting around when your legs can’t do the job. And you don’t need your arms, either. Just bend in the direction that you want to travel, just like riding on a Segway, and off you go. You can even change tires and travel off-road…through the woods or down the beach. The prototype can…Continue Reading
Lipoic Acid is an antioxident that’s been used in Germany to treat some diabetes symptoms; including numbness, pain and burning of legs and arms. Do those symptoms sound familiar? Similar to some of our Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, right? A small study led by Rebecca Spain, MD, MSPH, from the VA Portland Healthcare System and Oregon Health and Science University looked at using Lipoic Acid as an inexpensive M.S. therapy. The…Continue Reading
Could an over-the-counter drug, used to treat sniffles, help ease M.S. symptoms and maybe even repair myelin? Maybe…someday. The drug is clemastine fumarate, a common antihistamine used to treat cold and allergy symptoms. In a small, preliminary study involving M.S. and optic neuropathy, (damage to the nerve that sends info from the eye to the brain), participants who took clemastine fumarate showed what the study terms a “modest” improvement in…Continue Reading
When I travel people frequently stop and ask me about the little scooter that I use. It’s small, light and fast so I’m not surprised to hear “where did you get that?” It’s called a TravelScoot, weighs just thirty five pounds and folds up like a baby stroller. My little scooter has been on trains (Amtrak), boats (Oceania Cruise Lines) and planes (half a dozen airlines). Of course, it’s also…Continue Reading