Cyclophosphamide (CY) treatment is used to treat malignancies as well as immune-mediated inflammatory nonmalignant activities or processes. But Multiple Sclerosis Cyclophosphamide used as a treatment option will likely come at a high cost in terms of side effects that aren’t very pleasant. Among them are male are infertility in men and women, bladder toxicity, nausea, headache, hair loss, vomiting, and even the risk of malignancy.
It is an immunosuppressive drug that has had its largest trials performed in Canada, where it did not show any demonstrable benefits. At the same time it was not proven to be ineffective either. In fact, to this day Multiple Sclerosis Cyclophosphamide treatment remains widely debated. Some patients use it as a sort of booster in an attempt to stabilize the disease in rapidly deteriorating MS patients. But even that use is questioned.
Treating MS with Cyclophosphamide (cy) is not new
The use of Cyclophosphamide (cy) was actually started in the 1950’s but not well documented until about 1966. The early uses were mostly in studies that were not well controlled. These early studies were promising and for the most part they reported improvement in the condition of MS patients. Most of that improvement was in patients in the very early stages of chronic and progressive MS. But since then the findings have been better documented and controlled.
In fact, members of the Medical Management Committee from the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation in London, all of whom are neurologists in the active practice of treating MS patients daily have concluded that Multiple Sclerosis Cyclophosphamide treatment remains considerably controversial in its merits in the absence of positive results from large, randomized and controlled studies. They advise that further use should be regarded as “investigational”. This advice should make any patient consider why they would even want to try it.
In light of this information, the MS patient might consider something with less side effects for treatment that has shown some more positive results. The side effects of alopecia, nausea, vomiting, and menses were reported as not only common but occurring at a high frequency.
Even changes in the diet and/ or the addition of aerobic exercises have shown more positive results and of course carry considerably less side effects. And these can easily be incorporated into anyone’s daily routine.
