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.

August 17, 2018August 16, 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

June 18, 2018June 18, 2018

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: A Myelin Discovery; Comparing Gilenya and Tecfidera; Measuring a Fall Risk; Smoking, Obesity, and MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Discovery of ‘Fiery’ Cell Death Mechanism May Be MS ‘Game-Changer’ Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a process that may be responsible for destroying ... Read more

June 15, 2018June 13, 2018

Getting Help Paying for Your MRIs

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s not unusual for someone with MS to have an annual MRI exam. Sometimes it’s even semiannual. And it’s not cheap. According to the website Healthcare ... Read more

June 12, 2018June 13, 2018

Is Your MS Ready for a Disaster?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Hurricane season began on June 1 in the Atlantic region. For people living along the coast, as I do, it’s time to plan for moving quickly. ... Read more

June 8, 2018June 6, 2018

My MS Medical Bills: Trust, but Verify the Charges

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

“Trust, but verify” was a key concept during the U.S.-Soviet nuclear negotiations of the 1980s. “Trust,” President Ronald Reagan would say, “but verify” that what’s being ... Read more

June 5, 2018June 1, 2018

Music and MS Are a Duet for This Inspirational Concert Pianist

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

My philosophy about living with MS is written on a plaque hanging on the wall in my home. It reads: “Life isn’t about waiting for the ... Read more

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Remyelination, Predicting SPMS, Switching DMTs, MS and a Virus

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Chemical that Stimulates Estrogen Receptors Seen to Promote Myelin Repair Through ‘Good’ Inflammation in Mouse MS Model Caution: This is only a mouse study. However, anything ... Read more

June 1, 2018May 30, 2018

MS Patients Are Getting Caught in an Insurance Deductible Snag

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

MS medications are expensive. Many people with MS are able to afford their high prices only because their insurance covers most of the cost, and what ... Read more

May 29, 2018May 25, 2018

Pressure in the UK Helps Lower MS Therapy Costs. But What About the US?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

In the United States, the government can do very little to control the costs of our expensive MS medications. In the United Kingdom, it’s a different ... Read more

May 25, 2018May 23, 2018

Two MS Medications Appear on FDA’s Shame List

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Two multiple sclerosis medications that are both popular and expensive are on a new list that U.S. regulators hope will increase price competition. The medications are ... Read more

May 22, 2018May 24, 2018

I Have MS and I’m Very Lucky

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

National Nurses Week was earlier this month. I’m a little late saying it, but, “Thank you, nurses.” And doctors. I’m really a lucky guy. Lucky to ... Read more

May 21, 2018May 21, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: PML Treatment, Gilenya for Kids, Rituximab, and an MS trial that is Enrolling

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Complications from Gilenya Treatment Managed Successfully, Case Report Says This wasn’t a minor complication. It was a version of PML, a brain disease that can be ... Read more

May 18, 2018May 16, 2018

A Pediatric MS Medication Gets the OK

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Until about a week ago, no medication was approved in the U.S. to treat patients with pediatric-onset MS (POMS). Now there is one. The Food and ... Read more

May 15, 2018May 14, 2018

Healthcare Costs Can Depend on Where You Live

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that healthcare costs in the U.S. are increasing faster than general inflation. As character Private Gomer Pyle used ... Read more

May 14, 2018May 14, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: An MS Program for Young Adults, Rituximab Report, Repairing Myelin, and Reducing Inflammation

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Organizations Join Forces to Launch New Adventure Program for Young MS Patients It seems we too often ignore the needs of younger people who have MS. ... Read more

May 11, 2018May 10, 2018

MS, Walkers, Wheelchairs, and Guns (Part 2)

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

A little over a year ago, in this column, I asked if it was safe for someone with MS to handle a gun. I wondered whether ... Read more

May 7, 2018May 7, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad Analysis, Ocrevus and Vaccines, an MS Rehab Technique, a Cattle Toxin and MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Mavenclad Effective in Treating Highly Active MS, New CLARITY Analysis Shows Mavenclad isn’t approved for use in the U.S. but it is approved in Canada, Europe, ... Read more

May 4, 2018May 4, 2018

Website Shows How Much Money Your Doctor Gets from Big Pharma

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Biogen, a pharmaceutical company that markets half a dozen MS therapies, is accused of paying doctors to prescribe its medications. A former Biogen employee claimed that ... Read more

May 1, 2018April 27, 2018

Is This a Step Toward Lower Medication Prices?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Here in the U.S., the price we pay for medications is complicated. The usual process is for a pharmaceutical company to set a high price for ... Read more

April 30, 2018April 30, 2018

MS News that Caught My Eye This Week: aHSCT Studies, MS Progression in African-Americans, Gilenya for Pediatrics

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

#AAN2018 – Stem Cell Transplant is Effective Treatment for ‘Aggressive’ MS, Study Shows I like the fact that a study shows that stem cell transplant treatment ... Read more

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018

New DMT Guidelines Are Good for MS Patients

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has just released some new guidelines about when to begin, change, and end disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that are used to ... Read more