Do MS meds suppress your immune system?

[jlk9498]

I am confused.

Do all MS meds suppress and/or weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to infections, colds, etc?
I am on Betaseron....with no side effects....except for hating the injections, and a few large welts.
I want to switch to Tecfidera, but does that med lower your resistance to catch things? I don't want to start getting sick frequently.

Thanks.

[Mamabug]

I googled your question and found these answers:

• One article said that the DMD's work by suppressing the immune system so that it doesn't attack the myelin surrounding the nerves.
  
• Another article suggests that, instead, It could be that whatever is causing your immune system to be uncoordinated enough to attack your own nervous system could theoretically explain why your immune system also seems compromised from basic challenges in your environment.
  

I didn't research either Betaseron or Tec, specifically. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can chime in.

Some natural ways to support your immune system include:

1. Get enough sleep and manage (or, when possible, prevent) stress.
2. Avoid smoking and decrease alcohol.
3. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds.
   
4. Expose yourself to daily sunshine and supplement with Vitamin D.
   
5. Consider immune-supporting herbs (ie: garlic, ginger, turmeric, etc).

[KevsLuv]

Gilenya

I cannot speak about all DMTs but I have taken Rebif, then Gilenya. The Rebif lowered my white count a little but not much. I did not get infections on this med.

Gilenya suppressed my immune system too much. My white count was around 1.5 (can't quite remember the #s after the decimal). Even after being off of Gilenya for over a month, my white count is up only less than 1 point.

I am researching Tecfidera for future use...I am hoping it's mechanism doesn't directly suppress my immune system. I cannot go back to a needle!

[JerryD]

I have been on Tec for about 2 years and the only thing that I have found is that my lymphocyte levels have dropped. I was sent to an oncologist to have a consult about the low counts. He said that my levels were not 'too low' but my levels would have to be monitored more often. The levels have stayed the same for about 6 months. My neurologist doesn't feel that my low lymphocytes are caused by Tecfidera. I guess that's why they call it 'medical practice !

[MarkLavelle]

They all affect the immune system, but in different ways. According to my neuro, Copaxone is the only DMT that does not actually supress your immune system in any way (it works on the theory that it acts as a decoy to the cells that want to destroy myelin).

I probably wouldn't even know this except for the fact that I had cancer twice in the '90s and my neuro feels that my immune system is already too compromised to risk supressing it.

I have no idea how any of this affects reacation to infections, etc., but I would not say that I've noticed any change since starting Copaxone.