The MS Wire – A Column by Ed Tobias

Ed Tobias is a retired broadcast journalist.  Most of his 40+ year career was spent as a manager with the Associated Press in Washington, DC.  Tobias was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1980 but he continued to work, full-time, meeting interesting people and traveling to interesting places, until retiring at the end of 2012.

In his weekly column The MS Wire, Ed covers a wide range of topics related to the disease, seeking to bring to light patient perspectives on the latest science, research and disease management news, as well as connecting with fellow MS patients about their own personal experiences in coping with the disease.

October 12, 2018October 10, 2018

MS Patients Capture the Ear of a Pharma Company

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) rarely get the opportunity to talk to the people who design their medications. But a new collaboration is providing that opportunity ... Read more

October 9, 2018October 5, 2018

Buddy, Can You Give Me a Lift to the Doctor?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Is getting from home to a healthcare appointment a pain in the butt for you? Do you have to search for someone to take you? Do ... Read more

October 8, 2018October 11, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: aHSCT and Fatigue, What’s Hot at ECTRIMS?, Genes that May Impact MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Lower Fatigue Reported by MS Patients After aHSCT in Canadian Study Fatigue affects 90 percent of people with MS. It certainly impacts my life. This study, ... Read more

October 5, 2018October 15, 2018

Could Government Probe Threaten Pharma Patient Assistance Programs?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Many of us have received help to pay for our MS medications. Now there’s a chance that assistance could be threatened. A recent article in the ... Read more

October 2, 2018October 8, 2018

MS Patient Argues Over Where She Had Parked — And Won!

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

We all know how difficult it can be to find an accessible parking spot — one that allows us to park and get from our car ... Read more

October 1, 2018October 8, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: MRI Signal, Cost-effective DMTs, Age Benefits, Generic Ampyra

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Often-overlooked MRI Signal May Aid in Early Diagnosis of MS, Other Brain Conditions, Study Suggests A part of an MRI scan that radiologists call a “background ... Read more

September 28, 2018October 2, 2018

Serious DMTs Need Serious Care Coordination

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is a serious disease-modifying therapy. It has the potential to deliver a major blow to a patient’s MS, but it also carries the possibility ... Read more

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018

Wearables Focus on Tracking Your Health

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I never thought I’d want a wearable internet device until I got an Apple Watch for my birthday. One of its neat apps tracks the laps ... Read more

September 24, 2018September 27, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Treating MS with a Statin, Ocrevus, Remyelination

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Phase 3 Trial in the UK Soon to Test Statin, Simvastatin, in Slowing SPMS Progression I’ve taken a statin medication for years to keep my cholesterol ... Read more

September 21, 2018September 25, 2018

Pharma Exec Calls a 400 Percent Price Hike ‘Moral.’ Is it?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Is quadrupling the price of a medication “moral”? One pharmaceutical CEO not only thinks so, but he also says it’s a “moral requirement.” The medication is liquid ... Read more

September 18, 2018September 21, 2018

A Generic for Ampyra Could Be Released Soon

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Editor’s note: Shortly after this column was published, Mylan pharmaceuticals announced it will begin distributing Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets, 10 mg, the authorized generic version of Acorda’s ... Read more

September 11, 2018September 12, 2018

Things to Know About Flu Shots if You Have MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The start of flu season here in the United States is just a few weeks away. It’s time for my wife and me to get our ... Read more

September 10, 2018September 12, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: B- and T-cells, Tysabri, Sexual Silence

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study I keep a close eye on reports about B-cells and ... Read more

September 4, 2018September 6, 2018

Ocrevus Predicted to Be a Billion-dollar Blockbuster

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ocrevus, a disease-modifying MS treatment that’s only been on the market a little less than 18 months, appears poised to be a cash cow for its ... Read more

August 31, 2018August 29, 2018

Checking Out a Dating App for People with Health Problems

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Does your MS limit your ability to find a date? Dating isn’t a concern of mine, since I turned 70 earlier this month and have been ... Read more

August 28, 2018August 31, 2018

Help Design a Mobility Scooter

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve been using a mobility scooter for about 10 years. I use it anytime I need to walk more than about half a city block. I ... Read more

August 27, 2018August 30, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cannabis and Inflammation, Exercise and MS, a New MS Subtype

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Cannabidiol Increases Inflammatory Suppressor Cells, New MS Mouse Study Shows There’s quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that the use of marijuana can help reduce the ... Read more

August 24, 2018August 22, 2018

Your MS Med’s Copay Could Be More Expensive than Paying Cash

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I get my medications the old-fashioned way. When I need to fill a prescription, I either go to the drug store or use a mail-order pharmacy ... Read more

August 21, 2018August 17, 2018

Male or Female Doctor? Is One Better than the Other?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The neurologist who treats my MS is a woman. So is my primary care physician. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and an article in ... Read more

August 20, 2018August 23, 2018

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Lemtrada and B-cells, DMT Efficacy, Botox and the Brain, a Diet Recommendation

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Lemtrada Can Lower Number of B-cells Infiltrating Nervous System and Forming Clumps, Animal Study Shows I usually stay away from recommending articles about mice studies, but ... Read more

August 17, 2018August 20, 2018

2 Short Films Take Different Approaches to Portraying Life with MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Over the past week, I’ve come across two short films that are designed to show what it’s like living with MS. But they have two very ... Read more

August 14, 2018August 13, 2018

Taking My MS for a Sea Ride

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve been away for about a week, the first break of that length that I’ve had from writing about MS in about two years. Much of ... Read more

August 13, 2018August 14, 2018

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: MMJ Chewing Gum, Hair Loss, Botox for Bladder Problems, MS Progression Prediction

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Hair Loss Seen in RRMS Patients Using Aubagio Often Temporary and Mild, Study Says I read a lot of questions on multiple sclerosis (MS) social media ... Read more

August 3, 2018August 1, 2018

Healthcare Is Expensive, So Why Don’t We Comparison Shop?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

If you’re going to buy a car, do you limit your shopping to just one car dealer? If you need gas, do you drive past three ... Read more

July 31, 2018August 2, 2018

What I’ve Learned About Falling After 37 Years with MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Leaving a restaurant the other evening, I was stepping off an unusually high curb. Right cane down, left cane down, swing the right leg, swing the ... Read more

July 30, 2018August 3, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Popular DMTs, Data Analysis Predicts MS, Remyelination Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Oral DMTs Still Common 1st Therapy for New MS Patients but Ocrevus Having Impact, Market Report Says Deciding on what therapy to use is a tough ... Read more

July 27, 2018July 30, 2018

A Fall, a Scratch, and an MS Lesson Learned

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

In mid-July, the woman who writes the Multiple ExperienceS blog had a little fall. As Jamie explains, her rollator went forward, but her feet didn’t. The ... Read more

July 24, 2018July 31, 2018

Health Insurers Do Deep Data Dive to Estimate Your Healthcare Costs

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Every time you post something on social media, pay a bill online, or make an online purchase you leave behind little data footprints. Now, an extensive ... Read more

July 23, 2018July 25, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Predicting MS Progression, MS Links to Other Diseases, Cladribine, Diet Discussions

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Brain Iron Levels Correlate with MS Progression, Disability Risk, Study Shows Currently, doctors measure shrinkage in the brain as a way to predict physical and cognitive ... Read more

July 20, 2018July 23, 2018

Are These Diseases Early MS Warning Signs?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s not unusual to hear someone say, “I was diagnosed with MS in , but I probably should have been diagnosed five or ... Read more

July 17, 2018July 23, 2018

My Lemtrada Journey: A Little Dip on the Roller Coaster

Columns, Lemtrada, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’m now three months past my second round of Lemtrada treatments, so it’s time for an update. I began Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) in December 2016, hoping it ... Read more

July 16, 2018July 13, 2018

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Fasting Study, ‘Bad’ T-cells, Brain Volume, Ocrevus in Scotland

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Missouri Trial to Examine if Fasting Alters Gut Microbiome and Immune System of RRMS Patients in Helpful Ways The impact of various diets on multiple sclerosis ... Read more

July 13, 2018July 18, 2018

Medical Marijuana Could Mean Trouble for Gun Owners

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve written before about medical marijuana (MMJ) and its use by those with MS. I’ve also written about how MS affects gun ownership. This column is about both MMJ and ... Read more

July 10, 2018July 13, 2018

MS Hope or MS Hype? This Writer’s Dilemma

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Let’s say there’s an MS study reporting that researchers have discovered a substance that seems to prevent nerve cell damage. But they’ve only studied this on ... Read more

July 9, 2018July 11, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Medical Cannabis in Australia, Solvents and Common Pollution, Ocrevus and PPMS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Medical Cannabis Favored to Treat MS Spasticity and Other Ills by Doctors in Australia, Survey Finds I’ve been thinking about using medical marijuana to treat my multiple ... Read more

July 6, 2018July 11, 2018

Big ER Bills for Little ER Visits

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a column about medical bills suggesting that you trust, but verify those charges. A few days ago, I read about ... Read more

July 3, 2018July 12, 2018

‘Low T’ and MS Risk in Men

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Statistics show that men are three times less likely than women to develop multiple sclerosis. Research has shown that men also develop MS at a later ... Read more

June 26, 2018June 26, 2018

MS Patients Can Dress For Success

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

When you have MS, finding a way to dress for success means more than just looking sharp. It means dressing to both look good and feel ... Read more

June 25, 2018June 28, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: A Genetic MS Link?, Spinal MRIs, MRI Payment Help, PPMS Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Researchers Discover How Key Genetic Risk Factor for MS Operates A genetic link to MS is something that some scientists have suspected for years. Now, there’s ... Read more

June 22, 2018June 29, 2018

Do People Think Your MS Problems Are All in Your Head?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Have you ever had a friend, spouse, or even a doctor tell you that you’re imagining your MS pain, your fatigue, or even your sexual problems? ... Read more