MS IVIG is made from human blood plasma. Stricter donor guidelines and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated cleansing (being treated with detergents and solvents that kill organisms) of the blood being processed has virtually eliminated the risk of cross-contamination of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. The final product is a freeze-dried powder that is infused after it is mixed with sterile water. It should be noted that multiple sclerosis IVIG for the specific treatment of MS has not yet been approved by the FDA. It has been approved for use with 6 specific conditions. It may be authorized by doctors, meaning insurance companies will cover the expense, if it is proven other methods (eg. Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Methotrexate, or steroids) have failed to achieve the desired results in treating MS patients.

MS IVIG is given every 3-4 weeks because that is the life-expectancy of the antibodies …

Used originally for the treatment of Asian flu and Parkinson’s Disease for some time, Armantadine MS has been found to be effective in combating fatigue associated with MS. It has not yet been specifically approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for that use. Armantadine is also known as Symmetrel and is being widely prescribed for MS patients.

Parkinson’s Disease was first described in an 1817 paper, *An Essay on the Shaking Palsy* by Dr. James Parkinson. A couple of very recognizable people, Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali have worked to bring the public’s attention to this affliction. Parkinson is caused by the death of cells that contain dopamine and results in difficulty in movements, uncontrolled shaking, muscle rigidity, sleep and emotional problems, and for some, dementia in the later stages.

It is unclear exactly how Armantadine Multiple Sclerosis exactly affects patients and gives them the noted …

Copaxone is another name for glatiramer acetate Multiple Sclerosis which is given in a daily injection under the skin. It has been found to be one of the most effective meds available to help extend the time between relapses in those who have relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet designated the drug as a treatment to prevent the progression of MS.

Glatiramer acetate MS was first approved by the FDA in 1996 and since that time has shown to not only prevent relapses, but also to have reduced the number of lesions shown on the MRI’s of the patients taking it. It has also become a first-line treatment for those that have experienced a Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS) or the first appearance of neurological symptoms that may indicate the possibility of MS developing.

In February 2010, a 15-year clinical study was published showing …

MS amantadine, also known as Symmetrel, was first prescribed to patients with Parkinson’s Disease and as a treatment for the Asian Flu. What has been discovered of late, although the exact way in which it works is unknown, is that it is very effective in helping MS patients overcome the feelings of drowsiness. It also seems to be effective in relieving muscle spasms. It is important to note the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not specifically approved the use of multiple sclerosis amantadine, yet many doctors find it beneficial to provide it for their MS patients.

It was once hoped that because of the anti-viral properties in drug, it might help in the control of the progression of the disease. However, studies done have failed to show that MS amantadine has little to provide in that area. The good news is that many patients seem to report …

Recently, approval was granted for distribution of oral MS drug treatments. It is projected these effective alternatives will make it easier for MS patients to start and stay on an MS drug therapy regimen. The first on the market to be approved is called fingolimod (Gilenya).

Fingolimod has shown great promise in reducing flare-ups of multiple sclerosis symptoms in clinical trials. It has been tested against using the common injectable MS drug treatments and placebos. The effectiveness of fingolimod is accomplished by the drug preventing the movement of T cells out of the lymph nodes. Without getting into a lot of clinical details, this means that they are not released into the body so to attack the myelin sheaths that protect the nerve fibers. As most are aware, the protective covering on the nerve fibers is made up of a fatty compound of lipids and proteins that also helps …

Until a cure for MS is ultimately found, researchers will focus on the only thing they can, which is to slow down the disease’s progression. Multiple Sclerosis Interferon treatment is still the most widely used to slow the progression of the disease and prevent relapses. Living with MS is extremely difficult. Its sufferers have to live with constant fatigue, depression, spasticity, difficulty walking, pain, and strange sensations and feelings in both the body and mind. Even vertigo is not uncommon. These and other symptoms are exaggerated when the patient has an attack, or a relapse.

So while the many new drugs that have been approved to relieve these and other symptoms are welcomed by the MS community of patients and doctors, the real focus remains on a cure – or in the absence of a cure – a way to either slow down the progression of the disease or the …

As of this date, there is still no cure for MS.  Multiple new drugs and therapies have been approved over the last few decades, but Multiple Sclerosis IFN injections still show the highest success rate, in general, for most patients. To deal with the demyelination process with MS, IFN – beta drugs demonstrate the most efficacies.  These are commonly referred to as the ABC treatments – A being Avonex, B standing for Betaseron and C for Copaxone. Copaxone is not a Multiple Sclerosis IFN beta, however, even though it is usually lumped in with the other two – maybe just because the acronym is easier to remember. But in reality, it should be ABCR – where R stands for Rebif, which is also an MS IFN beta.

What is the Multiple Sclerosis IFN treatment really referring to?

Beta Interferon is of two types, beta interferon-1a and beta interferon-1b.  …

Teriflunomide is a New Multiple Sclerosis Drug Treatment from drug manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis that doctors and patients hope can soon be added to the arsenal of drug weapons to fight the disease that afflicts more than 400,000 patients in the United States alone.

In a Canadian study, patients with the relapsing-remitting form of MS (RRMS) were randomly appointed to take either the Teriflunomide pill or a placebo.  The group taking the oral multiple sclerosis drug had a 31 % reduction in their relapse rates when compared to the placebo group.

Another study, conducted concurrently in these Multiple Sclerosis drug trials, tested the drug at different dosing levels.  It was concluded that the progression of the disease was reduced by almost 30% in the group taking the drug at the higher of the two levels.

These levels of relapse reduction and disease progression reduction are not particularly remarkable when taken alone. There …

Swiss drug manufacturer Novartis MS pill approval is making a big splash in the medical community. The new MS pill offers patients an easier, more convenient way to get their treatment without having to leave their home. And doctors say this means more patients will continue their treatment over the long term. Consensus has always been that the bottom line for any MS therapy to be successful is for the patient to stay on that therapy over the long-haul.  MS afflicts about 400,000 in the U.S. alone. There is no cure yet for the disease, but there have been advances in both reducing relapse frequencies and in modifying the course of the MS.  But one problem is that patients often have symptoms so severe that they become depressed or debilitated to the point that it makes it difficult for them to get out of the house, or they simply don’t …

Most patients will have to use some combination of Multiple Sclerosis Medications during the course of their life. Depending on the progression of your disease, the relapse frequency you are experiencing, and the symptoms that trouble you the most, the MS medications you decide to use will fall into one of three main categories. And over the course of your battle with this debilitating disease, you will likely go back and forth between drugs in the different categories before you find a combination that works best for you.  While new MS medications are being researched and even approved regularly, they will still likely fall into one of these categories until a cure is finally found.

The goal of some MS medications is to reduce the frequency of relapses or shorten the duration of the relapse it already underway

Some drugs are used to control a relapse after it …

One of the New Multiple Sclerosis Drugs being looked at is Daclizumab. It seems to work by targeting a single and specific molecule on immune cells, and in the process quiets the abnormal immune reactions experienced by MS patients.  MS causes the immune system to attack the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, leaving the patient unusually tired, weak, and in pain. Other “weird” sensations follow like tingling and high sensitivity to touch. Vision impairment is also common.

Daclizumab is one of the multiple sclerosis drugs in development stages currently. It is already approved by the FDA for use in preventing rejection of organ transplants, but has recently been studied to see if it can be added to the list of Multiple Sclerosis drugs approved by the FDA.

In two small trial studies, it has been confirmed that adding Daclizumab to interferon-beta therapy relieved symptoms in patients suffering relapse.  …

The use of LDN Multiple Sclerosis therapy is growing by leaps and bounds. LDN, or Low Dose Naltrexone, treatment is growing in large part due to word of mouth. There are multiple forums on LDN MS treatment online and all one has to do is a Google search and dozens of these groups can be found in minutes.   New Horizons newsletter (a publication of the Brewer Science Library) has also featured this Multiple Sclerosis off-label use where it gained further exposure.

What is LDN MS treatment?

LDN Multiple Sclerosis treatment is the off-label use of the drug Naltrexone.  Originally approved for treating opiate addiction, Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, meaning that it interferes with the normal effects of drugs like morphine and heroin. By blocking the pleasurable effects the opiates have on the receptor cells in the brain, the addict will not experience the desired effect.  The treatment …

Novartis MS research has been focused primarily on the new Novartis MS pill Fingolimod. But it doesn’t end there. Novartis Multiple Sclerosis research is also now developing a new oral medication for MS called BAF-312 for the time being. This is a second generation spingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator. Currently in Phase II studies, it is now being tried on humans for the first time. The new Novartis Multiple Sclerosis drug is a back-up compound for Fingolimod, the Novartis MS stalwart. The phase II trial of BAF-312 is trying to determine the best dosage for use in further trials. BAF-312 acts on lymphocytes to limit or inhibit them from moving to inflammation sites.  Information on this drug is still very limited from Novartis. MS researchers are hopeful that it may be more selective in which receptors it modulates. More selectivity may result in better outcomes with less side-effects but that remains to …

More than 350,000 people in the United States alone live every day of their lives with Multiple Sclerosis. The Multiple Sclerosis Medicines they choose becomes as much a part of their life as eating and sleeping.  For many decades now, the available Multiple Sclerosis Medicines have been not much more than re-inventions of old drugs, with pretty much the same results for patients as the drugs they replace. While the costs have gone up and the choices of drug names have expanded, relief for the patient really hasn’t improved all that much.  But in recent years, new MS medicines have started to look at fresh approaches to treating MS that go beyond just treating symptoms and trying to reduce relapse rates.

The first breakthrough came several years ago, with FDA approval of the first oral MS Medicines.  Since that first oral drug approval, MS medicines seem to be improving at …

More than 350,000 people in the United States alone live with Multiple Sclerosis. The Multiple Sclerosis Medication they choose becomes as much a part of their life as eating and sleeping.  Chances are, they will be taking it for a long time, since having MS by itself is not shown to reduce the lifespan of the patient, quality of life becomes as much a consideration as symptom relief and reduction of relapse rates.  Some Multiple Sclerosis medication treatment plans to try to modify the course of the disease, while others try to treat symptoms as they occur.  And still others attempt to reduce the rate of relapses.  Some new Multiple Sclerosis medication methods also try to make taking your meds more convenient, either by switching from, say, an intravenous drug to one contained in a tablet to be taken orally at home.

Let’s take a look at some of the …

For patients suffering from the relapsing-remitting form of MS, Tysabri is an effective treatment. But most doctors are recommending it be used only to treat cases of rapidly-evolving and severe relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis or (RES). This is because of side effect possibilities of Multiple Sclerosis Tysabri treatment, which are not insignificant. RES is characterized by experiencing two or more relapses in a year period, and one or more gadolinium-enhancing lesions as seen on an MRI of the brain. Usually, the initial disease modifying therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple Sclerosis will be an interferon beta-1a, interferon beta-1b or Glatiramer Acetate based treatment.
MS Tysabri treatment is actually a natalizumab treatment. Tysabri is the brand name of the drug.

Multiple Sclerosis Tysabri treatment approved after two trials showed evidence of effectiveness for RMMS patients

The original FDA approval of MS Tysabri infusion to treat relapsing forms of MS was based conclusions …

Steroids occur naturally in the human body.  So why the controversy about Multiple Sclerosis steroids used in MS therapy?  Of all the steroid types – glucocorticosteroids, mineralcorticosteroids, androgens and progestins, the glucocorticosteroids, or glucocorticoids are normally used as part of any therapy for treating relapses of Multiple Sclerosis. Steroids of this group are produced by the adrenal glands and are present in the body as cortisone and hydrocortisone.  These cortisones have an immunosuppressive effect of deactivating the white blood cells known as T-cells.  T-cell reduction is also the effect desired in many other drugs currently in trial stages.  The interest in MS steroids in treatment is that these white blood cells are primarily responsible for the damage done by MS.  All this is to say that reducing the white blood cell count would reduce the severity and the frequency of relapse of MS, steroids being a good way to do …

The approval from the FDA for Ampyra for MS patients came in January of 2010, but research has been ongoing for decades.  Ampyra is the brand name for the slow release form of 4-aminopyridine, known as 4-AP.  The studies of the link between 4-AP and demyelination go back as far as 1980.  In fact, the possibilities of using Ampyra for Multiple Sclerosis treatment really got its start in agriculture.  This is yet another example of research leading to accidental discoveries that end up opening entirely new avenues of understanding the way he body works.

4-aminopyridine chloride, sold as Avitrol, is used as a bird repellant by baiting some birds in a flock with it, where the drug acts on the central nervous system to change their behavior.  This behavioral change frightens off the other birds, who always act in unison as a flock.

The use of Ampyra for MS

All you need to do is a quick internet search for Low Dose Naltrexone MS and you will quickly find forums and chat areas filled with patients extolling the virtues of LDN, which is the commonly used acronym for Low Dose Naltrexone MS therapy.  It has an almost cult-like following similar to using Medical Marijuana.  So why don’t more doctors prescribe Naltrexone Multiple Sclerosis therapy for their patients?  There are a few reasons that seem obvious.

First of all, it is an off label use of the drug.  Naltrexone is actually an opiate antagonist and it is FDA approved for use in helping people addicted to opiate drugs like Morphine, Percocet, or even Heroin.  It also works to help alcoholics.  By blocking the Opiate receptors, cravings are reduced and thus the addiction is eventually beat.

Secondly, there have been no Phase III type controlled trials or studies done so most …

To understand the role Multiple Sclerosis Myelin Sheath damage plays in the symptoms and destruction of quality of life for MS patients, you must start with some basic understanding of the Central Nervous System. The CNS consists of regions of white matter and grey matter. The white matter is responsible for communication between the grey matter, where the “processing of signals” is done.

The neurons in this white matter tissue are the ones usually attacked in multiple sclerosis. This kind of neuron is a long thin cell with a bulb-like head called a soma, which contains the cell nucleus and also a long, thin strand called an axon. The soma has tendrils called dendrites growing out of it.

The axon of one neuron connects to the tendrils of other neurons by a connection called a synapse. Signals or impulses travel down the axon and then are transmitted to other neurons …

One day a cure for MS will be found. There are many new drugs approved to relieve symptoms but what interests patients and researchers most, besides a cure, is finding well-tolerated but effective ways to slow down the progression. Multiple Sclerosis Beta Interferon drugs are commonly used to halt or slow the disease’s progression. MS Beta Interferon in both the beta 1a and beta 1b forms have also increased the time between attacks (relapses).

Both Multiple Sclerosis Interferon Beta -1a and 1b injections have been found to help most in patients with Relapsing-Remitting multiple Sclerosis.  Those with Secondary-progressive MS don’t seem to get the same results with either of the MS Beta Interferon treatments.  Conversely, those that are diagnosed early and begin either treatment early experience the best results.

What is the difference between the two Multiple Sclerosis Interferon Beta drugs?

Interferon Beta-1a is made from cells found …

The argument used to be that since Multiple Sclerosis Steroid treatment did nothing to slow the progression of the disease, treatment with them should be avoided because there was no benefit.  Some may argue that this is still the case, basing their argument on the fact that there are too many side effects to consider MS Steroid treatment.  But the majority of the MS community now sees that just reducing the severity of the side effects during relapses and reducing the length of time a patient remains in relapse is a trade-off worth making.

Usually MS patients endure at least mild symptoms while the disease is in remission, but when an attack, or relapse, comes on the fatigue makes even going to work sometimes impossible.  Patients sometimes go into depression, and the difficulty in walking limits activities severely and also raises self-image issues that can compound the depression.  Steroids help …

MS Fingolimod oral treatment is marketed under the brand name Gilenya by its manufacturer, Novartis. It was a landmark approval because at the time, Multiple Sclerosis Fingolimod therapy became the first oral treatment approved and marketed in the United States for relapsing forms of MS.  Then in 2011, the Swiss agency responsible for drug approval (the equivalent to the FDA) gave MS Fingolimod treatment the green light in that country for the relapsing-remitting form of the affliction.  A few months later, similar approval was given in Europe.  Fingolimod seems to enhance the myelination and axonal protection of the nerve cells in oral dosing.  It is the destruction of the myelin sheath that causes the real damage caused by MS so this bears further study but is promising.  MS Fingolimod oral use also seems to have the potential to reduce neurodegeneration and promote endogenous repair of the Central Nervous System.  It …

A study conducted in Spain shows Multiple Sclerosis Prednisone given in low dosage combined with Interferon beta 1a continuously significantly and dramatically reduced the rate of relapses in patients with MS. Prednisone administered continuously and concurrently is the key and needs to be stressed here. Neurological MS symptoms that are worsening are generally treated with a course of high dose glucocorticoids given intravenously. But this only seems to delay the relapses instead of preventing them, offering no real benefit in the long run. But the low dose MS Prednisone therapy given on a continuous basis and in varied combinations with the interferon beta 1a does seem to actually reduce the relapses, by 72% in this particular study done in 2002 in Seville, Spain.

So with this evidence, doctors at the Indiana MS Center tested the Multiple Sclerosis Prednisone low dose combinations and found similar results.  The other benefit to this …

The longest study to date of MS Copaxone infections, a 15 yr study in Jerusalem, was made public in February of 2010. The study data was published in the Multiple Sclerosis journal and chronicles the longest ever uninterrupted evaluation of Multiple Sclerosis Copaxone treatment involving relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients to date. The decade and a half clinical study showed that over 80 percent of participants were still able to walk without help, even though they had MS for about 22 years. Furthermore, about 66% did not proceed to develop secondary-progressive MS. The ARR, or Annualized Relapse Rate, was also reduced.  For those that remained on the MS Copaxone therapy for the duration of the study, the ARR declined from 1.12 to .25 by the end of the trial.  The margin of error for ARR was plus or minus 0.82 and 0.34 respectively.

Manufacturer Teva Pharmaceutical Industries pleased with MS

The FDA has a program called Fast Track. It is a program that puts new drug reviews on an expedited track for review. Multiple Sclerosis Campath therapy is now on that track. For the manufacturer and patients with MS, Campath being put on this list is welcome news.  Under this designation, Multiple Sclerosis Campath treatment marketing applications can be reviewed before the submission of the New Drug Application is complete. So if the drug is finally approved, MS Campath therapy will be available much quicker for actual use than if the drug remained under the normal review process.

MS Campath therapy could be transformative.

Campath is primarily targeting the early diagnosed relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patient.  It is in trial along with Rebif for patients that have not received any prior therapies for their RRMS since being diagnosed.  It requires only minimal annual dosing compared with many other drugs.  …

While Botulinum toxin is not indicated for it, MS Botox treatment has been more widely used lately for its purported relief of Spasticity as it relates to Multiple Sclerosis.  There are three types of the neurotoxin available for therapeutic use.  Your doctor will have to decide which of the three might be appropriate for your Multiple Sclerosis Botox treatment.  The FDA has not yet approved Botox for MS spasticity, but that hasn’t stopped patients desperate for any kind of relief they can get from the debilitating disease.  But closely related to MS, Botox has been approved to treat a similar condition noted for repetitive contraction of the neck muscles known as cervical dystonia.

Just what is Spasticity?

Spasticity is a wide range of completely involuntary muscle contractions that result in stiffness and muscle contractions.  It interferes with normal muscle movement and mostly involves the leg and arm muscles.  …

While not developed or intended for it, Low Dose Naltrexone Multiple Sclerosis treatment has shown significant easing of the symptoms of fatigue and neuromuscular spasm symptoms.  It also seems to resolve acute relapse attacks when administered while the attack is in progress.

Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist drug that is used to treat opiate drug addiction by blocking the brains receptors to the opiate drugs, like heroin and morphine. But the idea of using Low Dose Naltrexone MS treatment was thought up by Dr. Bernard Bihari, a neuro-physician in the United States. He surmised that by obstructing the effects of brain endorphins, the immune system would be stimulated and the activity of MS would thus be reduced. A low dose of around 3mg will increase the T-cell level by 300% and will last for about 18 hours. Thus, the Low Dose Naltrexone Multiple Sclerosis treatment term was coined. It is …

Until as recently as this year, most of the treatment options for treating symptoms of late stage MS involved injecting one or many drugs. Fingolimod Multiple Sclerosis finally gained FDA approval on September 22, 2010. Fingolimod MS pills could mark a turning point in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Pills are much more convenient and tolerable for patients, and could mean they are more likely to stay on their treatment plans. Fingolimod Multiple Sclerosis oral medication is marketed under the name Gilenya and targets the relapsing-remitting MS that is defined as relapsing episodes, usually progressively worse, followed by a period where the symptoms either completely or partially disappear. It both slows the progression of disability and reduces the frequency of relapses.

The most frequent side effects reported with the Fingolimod MS pills were headache, diarrhea, back pain, influenza, liver enzyme level elevation and cough.

Long term side effects

The Cladribine Multiple Sclerosis pill to be known as Mylinax is approved for use in the US for treating forms of blood cell cancer under the brand name Leustatin.  But while approved in some countries, Cladribine MS use in the states has met repeated rejection by the FDA.  The reason so many patients are excited about Cladribine Multiple Sclerosis approval is that it will be in the form of a pill.  There is still no cure for MS, but a lot of research is being conducted to focus on easing the symptoms and slowing the disability.  There are estimate that over two million patients worldwide suffer from MS, most from the relapsing-remitting form of the disease. If approval is won in the US for Cladribine, Multiple Sclerosis would certainly celebrate, but Merck would stand to gain financially in a substantial way as well.  So they are not about to give …

The FDS does not regulate MS supplements, or any supplements for that matter. They do monitor for fraud, but you should do your own research. First understand that MS attacks the myelin, or sheath, of the nerves. When this protective sheath is destroyed or compromised, the nerve loses its ability to transmit the electrical impulses along the nerve fiber.  One very interesting natural supplement to consider is plain, ordinary vitamin D. It has been shown that children that spend lots of time in the sun have a lower incidence of MS in adulthood. It would stand to reason then that Multiple sclerosis supplements containing Vitamin D could positively decrease the damage done or at least slow its progression.  This could be said of foods rich in vitamin D as well.  Here are a couple things to think about.

Multiple sclerosis supplements containing Nicotinimide shows promise.

In studies …

Sometimes the choice of therapy to treat your disease is as hard as fighting it.  The MS Avonex alternative is another of the myriad of choices you’ll need to make.  Some of the other drugs that fall in the same category as Multiple Sclerosis Avonex therapy are the so called CRAB drugs.  The other drugs in this same class, which are all shown to be about equal in their effectiveness of reducing relapses are Copaxone, Rebif, Avonex, and Betaseron.  They all reduce relapses by about 30 – 35% in RRMS patients.  One advantage MS Avonex therapy has is that it is only injected once weekly, compared to as many as 7 times weekly for some of the others.    This fact alone is enough to make up some patients mind at first.

MS Avonex effectiveness and side effects

The findings from extensive trials are that the relapse rate was …

EMD Serono of Canada is marketing Rebif MS treatment in a disposable self injecting package that makes this procedure a lot more comfortable and convenient for the more than 350,000 sufferers of this debilitating and painful progressive disease.  It is called the Rebiject II (good marketing name) and is extremely easy to use in your own home, or even while you are out for the evening.  Rebif Multiple Sclerosis injections are given from this one piece device that has a needle depth adjuster to let you know just how far the needle will penetrate beneath the skin.  This is important to those that may not have much body fat.  It loads with the drug in one easy step so that you don’t have to take the plunger off the needle for each Rebif MS injection.  There is a visual signal to let you know your injection is complete and successful, …

It is recommended that Multiple Sclerosis Natalizumab treatment be reserved as an option only for cases of rapidly evolving severe relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis or (RES). RES is defined as two or more debilitating relapses in a year, and one or more gadolinium-enhancing lesions on a brain MRI.

MS Natalizumab therapy is given by intravenous injection and the dose is 300 mg every 28 days.  Monitoring for symptoms of immunogenicity and hypersensitivity is required and recommended.  Multiple Sclerosis Natalizumab therapy has statistically reduced the probability of disability progression compared with placebo groups in both ITT and RES patient trials.  In addition, MS Natalizumab treatment led to a reduction in the relapse rate, with a risk reduction of 0.68 in the ITT patients and 0.81 in the RES patients. The manufacturer also showed evidence that, compared with placebo, MS Natalizumab infusions significantly improved health-related quality of life.  And since MS doesn’t necessarily …

Anxious and strange feelings and sensations are nothing new but MS Solu Medrol corticosteroid therapy can increase these feelings of anxiety.  Since MS affects the neurologic systems, a drug that affects the neural pathways can easily increase anxious and other feelings.

Multiple Sclerosis Solu Medrol therapy is an intravenous corticosteroid given in high doses daily for up to a week at a time. It is usually used as an emergency treatment for acute exacerbations.  And while it does nothing at all to affect the course or progress of the disease, it does make the length of the relapse much shorter by stopping the inflammation in short order and closing the blood-brain barrier.  Multiple Sclerosis Solu Medrol therapy uses the liquid form of methyl prednisone, which induces chemical changes in specific neurons, sometimes weakening, sometimes strengthening these pathways crucial to regulating these feelings.  It is no surprise then that this chemical …

It started mostly with infusions, then Multiple Sclerosis injections.  Beginning in the nineties, MS Injections became available that would not only treat the crippling and painful symptoms, but also slowed down the progress of the disease as well.  With the winning of every little battle, researcher come one step closer to winning the war.  While these modification therapies don’t provide a cure by any means, the ability to slow the progression as well as the rate of recurrence is important.  Since MS does not usually decrease life expectancy by any significant amount, the longer you can keep the disease in its early stages, the better quality of life the patient can enjoy.  Multiple Sclerosis injections are usually given under the skin, also known as subcutaneously.  There are some that are given into the muscle, but that is the exception.  Some of the drugs given under the skin follow:

 …

When this very powerful drug is used to treat Multiple Sclerosis, Mitoxantrone is another chemotherapy injection not unlike those used to treat lymphomas and leukemia.  But it is because of its powerful immune suppression activity that it is being tried in MS patients.  And there has been success.  This is most promising for patients with the most aggressive MS types like secondary progressive MS.  Mitoxantrone has shown a 66 percent reduction of relapses in one study group of this drug.  Multiple Sclerosis Mitoxantrone therapy is often a last resort for these patients, as little else slows progression or reduces relapses.

Another study compared giving patients with primary-progressive multiple sclerosis Mitoxantrone combined with steroids compared to patients given steroids only.  After half a year, 90% of the group with Mitoxantrone combined with steroids showed no new MRI lesions compared to 31% of the group on steroids only.  That is significant, considering …

Genzyme Corporation has completed the deal that gives it the rights to the drug worldwide. Multiple Sclerosis Alemtuzumab treatment is no doubt important to the millions of patients suffering for MS around the world.  But in the pharmaceutical world successful MS Alemtuzumab trials also is of substantial financial interest to Genzyme Corp. as well.  They have secured the rights to commercialize any successful results from Bayer HealthCare.  Under the agreement’s terms, Genzyme is making no payments to Bayer upfront, but will make payments in the future to Bayer based on revenue that Multiple Sclerosis Alemtuzumab therapy may generate.   It could be a very important revenue generator if the drug is approved and successfully marketed worldwide.

Alemtuzumab is in phase 3 trials and is targeting RRMS, or relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis Alemtuzumab treatment in two separate trials.  Bayer will continue to help fund development until the drug is finally approved.

Data

Multiple Sclerosis pills have been dreamed of as the “holy grail”.  New MS pills are in the works, some in very late stages of the approval process that offers hope for the millions of MS sufferers worldwide.  Most current treatment involves either injections or intravenous therapy that involves steroids, interferon, and similar toxic drugs.  The Ms pills currently under study offer a lot more convenience but don’t offer significant improvement or relief from sometimes horrible side effects.  The two most promising Multiple Sclerosis pills under study as of 2010 are cladribine, made by Merck and marketed under the name Serono, and Fingolimod, made by Novartis.  Sereno is already approved by the FDA but not as one of the new MS pills.  Instead, it is approved for treatment of some of the blood cancers.  Both of the Multiple Sclerosis pills are shown to be effective, and both are being developed to …

In the battle against Multiple Sclerosis, Gilenya could be a small victory.  In your struggle to beat back the debilitating symptoms of MS, Gilenya now gives you the option to take a pill instead.  Multiple Sclerosis afflicts more than 350,000 people in the United States alone.  Until now, treating this crippling disease usually meant going to the doctor’s office or giving yourself an injection.  All that has changed now with the approval of Gilenya.  It treats the relapsing form of MS.  Gilenya keeps the white blood cells locked up in the lymph nodes by taking away the chemical “key” that unlocks entry into the lymph node.  If the white blood cells are “locked away”, they can’t attack your body.  Thus, further relapses become less likely.  This breakthrough was actually an accident, since the drug was formulated to prevent kidney transplant rejections.  But it was way too toxic at the needed …

Mitoxantrone MS treatment is one of only 2 shown effective for secondary progressive MS. This debilitating disease affects about 350,000 patients in the U.S. alone.  With Mitoxantrone, Multiple Sclerosis patients, especially those that suffer from the secondary progressive, progressive relapsing form of the disease.  As the name implies, each relapse becomes progressively worse, so preventing the relapses becomes of paramount importance.

About half of the patients originally diagnosed with MS will develop the secondary progressive, progressive relapsing form of MS.  This means that there is a progression of the disability and symptoms, and that the symptoms of each relapse is worse than the prior one, and they become more frequent – with less time of remission between flare ups.  Using Mitoxantrone, MS is treated by suppressing the activity of the white blood cells known as T cells and B cells, as well as macrophages.  All of these are thought to …

The most significant Alemtuzumab Multiple Sclerosis trials have been in Canada.  There, an important trial has shown that Alemtuzumab MS treatments kept relapses from occurring in more than 70% of the participants.  The study goes on to report that not only did these patients have no relapses, but they showed “no clinical disease activity.  This is statistically much better than patients that were treated with subcutaneous interferon Beta-1a.  Interferon Beta – 1A, also known as Rebif only showed a 48.5% relapse free rate while the Alemtuzumab Multiple Sclerosis treated patients had a relapse free rate of about 90%.  The study was conducted in Toronto, Canada.  The patients got 5 injections in the first week of the study and then 3 more on consecutive days a year later.

Outcomes for the Alemtuzumab MS treatment was the same even when dosage varied.

The Alemtuzumab (MS) Multiple Sclerosis study was done …

Rituxan MS treatment is cell specific.  Instead of attacking T-cells, the B-cells are reduced in the Rituxan, Multiple Sclerosis off-label use of this popular and widely used cancer drug.  It is thought that the B-cells may play a critical role in the relapse rate of the debilitating disease.  So in finding this new use of Rituxan, MS researchers may have also found a new avenue to pursue in fighting MS by discovering a possible new cause of it.  It is known from previous research with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that the drug depletes the B-cells.  And since the relapse rate was so significantly reduced in the Rituxan MS trials, the focus has now shifted to finding out just what role these B-cells play.  Until recently, therapies for MS have focused primarily the T-cells, another immune cell that attacks the fatty myelin coating that insulates the nerves.  It may be that B-cells may …

Until as recently as 2010, most of the treatment options for treating symptoms of late stage MS involved injecting one or many drugs.  New Multiple Sclerosis pill options are now available and three late stage studies are showing that Fingolimod and Cladribine are effective.  If the FDA gives its approval, it could mark a turning point in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.  Pill popping is much more convenient and tolerable for patients, and could mean they are more likely to stay on their treatment plans.  These two drugs are targeting the relapsing-remitting MS that is defined as relapsing episodes, usually progressively worse, followed by a period where the symptoms either completely or partially disappear.

A Multiple Sclerosis pill would be a real profit maker for the manufacturer.

Since no cure has yet been found for Multiple Sclerosis, pill treatment to manage the symptoms and prevent relapses would be …

MS Methylprednisolone treatment can be a double-edged sword.  As bad as people suffer with Multiple Sclerosis, Methylprednisolone treatment often ends up making them suffer more.  It is often used alone, or in combination with interferon beta – 1a in an attempt to improve the outcome for RRMS or relapsing-remitting MS.  Like most treatment regimens for Multiple Sclerosis, methylprednisolone needs to be evaluated on an individual basis to see if the side effects outweigh the benefits.  In a Denmark study recently, that was published in “The Lancet Neurology” 130 patients were studied that were being treated for relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis.  Methylprednisolone was added both orally and intravenously to half of the group along with their interferon beta – 1a.  Of the patients taking interferon for the MS, methylprednisolone added either orally or intravenously cut the relapse rate roughly in half.  But the effect was short lasting and worst of all, one …

Besides Multiple Sclerosis, Neurontin (Gabapentin) is a drug prescribed for many reasons, but for patients with MS, Neurontin (which is the brand name for Gabapentin) the interest is in the effect the drug has on dysesthesias – which is a painful and persistent sensation caused by even a gentle tough to the skin.  Some people describe this as a “pins and needles” type of pain that can be extremely distracting. It should be noted that dysesthesias is not only present in MS patients.  Other conditions like Shingles, Lyme disease, and sometimes even side effects from other medications can cause it.  In some cases it is caused by heavy metal exposure.  A neurologist should be consulted to determine the exact cause of your dysesthesias.  Usually additional studies and MRI scans of the brain and spinal cord will help with determining the cause.  But it is common for MS sufferers and is …

Multiple Sclerosis Amantadine treatment came about like many other MS treatments. A drug is developed for one reason and side effect becomes a benefit.  For victims of MS, Amantadine has been one of these cases.  Amantadine was originally approved for use as an antiviral drug to treat or at least prevent some influenza infections.  Sometimes it is also used in concurrence with other drugs as part of drug regimen for treating Parkinson’s disease as well.  But for reasons still unknown, it has been reported that for patients Multiple Sclerosis, Amantadine, has reduced these daytime bouts with debilitating fatigue.  The fact that the MS Amantadine relationship is not yet understood does not make it any less effective.  The usual dosage for MS Amantadine fatigue management is in the 100 to 200 mg/day range.  It should be taken early in the day so you don’t disrupt your normal nighttime sleep.  A sleep …

Glatiramer Acetate Multiple Sclerosis treatment has shown promise in treating patients who have the relapsing-remitting form of the disease.  Glatiramer Acetate MS also seems to be well tolerated and is shown to maintain its positive clinical effects on relapse rates over the longer term.  So far the really good results have been with the relapsing-remitting form of MS.  Those with other forms have not shown similar results to date.

Glatiramer, going under the brand name Copaxone, is an artificial protein that bears close resemblance to the natural myelin protein.  This is another case of not knowing exactly how the medicine works, but Glatiramer Acetate Multiple Sclerosis treatment has shown signs of slowing the disease’s progression or even extending the time before you actually get the disease when treatment begins after a single episode of a neurological symptom like optic neuritis for example.  It needs to be repeated that the best …

Amantadine MS therapy is another case of what often happens with Pharmaceuticals; sometimes a drug is formulated for one condition and what was an unwanted side effect turns into a benefit.  And Amantadine, Multiple Sclerosis sufferers have discovered such a surprise.  While researching Amantadine, MS was not the original target.  It was originally approved for use as an antiviral drug to treat or at least prevent some influenza infections.  Sometimes it is also used in concurrence with other drugs as part of drug regimen for treating Parkinson’s disease as well.  But for reasons still unknown, it has been reported that with Amantadine, MS fatigue related symptoms have been reduced.  The fact that the Amantadine MS relationship is not yet understood does not make it any less effective.  The usual dose for Amantadine MS fatigue management is 100 to 200 mg per day. If nighttime sleep routines are disrupted, the dose …

Since the 1980’s, there has been considerable hope MS IVIg treatments, or one of the other immunosuppressive agents could possibly successfully treat MS.  Some of them have worked well, others have not. Multiple Sclerosis IVIg was once promising.  Some of that initial hope has faded. For the most part the treatments for MS have evolved from immunosuppressive steroids and chemotherapy to the immunomodulators like Avonex, Betaseron, and Copaxone.  Despite initial positive indications, these treatments have been mostly disappointing.  And most of the long-term effects have been acutely toxic over long periods.  It is now determined that these treatments should only be used in very select circumstances and patients.  Multiple Sclerosis IVIg was once promising.  Intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIg) was once thought to reduce the clinical attack rate.  But the initial trials involved only small numbers of patients, therefore once more comprehensive studies were conducted have challenged the validity of …

Traditional MS drug therapies used up through and until the mid 1990’s were all immunosuppressives.  Fingolimod or FTY720 multiple sclerosis treatment has been studied since it was first synthesized in 1992.  FTY720 MS therapy belongs to the group of drugs known as immunomodulators.  That is to say it is like the so-called ABC drugs that started to be used in the mid-nineties.  These drugs – Avonex, Betaseron, and Copaxone are also in the category of immunomodulators.  While the traditional immunosuppressives would treat the immune system as an entire system, or globally, these ABC drugs fight a specific part of the immune system that has become overactive in relation to MS.  But Fingolimod or FTY720 multiple sclerosis, (MS) treatment is newer.  In fact, it didn’t gain approval until 2010 in the US and 2011 in Europe, Canada, and Australia.  Originally developed as an anti rejection medication for post-transplant patients, it was …

Multiple Sclerosis Provigil treatment is a new approach. Traditional MS drug therapies were all immunosuppressives.  These drugs attempt to slow the progression of MS, but don’t help much with the symptoms.  New regimens for MS, Provigil included amongst them, show signs of relieving the symptoms that so often degrade the quality of life for MS patients.

Not developed for Multiple Sclerosis, Provigil was originally formulated to treat narcolepsy.  But recent clinical trials are trying to quantify the effect that lower doses of the drug might improve the quality of sleep for MS patients and therefore reduce daytime fatigue.  Fatigue is usually one of the more troubling symptoms for MS patients.  It’s hard to live your life being constantly tired.  There is no real way to measure fatigue, but it remains one of the most commonly reported symptoms in MS patients.  So if you are battling fatigue as one of your …

The plants grown by the GW Pharmaceutical are specifically grown to extract high quality cannabis for Sativex Multiple Sclerosis medicine to be used to treat MS symptoms; the plants used for Sativex MS therapy contain no psychoactive potential.  This is the result of 10 years of development, and so far it is paying off.  The drug relieves muscle stiffness in patients with MS.  Even though this is only one of the debilitating symptoms, any relief is welcome and improves the quality of life for these unfortunate patients.

Canada approves Sativex, MS patients worldwide await approval

The suffering from MS knows no boundaries but apparently relief from the symptoms does.  GW closely monitors the growth and production of the marijuana it uses to extract the cannabinoids.  It does so in hopes to allay fears that the plants will be diverted for recreational use.  These chemicals have plenty of anecdotal …

Traditional MS drug therapies used up through and until the mid 1990’s were all immunosuppressives.  Since MS is an autoimmune condition, this approach made sense.  These MS drug treatments included steroids and chemotherapy, which usually caused damage to the patient’s body even though they did slow the progression of this hideous disease.  Diagnosis of MS usually happens somewhere between the age of 20 and 40, so slowing down progression can significantly improve the quality of life.  And since the lifespan is usually not significantly decreased, the quality of life is of utmost importance at this stage of our progress in treating MS patients.

MS drug treatments – a new approach

In the mid-nineties, the so-called “ABC Drugs” started to be used with increasing frequency in MS drug treatments regimens.  These drugs – Avonex, Betaseron, and Copaxone are in the category of immunomodulators.  While the traditional immunosuppressives would treat the …

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 …

Dr Gary New guide will take you hand by hand and teach you how to check yourself for lead poisoning…

One of the first steps in getting treatment for multiple sclerosis is to start using a treatment such as MS Betaseron.  When first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it is important to start protecting the body against the disease progression.  Multiple sclerosis Betaseron is one of the medications that can be used to help suppress the disease, making it progress much more slowly.  It is the first line of defense when someone is first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and if they in the first stage of the disease – the relapsing-remitting stage.  It is only FDA approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis.  This is because the drug works to help a patient by reducing relapses.  It also helps to stabilize or reduce the size of lesions in the brain, which can reduce the severity and the duration of symptoms.

How Multiple Sclerosis Betaseron Is Administered

MS …

MS is a progressive disease, meaning that it gets worse over time.  Multiple Sclerosis Novantrone is a drug on the market that is designed to help slow down the progress of multiple sclerosis and to help keep relapses from occurring as often.  While there is no cure for MS at this time, this drug is very useful in slowing down the progression of the disease.  This drug works by suppressing the immune system.  This tells the disease to stop attacking certain nerves in the body, leading to slower disease progression and less symptoms.  It also helps to prevent the formation of new lesions in the brain.  Multiple sclerosis novantrone is most helpful in the first stages of the disease, such as the relapsing-remitting stage and the progressive-relapsing stage.  Starting novantrone at the start of the disease can help it to stay in a remissive stage longer.

Novantrone is administered by …

Multiple sclerosis has a wide variety of different symptoms throughout the course of the disease, and using MS Fampridine can help treat a wide variety of different ailments related to the disease.  By taking multiple sclerosis Fampridine, symptoms that involve pain, immobility, muscle strength, and more can be improved.  Fampridine is a fairly new drug on the market, and was first approved by the FDA as a prescription drug to treat multiple sclerosis in 2010.  This makes it the newest drug to be approved for multiple sclerosis since 2004.  It is the first prescription drug that was developed solely to treat multiple sclerosis symptoms.  It is also one of the only oral drugs available to use to treat multiple sclerosis.  Most other drugs must be given intravenously.  Since its approval, it has also become known as Ampyra.  It is only available through a prescription from a licensed medical professional.…

People who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis will have many different symptoms that will occur at different periods during the course of the disease.  Using MS Tegretol, a prescription medication, can help to treat some of the different symptoms related to multiple sclerosis.  Tegretol, the brand name for a medication called carbamazepine, is most often used to treat the specific shocking pain associated with MS, particularly in the facial area.  MS Tegretol is classified as an anti-convulsant, so it works by helping to stop the painful tics and spasms that occur in the body when it is afflicted with multiple sclerosis.  It works by regulating the nervous system to reduce these painful attacks.  This prescription medication can also be used to help with bladder control at later stages in the disease, when tics or convulsions can cause incontinence.  Tegretol is often considered one of the best and most …

Three categories of MS medicine exist. There are those for Relapsing Remitting MS, Secondary Progressive MS, and Primary Progressive MS. Multiple Sclerosis medicine can vary between these levels of MS as well. As the disease progresses, the name changes, but moving up from one category to the next can take many years.

Interferon beta is a medication generally prescribed to RR MS patients, but it can also be given to some SP MS patients who are experiencing relapses. Glatiramer acetate is another type of med given to people with RR MS. Both of these medicines are injected anywhere from daily to once a week, depending on the type of med. MS medicine news has stated a new oral medication should be on its way in the next year or two.

For acute relapses in RR MS and sometimes in SP MS, dexamethasone, prednisone, and methylprednisolone are prescribed. Each of these …

There is a purpose behind the creation of every drug and an MS med is no different. A Multiple Sclerosis med can be used control the symptoms of MS, prevent relapses from occurring, and also for altering the course of the disease itself.

Due to the number of symptoms an MS patient can experience, there is an equally lengthy list of meds to combat them. Medicines that relieve the symptoms of MS don’t always slow the progression of the disease, but they can make life a bit easier. Fatigue, muscle stiffness, tremors, urinary problems, constipation, abdominal pain, depression, difficulty walking, and sexual difficulties can all be adjusted with the aid of MS medications.

Relapses can be controlled with the use of corticosteroids. Controlling a relapse through corticosteroids won’t prevent the disability or affect the long-term course of MS, but it can help to shorten the relapse and allow the patient …

The MS drugs news is constantly discussing the current medicines used to manage Multiple Sclerosis, but there is always the need for new and improved MS drugs. The MS drugs in development list has at least one up and coming medicine with a lot of potential. This oral drug is called laquinimod and so far the studies performed on it have gotten nothing but positive results.

The drugs used to treat various stages of MS are numerous. Some are for specifically treating relapses, while others help to modify the course of the disease. The majority of the medicines used on MS patients are for managing the numerous symptoms experienced daily.

Research on laquinimod showed it not only reduced the percentage rate of relapses had annually, but it also reduced the amount of brain atrophy, as well as the rate in which MS progressed. Each of these benefits gives Multiple Sclerosis …

A number of MS meds have been developed over the years. As with most pharmaceutical discoveries, some Multiple Sclerosis meds have proved to be more beneficial than others. Medicine for MS patients is used to treat many common early symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis; tingling, numbness, loss of balance, fatigue, and weakness in limbs. Of course there are additional symptoms associated with MS that are less common such as, distorted eyesight, slurred speech, and difficulty thinking. The meds created for Multiple Sclerosis are designed to take care of multiple symptoms at once.

Meds for MS can be used to alter the course of the disease, which is known as ‘disease-modifying therapy’ or they can be used to control a specific symptom. Patients going through a relapse will take meds that help to make attacks less severe and much shorter than they would be without the medicine. Meds used to control the …

In 2010, fingolimod became the latest MS drug treatment available. Before this FDA Approved MS Drug came to be, all the MS drugs used for slowing the progression of MS had to be given via injection. Fingolimod is taken orally once a day and has proved beneficial in slowing the progression of MS in patients. Preventing relapses from occurring is another use for fingolimod.

Fingolimod is able to reduce the severity of MS symptoms, as well as the frequency at which they occur. It is the first oral drug able to compete with the current injectable therapies supplied to people with Multiple Sclerosis. The severity of MS is reduced by fingolimod as this drug blocks the blood cells in lymph nodes. As these cells are blocked, they are no longer able to make their way to the spinal cord and brain.

This MS drug has provided many people with fantastic …