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 23, 2020October 22, 2020

Diagnosing MS During a Pandemic: UK vs. US

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I had an annual appointment with my primary care physician last week, my first since COVID-19 attacked the world. Things have changed in her office, of course, but not ... Read more

October 19, 2020October 20, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent in the UK, Aubagio and Other DMTs, Unemployment

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Mayzent Approved for Active SPMS Patients in England and Wales This is great news for people with MS in England and Wales. Mayzent (siponimod) is a needed weapon in ... Read more

October 16, 2020October 14, 2020

Disability Employment Awareness Isn’t Enough to Keep You Working

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

My multiple sclerosis (MS) was diagnosed 40 years ago in August. I never kept my MS a secret, but I didn’t go around advertising it, either. I’ll bet, for ... Read more

October 12, 2020October 12, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Comparing DMTs, Myelin Repair, Hypertension

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Gilenya and Tecfidera Similarly Effective at Treating RRMS, Real-world Study Says Gilenya and Tecfidera are both oral disease-modifying therapies. Both meds attempt to limit the inflammatory action of the ... Read more

October 9, 2020October 7, 2020

Could Too Many Tattoos Cause MS Trouble?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) get tattoos. Often it’s a way to deliver a statement about MS to the world, or perhaps it’s a personal message to the ... Read more

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Amalgam Fillings, COVID-19 and MS, Tecfidera Generic

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MS Patients Should Avoid ‘Silver’ Tooth Fillings Due to Mercury, FDA Advises Concerns about the possible danger of amalgam dental fillings have been floated for years. Several European countries ... Read more

October 2, 2020October 5, 2020

Is the FDA Changing Course on Amalgam Dental Fillings and MS?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

For years, some people have warned of a possible connection between multiple sclerosis (MS) and the amalgam fillings many of us have in our teeth. The concern has been ... Read more

September 28, 2020September 28, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Global MS Numbers, Pregnancy and MS, ANK-700

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MS Prevalence at Over 2.8 Million Worldwide, Update to Atlas Reports With almost 3 million of us around the world, we’re not really rare, but we’re rare enough that ... Read more

September 25, 2020September 23, 2020

Moving Madness Means MS Stress

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

We’re moving and I’m stressed. That’s redundant, I know, as moving is simply stress on wheels — which isn’t good for someone with MS. Studies have shown a link ... Read more

September 21, 2020September 21, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Economic Impact Survey, Fatigue, DMTs

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

National MS Society Launches Survey to Assess Economic Impact of MS We know that managing MS is expensive. It can cost us money out of our pockets and also ... Read more

September 18, 2020September 16, 2020

MS Digs Deep Into the Wallet, Report Shows

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is expensive. Even with good insurance, those of us living in a country without universal healthcare have significant out-of-pocket costs for our treatments and medications. Some ... Read more

September 14, 2020October 6, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Survey, MSVirtual2020, Zeposia, B-cells

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

COVID-19 Pandemic Had Minimal Emotional Impact in Progressive MS Patients, Survey Finds I beg to differ. I have secondary progressive MS, and COVID-19 has bummed me out. I haven’t ... Read more

September 11, 2020September 9, 2020

Why a Flu Shot Is More Important Than Ever This Year

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Labor Day has come and gone here in the U.S. Now, flu season has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. This isn’t the novel coronavirus we’ve been fighting all year. ... Read more

September 4, 2020September 2, 2020

Amazon’s Halo Judges Your Stress by Listening to Your Voice

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

You’re stressed, and Halo may know it. Halo is a new Amazon service the company says can judge how stressed you are, in part by the tone of your ... Read more

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Paramagnetic Lesions, Mavenclad, Relapses in Children, Ocrevus and Rituximab

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Paramagnetic Rim Lesions Showing Promise as Diagnostic Marker of MS About a year ago, researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health reported that the presence of chronic active ... Read more

August 28, 2020August 26, 2020

Could a Justice Department Lawsuit Threaten Copay Assistance Programs?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The U.S. Justice Department has the manufacturer of Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection) in its crosshairs, and the outcome could have a much greater reach. It appears the case could ... Read more

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Kesimpta, Ocrevus and Chickenpox, Generic Tecfidera, UTIs

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

FDA Approves Kesimpta, B-cell Targeting Therapy for Relapsing MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Kesimpta (ofatumumab) this month is a pretty big deal. Kesimpta is a ... Read more

August 21, 2020August 19, 2020

I Give the L300 Go a Mixed Review

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve been walking with the Bioness L300 Go for about eight months, so it’s time to update everyone on how things are going. The L300 Go is a functional ... Read more

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ofatumumab, Aubagio, Oral DMTs, PoNS Device

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ofatumumab Seen as Superior to Aubagio at Lowering Relapse Rates in Phase 3 Trials Ofatumumab is a cancer medication that’s awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ... Read more

August 14, 2020August 12, 2020

Could a Tongue Stimulator Help to Improve Your Walking?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The idea doesn’t seem very appealing to me, but a company is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a product that might help people ... Read more

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Epstein-Barr and Smoking, Infections, Oral DMT Trial, Exercise and the Brain

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Smoking and Epstein-Barr Virus Combine to Raise MS Risk, Study Says A number of studies over several years have demonstrated a likely link between the Epstein-Barr virus and MS. ... Read more

August 7, 2020August 5, 2020

‘Crip Camp’: Disability Looking Me Right in the Eye

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

In early July, I wrote a column about Disability Pride Month. It’s not for me, I said. I questioned the word “pride” and asked whether we need a special ... Read more

August 3, 2020August 4, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Symptom Progression, Lower Urinary Symptoms, Tysabri, IL-17A Protein Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Order Seen in Motor Skills Affected by MS, With Walking Taking First Hit Read this headline carefully. It reports that walking takes the “first hit,” but that doesn’t mean ... Read more

July 31, 2020July 29, 2020

Lemtrada and COVID-19: To Treat or Not to Treat?

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Like others these days, I’m worried about COVID-19. In fact, I’m probably more worried than some. I’m old, I have MS, and I’ve been treated with the disease-modifying therapy ... Read more

July 27, 2020July 27, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ketamine, Arbaclofen ER, Bafiertam, UK Health Services

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ketamine May Help Treat MS-related Fatigue, Small Pilot Trial Suggests I’m tired — I mean really bushed. Today, despite my daily dose of modafinil, I have to sit and ... Read more

July 24, 2020July 21, 2020

My Cocker Spaniel, Joey, Is My MS Pal

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night thinking strange thoughts about your MS and your dog? I did the other night. I’ve written about Joey, ... Read more

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Website, Testing MS Progression, RIS, Alternative Treatments

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MSAA Opens ‘COVID-19 and MS Pathfinder’ Online Informative Platform Information about MS and COVID-19 is dynamic and regularly changing. This has been particularly true about how to handle disease-modifying ... Read more

July 17, 2020July 15, 2020

Can We Be Taught How to Avoid an MS Fall?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’d just gotten out of bed the other morning and was headed to the bathroom using just one cane when I tried to step over a dog toy on ... Read more

July 13, 2020July 13, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Epstein-Barr Link, Cannabis Study, Relapses and Disability

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

B-Cells Infected by Epstein-Barr Virus Linked to MS Relapse Risk in Study I usually steer clear of mouse studies. Mice lie and monkeys exaggerate, some researchers say. But this ... Read more

July 10, 2020July 27, 2020

It’s Disability Pride Month — But Not for Me

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

July is Disability Pride Month. Now, don’t slam me right away for writing this, but I don’t think we need a month highlighting disability pride — just like I ... Read more

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Wearable Sensors, COVID-19, Tecfidera

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

PROTXX, University of Alberta Collaborate to Develop Remote Healthcare Platform for MS Patients As more and more neurologists turn to telemedicine for routine patient visits, I expect we’ll see ... Read more

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent, Hookworm Therapy, Walking and Falling, ADS-5102

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

NICE Does Not Favor Adding Mayzent to NHS England for Active SPMS Currently, the only disease-modifying therapy approved for use in the National Health Service is Betaferon (interferon beta-1b). ... Read more

June 26, 2020June 24, 2020

Updating the Shifting MS-COVID-19 Treatment Equation

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written about the impact that COVID-19 is having on people with MS. Since then, the picture has changed — not a lot, ... Read more

June 22, 2020June 29, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Gilenya and COVID-19, Depression, Switching from Tysabri

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Gilenya May Help Control Severe Respiratory Disease in COVID-19 This story caught my eye, but not because of the possibility that Gilenya may help someone recover from COVID-19. It ... Read more

June 19, 2020June 17, 2020

My Review of 2 New MS Apps: icompanion and BelongMS

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A couple new mobile apps for people with MS have caught my attention. Icompanion is among the best symptom and treatment trackers I’ve found. BelongMS combines patient forums with ... Read more

June 15, 2020June 16, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Myelin, Mavenclad, Online Stress Relief, Rehab Aids

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Note: A story mentioned in this column, “Prime Signs Agreement With EMD Serono to Improve Mavenclad’s Cost-benefit Value,” was updated on June 15, 2020, to clarify that the agreement ... Read more

June 12, 2020June 13, 2020

I’m Tired Again, and I’m Sure You’ve Been There

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Are you tired? Really tired? Me, too. Most of us with multiple sclerosis are. How many is most? A small new study of 44 people with one of the ... Read more

June 8, 2020June 8, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ofatumumab, Zeposia, Early Symptoms, New App

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

FDA Extends Review of Ofatumumab for Relapsing MS to September The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was expected to make a decision about ofatumumab, a self-administered injection of ... Read more

June 5, 2020June 3, 2020

Another Medication, Zeposia, Joins the MS Treatment Arsenal

Columns, Covid-19, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

By my unofficial count, disease-modifying therapy No. 19 has just become available to people with multiple sclerosis in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zeposia ... Read more

June 1, 2020June 1, 2020

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Pollution and MS, ATA188, Ofatumumab, Zeposia

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Air Pollution of Urban Life Raises MS Risk, Study from Italy Suggests I grew up in New York City. It’s hard to get more urban than that. There weren’t ... Read more