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    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Guide
    • Overview
      • What Is Multiple Sclerosis?
      • MS in Women
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      • What Are the Different Types of MS?
      • Relapsing-Remitting
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      • Spasticity
      • Flare-Ups
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      • Treatments for MS
      • Disease-Modifying Therapy
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      • Complications From MS
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    • View Full Guide

    Treatment

    Athough there's not yet a cure for MS, there are many effective medications to help you manage the disease. 

    1. Treatments for MS

      1. Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis

        Athough there's not yet a cure for MS, there are many effective medications to help you manage the disease. Here's a rundown of your treatment options.

      2. MS Medication Options

        These are drugs that have been shown to slow the progression of MS.

      3. Induction and Escalation Therapies for MS

        There are two ways doctors usually approach treatment, depending on the nature of a person’s MS. These are induction therapy and escalation therapy.

      4. Surgeries and Procedures for MS

        If medication doesn’t work or has side effects you can’t tolerate, your doctor might suggest surgery or another procedure.

      5. How Your MS Treatment May Change Over Time

        As your multiple sclerosis progresses, your therapies may need to change along with it.

      6. The Costs of MS

        Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be an expensive disease, and prescription drugs -- specifically, disease-modifying therapies -- are the largest piece of the cost puzzle.

      7. Experimental Treatments for MS

        What’s on the horizon for people with multiple sclerosis?

      8. Latest Research on MS

        Cutting-edge treatments make it possible to live better with multiple sclerosis (MS) than ever before.

      9. Are Off-Label Drugs Safe for Treating MS?

        Your doctor might suggest going off-label if approved drugs aren't safe for you.

      10. Is My MS Treatment Working?

        You may need a doctor to find out if your main MS treatment -- your disease-modifying drug -- is working.

    2. Disease-Modifying Therapy

      1. Tysabri Therapy

        Natalizumab (Tysabri) is a treatment for people with relapsing forms of MS. It makes flares happen less often and keeps physical disabilities from getting worse quickly.

      2. Novantrone for MS

        Novantrone (mitoxantrone IV) is an immune-suppressing medicine that can only be given by IV.

      3. Imuran for MS

        Imuran (azathioprine) is used to slow the progression of MS by suppressing the body's immune system.

      4. Interferon Beta Drugs

        Interferon beta drugs -- similar to proteins produced naturally by the body -- reduce the frequency of exacerbations and stabilize the course of MS.

      5. Cytoxan Therapy

        Cytoxan suppresses the immune system, which slows MS progression by keeping your white blood cells from attacking your central nervous system.

      6. Stem Cell Therapies for MS

        Stem cell transplantation has been used to treat RRMS. But more research is needed to know how well this works.

    3. Acute Flareups

      1. How to Treat and Prevent an MS Flare-Up

        If you feel fine for weeks or months but your multiple sclerosis symptoms pop up again, you probably have what doctors call a relapse or flare-up.

      2. What Are Glucocorticoids?

        Glucocorticoids are powerful medicines that fight inflammation and work with your immune system to treat wide range of health problems.

      3. Steroids for MS Flares

        If your multiple sclerosis flares up, steroids can treat your symptoms quickly.

      4. Plasma Exchange (Plasmapheresis) for MS

        Plasma exchange, also known as plasmapheresis, is a way to "clean" your blood, similar to kidney dialysis.

    4. Symptom Management

      1. Medications for MS-Related Fatigue

        If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), you might feel very fatigued from time to time.

      2. How to Manage Your Multiple Sclerosis Pain

        Each person with MS can have different levels of pain that can happen on different parts of the body.

      3. MS ‘Zingers’: Tips for Dealing With the Pain

        Sudden pains are common with multiple sclerosis (MS). You might get a shocking, burning, squeezing, stabbing, cold, or prickly feeling out of nowhere. Some people call them zingers or stingers.

      4. MS and Baclofen Therapy

        Baclofen (Gablofen, Lioresal) is a medication that treats stiff muscles and spasms, a condition called spasticity, that can happen to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other nerve diseases.

      5. Botulinum Toxin for MS

        Botulinum toxin (Botox) helps people with MS who have spasticity -- stiff muscles and sudden, uncontrollable movements -- in their arms.

      6. Ampyra and Multiple Sclerosis

        About three-fourths of people with MS have trouble walking. Dalfampridine (Ampyra) is a medication that helps you get around more easily.

      7. Potassium Channel Blockers for MS

        If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), it’s common for it to cause issues with movement and coordination. Your doctor may suggest taking a certain potassium channel blocker medication as part of your treatment plan to improve your ability to walk.

      8. Cognition-Enhancing Drugs for MS

        Multiple sclerosis (MS) may cause cognitive impairment symptoms for many people. Several medications currently approved for MS may help.

    5. Complementary & Alternative Medicine

      1. Alternative and Complementary Treatments for MS

        If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), there are many medical treatments you can use to treat your disease, like medications or physical therapy. But many people look for other ways to feel better, such as acupuncture, yoga, relaxation, herbal remedies, and massage.

      2. Rehab Therapies to Treat MS

        Different forms of rehab therapy, also called restorative rehabilitation, target the way MS changes your life. It helps you stay independent and handle many of the physical, mental, and emotional challenges you face.

      3. Vitamins and Supplements for MS

        If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), you may wonder if vitamins, supplements, and herbs can help you feel better. 

      4. Can Medical Marijuana Help Your MS?

        If your multiple sclerosis treatment isn’t giving you the relief you want, you may be curious about how medical marijuana might help you.

      5. What to Know About CBD and MS

        More research is needed, but scientists think CBD may help with these MS symptoms.

      6. Can Vitamin D Help MS?

        You might have heard that vitamin D helps to lower the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS). Evidence suggests that getting enough of this vitamin might protect against MS by holding back your immune system from attacking your own nerve cells.

      7. Massage and Multiple Sclerosis

        A great massage can help melt away stress and relax muscles. It may also ease certain multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms.

      8. PoNS Device for Multiple Sclerosis

        Could a new device called a portable neuromodulation stimulator (PoNS) help improve your mobility and balance with multiple sclerosis?

      9. Do These Treatments Work for MS?

        Bee stings, cobra venom, and hookworms are things you usually avoid -- unless you have multiple sclerosis. Then, you might be willing to try them to help ease your symptoms.

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