Hi to all. Good friend recently diagnosed with optic neuritis. had MRI scan which specialists said put him in high risk group - and may need treatment with interferon. does anyone have experience of this- am new to site will browse for answers as well thanks D.
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Hello again, have been browsing the site and enjoyed it - found some interesting threads and posts. Thanks.
Have been googling for the answer to my question
Does anyone have experience of optic neuritis and having treatment with interferon?
best wishes D. -
Hello wellinformedgirl3 and welcome to MSWorld.
Optic Neuritis (ON) can be treated with high does IV steroids. Optic Neuritis can be caused by MS but those without the disease can also have Optic Neuritis.
The Interferon medication you are referring to is used in the treatment of MS. These treatments are known as Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs) or Disease Modifying Drugs (DMDs).
Hopefully that answered your question, somewhat
There is no cure for MS and the medications are to hopefully slow down the disease, hopefully decrease relapses and hopefully decrease lesion load.Diagnosed 1984
“Lightworkers aren’t here to avoid the darkness…they are here to transform the darkness through the illuminating power of love.” Muses from a mysticComment
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Hi Snoopy
Thanks for the answer. Best wishesComment
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more about optic neuritis and interferon
Hello all
I have been looking into the treatment of optic neuritis and interferon. Please excuse me if this is already well known, but it seems important to me.
I have read that an early MRI brain scan is recommended at presentation of optic neuritis in view of evidence that early treatment with β-interferons delays conversion of high risk (associated abnormal brain MRI) isolated optic neuritis to clinically definite multiple sclerosis. I read it here
Having looked into this further I think the original study was the CHAMPS study (please excuse me if you know this already) - CHAMPS stands for The Controlled High Risk Avonex Multiple Sclerosis Study
I think this is the original study but I am not sure
I am glad that my very good friend has had a brain scan and is having treatment with interferon.
I really want to make sure that people with optic neuritis get a brain scan and get the right treatment.
Best wishes DawnComment
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The study you mentioned is one of a few done by the manufacturers of DMDs. That one was done by Biogen Idec, makers of Avonex, among other DMDs, to study the efficacy of their drug with CIS, clinically isolated syndrome, which your friend's ON is considered. The treatment you're talking about is to modify the action of the demyelinating disease, not the ON, which is inflammation of the optic nerve...a result of the demyelination.
You are seeing ON mentioned frequently because it's so common as a first symptom of MS and so many who have it will end up with MS. It could just as easily be drop foot or TN, as they can also be an episode of CIS.
Avonex, Betaseron and Extavia (all interferons) are approved for CIS. However, Copaxone, glatiramer acetate, is also approved. I would suspect the interferons were suggested or chosen, in part, because up until very recently, they all had the lowest injection frequency, Avonex having the fewest at one injection per week.
While doing research, google CIS and the name of one of the drugs as well as CIS by itself. You'll find loads of info, including the drug specific studies. Lots of people choose not to use a DMD for CIS for a variety of reasons, like insurance coverage, self injecting, using a drug to possibly delay a disease that statistically, you are likely but not guaranteed to develop and taking a drug that you have to inject that will do nothing for your symptoms, among other things. Deciding not to try a DMD for CIS, or even MS, is a valid choice,too.Hope that helps!
From the NMSS, about CIS:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sym...-Syndrome-(CIS)
About the Copaxone CIS study (PreCISe):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19815268Comment
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