A University of British Columbia study found a link between depression and increased disability in women with multiple sclerosis. Dr. Kyla McKay said the study of more than 1,200 patients found no link between anxiety or bipolar disorder and increased disability, however. She presented the findings at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in…
Falls Common Among Wheelchair, Scooter Users in People with MS, Study Reports It’s happened to me. I’ve gone over backward when I tried to “gun” the throttle of my lightweight scooter when its rear wheels were up against a door threshold. And my heavier scooter can have a…
Active brain inflammation appears to be one of the causes driving anxiety and depression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), finds an Italian study published in the journal Neurology. RRMS is the most common form of the disease when patients are initially diagnosed. Multiple sclerosis patients…
Striking similarities between patients with multiple sclerosis and a type of schizophrenia suggest the disorders are related, according to a review of a number of studies. Dr. Boris M. Arneth wrote the article, “Multiple Sclerosis and Schizophrenia.” It was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. MS…
Patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) have a higher burden of illness than patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, a new study showed. The study, “Characteristics, burden of illness, and physical functioning of patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional US survey,” appeared in…
A high daily dose of simvastatin improves multiple sclerosis patients’ cognitive function, according to a new analysis of Phase 2 clinical trial results. The British team that did the research will start a study soon on whether simvastatin, which goes by the brand name Zocor and other labels, can also slow…
Multiple sclerosis has a way of messing with one’s head. Whether it’s emotional or psychiatric disorders, fatigue, brain fog, or physical problems, there’s a lot to wrestle with. And to effectively battle this disease requires you to be in a certain state of mind. Let me give…
Today is World MS Day, and people around the world are sharing tips for living with multiple sclerosis (MS) by using the hashtag #LifewithMS on social media. The MS International Federation started World MS Day in 2009. Events and campaigns take place throughout May to encourage the global MS community to…
Mothers with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, have a higher risk of having children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a Norwegian study. The findings were reported in a study titled “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring of Mothers With Inflammatory and Immune System Diseases”…
Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Inactivity and Poor Diet Are Common Risk Factors Among MS Patients, Study Says For years, people with MS have been advised to exercise more and eat healthy foods. That is advice given to…
Healthcare providers frequently assess multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for the development of other health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, pain and sleep disturbance, according to results of a survey-study. The study also includes information about how health professionals treat and counsel MS patients diagnosed with these conditions. The study, “…
Here are my Picks of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Zinbryta Approved in Canada as Once-Monthly Treatment for Relapsing MS It can only be good for people with relapsing MS in Canada that they now may receive Zinbryta as a treatment.
The brain has a system for orchestrating a defense against viral infections, scientists report in a finding that may advance the understanding of disease processes in multiple sclerosis (MS). The newly discovered system is run by brain immune cells called microglia, and researchers will now focus on understanding how these…
Multiple sclerosis, as with other neurological disorders, brings a lot of changes to our bodies. Many changes and symptoms are much more common than others. It is the lesser-known conditions that MS evokes that sparked my interest for this column. Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA): is a rare condition reported to…
Chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) not only impact patients, they also inspire fear among healthy people who may be at risk of the disease. In a new study, researchers found that the availability of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies provides “peace of mind” value to currently healthy individuals, particularly when…
Prozac (fluoxetine) is from a class of medicines called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Usually the drug is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some eating disorders, and panic attacks. It is also used off-label to treat fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS). Fluoxetine may need to be taken for several weeks…
Wellbutrin (bupropion) is used to treat major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder, both of which are symptoms experienced by those with multiple sclerosis (MS). Bupropion is an aminoketone class antidepressant. It is a weak inhibitor of the transporters of dopamine and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters that regulate mood and behavior),…
Prozac (fluoxetine) is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and some eating disorders. Prozac is an antidepressant from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) group. In a positive way, it effects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, anxiety, or similar…
Paxil (paroxetine) is used to treat depression and some types of anxiety. It is an antidepressant from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) group. Paxil makes a positive affect on chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, anxiety, or similar conditions. Because depression is a common…
Depression is a common and well documented symptom of multiple sclerosis. Effexor XR (venlafaxine) belongs to a group of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRI). The drug increases serotonin and norepinephrine, which are natural substances that positively affect communication between nerve cells or restore chemical balances in the brain. The…
Zoloft (sertraline) is used to treat depression and certain types of anxiety. Because depression is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), it is often prescribed to those who have the disease. Zoloft is an antidepressant from the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) group. It positively affects…
Pamelor and Aventyl (nortriptyline) are tricyclic antidepressants used to treat depression. In multiple sclerosis, they are frequently used in lower doses to treat neuropathic or nerve pain in the arms and legs (burning sensations, pins and needles, stabbing pains) caused by damage to the pain-regulating pathways of the brain…
Last updated July 19, 2022, by Marisa Wexler, MS ✅ Fact-checked by Inês Martins, PhD What is amitriptyline for MS? Amitriptyline is an oral therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat depression. In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), it’s sometimes used off-label to…
When people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience bladder dysfunction such as urinary frequency and incontinence, doctors may prescribe a medication such as Tofranil (imipramine) to treat or manage the problem. Tofranil is a tricyclic antidepressant that is more commonly used to treat depression, but people with MS may find it helpful to treat annoying bladder…
The MS Society in the United Kingdom is funding a new project at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, to examine if heparin, a drug widely used for stroke patients, can repair neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a progressive, debilitating, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative disorder in which…
Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Cell Therapy Promotes Remyelination in Mice Now this is different, using umbilical cord stem cells. A cell therapy product derived from human umbilical cord blood cells may be…
Multiple sclerosis seems to be less severe in people with higher levels of the minor adult hemoglobin variant A2 (HbA2) in their blood, according to a team of Turkish researchers. This could be due to this variant having a higher protective effect on the red blood cell membrane. The authors speculate that HbA2 could therefore be playing a role in reducing long-term neural injury in MS.
Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Best First-Line Treatment for Aggressive MS May Be Equally Aggressive Immunotherapies Sounds like “Fight fire with fire” to me; could be just what is needed. Patients with aggressive onset multiple sclerosis, characterized…
The Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) recently announced that its second annual ACTRIMS Forum will be at the Omni ChampionsGate Feb. 23-25, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. ACTRIMS Forum 2017 promises to be of value to physicians, scientists, researchers, analysts, faculty, and allied health…
Patients with aggressive onset multiple sclerosis, characterized by a rapidly progressing disease course and accumulation of disability, may benefit from early aggressive therapies instead of the escalation approach commonly given multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to researchers at Weill-Cornell Medical College. Their article, titled “A study of patients with…
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