Athough there's not yet a cure for MS, there are many effective medications to help you manage the disease.
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.
These are drugs that have been shown to slow the progression of MS.
Ampyra (dalfampridine) is a medication that helps people with MS who have trouble walking.
Imuran (azathioprine) is used to slow the progression of MS by suppressing the body's immune system.
Cytoxan suppresses the immune system, which slows MS progression by keeping your white blood cells from attacking your central nervous system.
Novantrone (mitoxantrone IV) is an immune-suppressing medicine that can only be given by IV.
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.
IV steroids are sometimes used to reduce and control the symptoms of an acute attack of multiple sclerosis.
Interferon beta drugs -- similar to proteins produced naturally by the body -- reduce the frequency of exacerbations and stabilize the course of MS.
Baclofen is a common treatment for spasticity associated with neurological diseases. A pump system can reduce side effects of the medicine for long-term use.
Glucocorticoids are medicines that fight inflammation and work with your immune system to treat a wide range of health problems.
When doctors prescribe drugs for other conditions to treat MS, these drugs are called "off-label."
New technologies and insights are speeding the pace of discovery for the treatment of MS.
Therapies like acupuncture, yoga, and herbal remedies may be helpful when you use them along with regular MS treatment.
Medical marijuana may be an option to treat some MS symptoms if you live in a state where it's legal and your doctor gives the OK.
Deep brain stimulation targets parts of the brain to control severe tremors.
Some people turn to unproven therapies like bee stings, cobra venom, and a gluten-free diet to help ease MS symptoms.
Stem cell transplantation has been used to treat RRMS. But more research is needed to know how well this works.
Plasma exchange, also known as plasmapheresis, is a way to "clean" your blood, similar to kidney dialysis.
Each person with MS can have different levels of pain that can happen on different parts of the body.
Dysesthesia means "abnormal sensation." It's usually a painful burning, prickling, or aching feeling.
Many people with experience a condition called spasticity which is stiff muscles and spasms.
MS hug or "MS girdle" are terms to describe a band of pain in the torso that's associated with MS.
Botulinum toxin (Botox) helps people with MS who have spasticity -- stiff muscles and sudden, uncontrollable movements -- in their arms.