There is no cure for MS. But there are options available to treat symptoms, relapses, and the course of the disease.
To keep things simple, there are three groups of treatments, all with a different purpose: drugs, corticosteroids, and disease-modifying agents.
- Medicine
These are used to treat the symptoms of MS, and the use can be short or long term. They minimize the intensity or effect of symptoms so that quality of life and daily function are more manageable. Examples include antidepressants for depression, baclofen for spasticity, Ditropan for incontinence, etc.
- corticosteroids
Corticosteroids (“steroids”), usually Solu-Medrol and prednisone, are used to reduce the duration and severity of a flare (or exacerbation or attack). The administration of these drugs is in high doses for a short period (from three days to several weeks).
- Disease Modifying Agents (DMA)
Disease-modifying agents (also known as DMD disease-modifying drugs) reduce disease progression and activity. The FDA has approved nine of them to date, and a lot of research is underway to continue to find more. Most of them are for patients who have the relapsing-remitting type of MS, or those who have the secondary progressive type who continue to relapse.
Most people with MS have used drugs in at least two of these categories. Some work for some people and some don’t work at all for others. If you try one drug and it doesn’t work, then you can try another. Each person responds to drugs differently.
Medications and corticosteroids have been tried and used for decades. Disease-modifying agents became available in the 1990s. Today, as I participate in online discussions and forums, it seems that almost everyone with MS is on one of these. Neurologists and the MS Society strongly advise patients to get one as soon as possible.
But taking DMA is a tough regimen. They have side effects, require a lot of monitoring (doctor visits, MRIs, clinic visits…) and are expensive. While some patients get financial assistance through pharmaceutical companies, participating in a clinical trial, etc. many others pay thousands of dollars a year out of pocket.
News broke last July that a study suggested that interferons did not slow the progression of MS, the basis for many AMDs. This news was alarming to many in the MS community: “Wow! Can this be true? After all those years of injections, tests, office visits, side effects, dollars spent… Now what?” And what should a newly diagnosed person do now to start interferon?
First, don’t panic. I, and others I know, have lived with multiple sclerosis for over thirty years and have never done AMD for various reasons. We have managed quite well. Over the years I have personally taken medications and steroids to help with symptoms and relapses. However, I would never advise anyone not to take a particular treatment. That is a personal decision.
So what is to be made of the recent news about interferons?
Whenever I have considered taking any medication over the years, I have followed these steps and offer them for the patient’s consideration:
- Be sure to thoroughly research the studies on a drug before taking one. Get it from a variety of sources. Carefully evaluate the studies behind the drug: number of people involved, length of the study, type of study, etc.
- If you are taking a medication, do the benefits outweigh the risks? what are the lengths–long-term risks of a treatment, especially if you are a very young person?
- Doctors are not always right. People with MS should consult their doctors, but those with MS know their bodies best and should have the last word.
- Take your time to make a decision. A delay of several weeks or months will make little difference to the overall course of your MS. Use common sense and remember that this is your body and ultimately your personal decision.
There is no magic pill or injection to make MS go away. However, there are many other things that someone can do to manage MS effectively to complement whatever medication is taken. Examples include health and wellness actions (exercise, sleep, stress management…) and alternative therapies (massages, yoga, pilates… ). These can start today!