Beginners treatment?

[Shelbygirl]

My MS Neurologist would like to start me on "MS treatments". What are my options? Are there some beginner meds that aren't as hard on my body? My body is so weak as it is without anything, I'm worried it will make it harder to work.
Where do I start?

[Bob698]

I don't think there's a "beginner's treatment" outside of just jumping in the pool.
It really depends on what your Neurologist thinks will be most effective compared to the minimal risk. We can't figure that out here.
Some meds could be thought of as "stronger" than others but MS really doesn't work that way. It comes down to what the doc is seeing in your tests and how its effecting you.

Try asking them what they'd use if your roles were reversed, someone else posted that they asked what meds the Neuro would recommend for their wife.

[jenphilly]

just started meds myself

Shelby -

I just started on my first MS med. My neurologist narrowed down options to 3 she would recommend for my situation. Everyone is different, so your neuro might suggest something different, but what seems to be fairly typical for a first line med is copaxone, avonex, rebif or betaseron.

Ask your neurologist for his / her recommendations for what treatment based upon your condition / health and how many lesions / damage he is seeing. My neuro felt we were in pretty good shape overall and I was offered one of the meds that has the lesser of the evils of the side effects. But that was me...

Whatever you do, talk to your doctor, do lots of reading (my neuro sent me home from my appointment with a pile of reading / literature on the three she suggested). Go online and do some reading about the studies / trials for each med you consider. Talk to people using the meds too, but always keep in mind, what they tell you as their experience may not be what you experience. There are good and bad stories about every med. The good news is that you can change meds if you start one and it's just too much for you to physically handle with side effects.

All first line meds are injectables, so that will be a thought too. How often, what type or where the shot is taken, etc will be another thing to think about.

I started on copaxone, was a good fit for my situation. Its a daily shot, but its sub-q, so a thin small needle and honestly you don't feel the actual shot/needle. I'm a big wuss with needles and can you tell you, after only two weeks, I can get thru a shot in literally a minute and don't even flinch a tiny bit. It hurts way way more to stick yourself with a pin or needle when sewing!

The big thing here is make a decision and get started....

Good luck and keep posting. Lots of people here that will share their stories.

Jen

[knuckle]

Look into Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). It's non-toxic, inexpensive, and a lot of people with MS take it. My neurologist has prescribed it for me now going on three years.

I would take it along with vitamin D. Both LDN and vitamin D serve to increase endorphin production in the body and there is increasing evidence that endorphins, which are hormones, help our immune system's function correctly.

Here are some useful websites:

www.LDNaware.org
www.lowdosenaltrexone.org
www.LDNscience.org
www.LDNers.org
www.LDNresearchtrust.org

And on YouTube...

www.youtube.com/user/TheLDNresearchtrust

[Shelbygirl]

Thanks guys. I tried looking into several options then figured I'm doing alot of research on meds my Dr has yet to suggest. So I'm going to bench it until I talk with him Wednesday or I'll internet myself into insanity!
I'll keep you posted and I'm sure I'll be asking more questions very soon.

Shelby

[Bob698]

Thanks guys. I tried looking into several options then figured I'm doing alot of research on meds my Dr has yet to suggest. So I'm going to bench it until I talk with him Wednesday or I'll internet myself into insanity!
I'll keep you posted and I'm sure I'll be asking more questions very soon.

Shelby

The neurology aspect of MS can mean we can talk ourselves into almost anything. One thing we should all be looking into is how to control the stress over things that are out of our control, after that all bets are off.
Make an informed choice with your Doc and then see how it goes. If the med you pick doesn't work out, there are others you could try.
Just be ready to be patient. None of this stuff works overnight and it can take a while (six months or more) to build a tolerance and see results. What's important has already been stated- you need to get started.