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 18, 2019October 17, 2019

Pushing to Put a Symbol for Invisible Disabilities on Driver’s Licenses

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

This is not the week to tell me how good I look … even if I look and feel good. The week of Oct. 13 is Invisible Disabilities Week. ... Read more

October 14, 2019October 14, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad and Ocrevus Use Rising in EU, Ampyra Patent Appeal Denied, Exercise and MS Pilot Study

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Mavenclad, Ocrevus Use Rising in EU as Injectables and Tysabri Decline, Spherix Reports I’m not surprised at reports that the use of Mavenclad (cladribine) and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is increasing ... Read more

October 11, 2019October 8, 2019

It’s Not All in Your Head

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Several days ago, the headline “It’s All in Your Head” jumped out at me. The author of the Journal of the American Medical Association article, Matthew Burke, is a ... Read more

October 7, 2019October 7, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Rituximab vs. Ocrevus

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

In this week’s column, I’ve changed the format a little to focus on one subject: rituximab. This is an approved cancer medication that some U.S. neurologists use as an ... Read more

October 4, 2019October 1, 2019

My Fortuitous Footwear Discovery: I Found the Right MS Shoes

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The other night, I had an MS dream. In it, I was able to lift my left leg as well as I can my right one, regardless of my ... Read more

September 27, 2019September 25, 2019

Taking Vitamin D for Your MS? Use It Wisely

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) use vitamin D supplements. I’ve been popping a 2,000 IU tablet of vitamin D3 each morning for many years. And with good reason. ... Read more

September 23, 2019September 20, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ozanimod, Achtar Gel, Onset Age Progression Link, Glial Cells Could Differentiate MS Types

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

In this column, I take a look at more exciting research from the ECTRIMS2019 conference this month. #ECTRIMS2019 – Ozanimod’s ‘Key Advantages’ May Lead to New First-line MS Therapy: ... Read more

September 20, 2019September 18, 2019

Neuros Say that Flu Shots and Other Vaccines Are OK for Those with MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

This is the time of year when my wife and I start thinking about getting our flu shots. We’ve already had the pneumonia and the older shingles vaccine and ... Read more

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Stem Cell Transplants, Remyelination Agent, Tecfidera Study, Plasma Exchange and Tysabri-linked PML

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It’s been a big week for interesting stories, as the annual meeting of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) has just concluded. The conference ... Read more

September 13, 2019September 18, 2019

Stem Cell Program That Treated Selma Blair Closes Its Doors

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Richard Burt, MD, the chief of Northwestern Medicine’s immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases division, is taking a sabbatical, and the stem cell program he has headed for many years, which ... Read more

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cancer Medication Slows MS, Vitamin D and Myelin, Targeting ‘Helper’ T-cells, Vaccination Guidelines

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Ofatumumab Better at Easing Relapse Rates and Slowing MS Progression Than Aubagio, Phase 3 Data Show Ofatumumab isn’t approved as a multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. It’s a cancer medication ... Read more

September 6, 2019September 4, 2019

Social Cognition: Does It Impact MS Symptoms?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Feeling tired, depressed, or anxious? Maybe it has to do with your social cognition. Social cognition involves empathy and recognizing the emotions that are revealed by someone’s facial expression. ... Read more

August 30, 2019August 28, 2019

Another Study Shows That Costs of Disease-modifying Therapies Are Zooming

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

It probably comes as no surprise to you that the costs of some of the most popular MS medications have been soaring. A new study by researchers at the ... Read more

August 27, 2019August 26, 2019

I Dreamed That I Was Walking

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

When asleep, many people dream they can fly. Some dream about being naked in public, failing an exam, or (gasp!) about sex. Last night, I dreamed that I was ... Read more

August 26, 2019August 25, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Rituximab Helps Reverse Boy’s MS, Top Secondary DMTs in Europe, Tricking Remyelination, Early MS Treatment Strategies

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Rituximab Leads to ‘Dramatic’ Recovery in Boy with Aggressive RRMS, Case Study Reports I dislike using adjectives such as “dramatic” when describing treatment results. I think they frequently blow ... Read more

August 23, 2019August 21, 2019

Are Your MS Disease-modifying Treatments Old School or New School?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Choosing which MS medication to use is one of the most difficult decisions for someone with MS and their neurologist. After 39 years with MS, and with four disease-modifying ... Read more

August 19, 2019September 11, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Dark Rimmed Lesions, Sativex in the UK, NHS Care Toolkit for Neurological Diseases, Wahls Diet

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Dark Rimmed Brain Lesions May Be Signal of Aggressive Disease, NIH Study Says Researchers in this study found that specific brain lesions, notable for their dark rims, may indicate ... Read more

August 16, 2019August 14, 2019

MS Progression’s Speed Tagged to ‘Smoldering’ Brain Inflammation

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

The presence of chronic active lesions in the brain may provide a clue as to how quickly multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms will progress. Researchers at the U.S. National Institutes ... Read more

August 13, 2019August 9, 2019

Keeping a Positive Attitude with Advocacy: Why I Write ‘The MS Wire’

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

This month marks the third anniversary of my column, “The MS Wire.” After writing two columns a week for most of those 156 weeks, it isn’t always easy to ... Read more

August 12, 2019August 27, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Solution for Lemtrada Complications, CBD Infusions, Vaccines and MS, Music and Exercise

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Autoimmune Complications Associated with Lemtrada Solved Using Anti-CD20 Therapies, Case Studies Suggest One of the concerns about the disease-modifying therapy (DMT) Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) is that it may raise the ... Read more

August 9, 2019August 28, 2019

Using Marijuana and Having Surgery? Tell Your Anesthesiologist

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

If you’re using marijuana and have surgery scheduled, take heed. In Colorado, where medical marijuana was legalized in 2000 and recreational use in 2012, medical personnel are discovering that ... Read more

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019

Trying to Stay Cool in a Heat Wave? A Fan Might Not Always Be the Best Option

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

July was unusually hot in much of the Northern Hemisphere. So, pull out your electric fan and use it to help your multiple sclerosis (MS) beat that heat and ... Read more

August 5, 2019August 5, 2019

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: 3D and Early MRIs, Memory Training, Ponesimod Trial

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

3D Imaging of Brain Lesions May Spot Those Most Likely to Heal, Guiding Treatment These scientists are working to create a new diagnostic tool that would allow doctors to ... Read more

August 2, 2019July 31, 2019

Using the Floodlight App to Track My MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been using an app called Floodlight to track my ability to live with my multiple sclerosis (MS). It measures things such as my ... Read more

July 30, 2019July 26, 2019

Getting Back in the Water with My MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

After a week of temperatures at 95 degrees or more making it too hot to swim, today was comfortable enough for me to get back into our condo’s pool. ... Read more

July 29, 2019July 29, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Chronic Itching, Standing Therapy, Gut Microbes

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Neuronal Circuit Likely Behind Chronic Itch in MS and Other Diseases Identified I often read posts on multiple sclerosis social media groups complaining about chronic itching. This mouse study ... Read more

July 26, 2019August 27, 2019

Why Am I Not Bitter About My MS?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a process of loss — of mobility, brain function, and independence. We can lose relationships and jobs. For most of us, these losses ... Read more

July 23, 2019July 19, 2019

Urinary Tract Infections Are Getting Harder to Treat

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a problem for a significant number of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). As many as three in 10 may wind up needing treatment for ... Read more

July 22, 2019September 3, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ibudilast Trial for Inactive SPMS, PPMS Brain Cells in Space, MS and Cancer Risk

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

Phase 3 Trial of Ibudilast Planned for SPMS Patients with Inactive Disease, MediciNova Says Though medications are approved in the U.S. to treat primary progressive multiple sclerosis and active ... Read more

July 19, 2019July 16, 2019

This Is Me, and This Is How I Live with My MS

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Have you ever read something and thought, “This is me, this is my MS”? It happened to me today as I read a post by Rachel Horne on the ... Read more

July 16, 2019July 12, 2019

Some Doctors Can See the Cost of Your MS Meds, but Will They Look?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Does your doctor consider what you’ll have to pay when prescribing your medications? A few months ago, I wrote that some people are skipping doses of their meds because ... Read more

July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Gadolinium Study, Breath Test for MS Diagnosis, CBD Treatment Trial, Potential Remyelination Therapy

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Study Examines Gadolinium Deposits in MS Patients’ Brains, But Still Can’t Determine Relationship with Disease Severity Here’s some new information about gadodiamide, a contrast dye that is injected during ... Read more

July 9, 2019July 3, 2019

CBD Oil: Panacea or Placebo?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Last night in bed, my calf muscles started cramping. Again. Usually, it’s just my left leg, but last night it was both. The pain wouldn’t ease with my usual ... Read more

July 8, 2019July 2, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Botox for Kids, Kids’ Healthcare Needs, Mavenclad, MS Fatigue Diet

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

FDA Approves Botox to Treat Upper Limb Spasticity in Children Aged 2 to 17 Botox injections have been approved to treat spasticity and bladder problems in adults with multiple ... Read more

June 28, 2019August 2, 2019

Can Legos Help to Ease Some MS Symptoms?

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Legos, it seems, are more than just a kids’ toy. People with some neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS), are using those little, colored building blocks to build better ... Read more

June 25, 2019June 21, 2019

What’s Your Doctor Writing About You? Ask to Read the Notes

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve been living with MS for nearly 39 years and I’ve never seen the notes my neurologist has written during my office visits. My neuro did hand me a ... Read more

June 24, 2019June 24, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Plant Medication Trial, B-cell Depletion Study, MS App Award, DMTs’ Cancer Risk

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

Cyxone Launches Phase 1 Trial Assessing T20K for MS This trial caught my eye because even though it’s a small, early trial, T20K is a medication derived from a ... Read more

June 21, 2019June 19, 2019

Scooters, Walkers, and Canes Should Trump Ego

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

I’ve used an electric scooter for nearly 20 years. At first, I only used it when I knew I’d be walking a lot. Now, it’s every day. I used ... Read more

June 18, 2019June 27, 2019

Some Neuros Make DMT Choice Harder than It Should Be

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

More than 15 disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are available in most high-income countries to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). DMTs come in the form of injectables, infusions, and pills. Some are ... Read more

June 17, 2019June 17, 2019

MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: DMT Strategy Study, MS and Genetic Mutations, MS Art Project, AI Helps Neuros Read MRIs

Columns, The MS Wire - A Column by Ed Tobias

DELIVER-MS Trial Recruiting RRMS Patients to Help Improve Treatment Decision-making What’s the best way to attack multiple sclerosis when it’s first diagnosed? Do you hit it hard and fast ... Read more