MS and anxiety: The strange relationship that unsettles my life

Bouts of heightened anxiety come in forceful waves and hit me like a freight train. I live with a baseline level of anxiety, but at times, it worsens for no specific reason. All I know is that it’s one of the worst feelings. Anxiety is a common phenomenon in…

For many years after being diagnosed in 1992 with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), Carolyn Cannistraro didn’t want to think about having MS, let alone tell others about her condition. But now Cannistraro is aiming to complete three races across New York City within 60 days using a handcycle. She…

Almost two years of treatment with fenebrutinib — an investigational oral tablet for multiple sclerosis (MS) — helped patients with relapsing forms of the disease remain nearly free of relapses and disability progression. That’s according to new data from the open-label extension of FENopta (NCT05119569), a Phase…

Alvotech, a developer of biosimilar medicines, is expanding its partnership with Advanz Pharma to commercialize three new products in Europe — one of them a biosimilar of Kesimpta (ofatumumab), a drug used for treating multiple sclerosis (MS). Biosimilars are therapies that have no clinically meaningful differences…

One of the most essential parts of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is building support systems. They offer practical help, but better yet, they also consider and foster our emotional survival. MS is full of unknowns and can thus be characterized as unpredictable. But one thing we can predict…

Children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to use more healthcare resources than their peers, starting from birth and escalating until the onset of their symptoms, a study reports. Young people who developed MS visited physicians earlier in life and in the six years before they first had…

Pro-inflammatory signaling molecules that have been implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) cause problems with the growth and development of myelin-making cells in the brain, according to a study done in cell models. The findings may have implications for treating MS, as promoting the growth of myelin-making cells could be…

It’s official: This is the year I aged — physically, emotionally, visibly. With menopause on the horizon and multiple sclerosis (MS) quietly lurking in the background, I’ve been thinking a lot about how best to care for my brain, body, and beyond. Aside from the 3 a.m. hot flash…

The use of B-cell depleting therapies does not increase the risk of an infection with COVID-19 among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have been vaccinated, according to the findings of a new study by U.S. researchers. While such treatments did compromise the body’s ability to develop antibodies against…

As a whole, disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to reduce the risk of stroke among patients, though their impact varies depending on the type of medication that’s taken. Those are the findings of a new analysis of published studies by scientists in Europe, who noted…

When presented with a drinking glass containing half the water it can hold, a pessimist would say that it’s half-empty while an optimist would say that the glass is half-full. A realist would probably demand to know who drank half of their water, and an idealist might simply be grateful…

While subtle symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) — like muscle weakness, fatigue, and numbness or unusual sensations — are often overlooked in individuals with minimal disability, more detailed clinical tools can help detect these early signs, according to a new study from Italy. Moreover, such tools — including wearable…

People who experience adversity during childhood, such as abuse or neglect, may be at increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, but available data that supports this association is generally low quality, a study reports. “Drawing concrete treatment recommendations is premature, given the low certainty of…

Half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.K. who work have compromised their health by staying in jobs that didn’t fully support their MS needs, and nearly a third are in roles below their skill levels. That’s according to “No compromises: supporting people with MS to thrive…

Clemastine fumarate, an antihistamine, boosted disease progression by more than five times in adults with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a Phase 1/2 trial. “Likely nobody in the MS field, us included, knew about this potential [clemastine] toxicity until we collected the data presented here,” the…

Wandercraft has launched Walk in New York, a new rehabilitation center that offers access to its advanced mobility devices for people with severe walking impairments, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS). The center provides sessions with neurological rehabilitation therapists and walking sessions with its robotic exoskeleton,…

Cognitive symptoms, mood disorders, and fatigue manifest differently in relapsing-remitting and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. “[O]ur results indicate that the subtype of MS is associated with … specific kinds of cognitive deficits, suggesting the need for subtype-specific therapeutic interventions,” the France-based research team…

My youngest child is home from college for the summer. She had a fantastic freshman year, or as I tell others, “She’s living her best life.” I missed her this past year in so many ways. She never went through the “bad” teenage years. She actually enjoys spending time with…

A particular finding on an MRI scan, called the central vein sign (CVS), is sufficient to support a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis without the need for an invasive lumbar puncture, a new U.K. study suggests. The presence of six lesions with a CVS, where a vein is found…

MS Canada is inviting people across the country to support the multiple sclerosis (MS) community and help raise funds for research and support programs by joining a 2025 MS Walk this Sunday, May 25. More than 50 in-person walks are planned in locations across all provinces in Canada,…

Who hasn’t found themselves in the following situation? A loose acquaintance, or even a total stranger, strikes up a conversation with you, and at first it’s just pleasant small talk. Then there’s the pause. Those of us who have been living with a disability for a while know what’s coming…

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) — a well-established risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) — is able to alter the movements of infected immune cells, a new study reveals. The findings shed new light on how EBV may set the stage for MS to develop, and could potentially form…

A 10-week program that combines cognitive behavioral therapy — a technique focused on understanding the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors — with cognitive training to improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills may enhance memory, boost vitality, and help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop effective coping strategies. “These…

Of all of the cognitive functions that multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect, memory and processing issues have been my primary burdens. I’ve found them difficult to navigate and manage, especially when others don’t fully understand the extent to which they affect me. My MS-related cognitive impairments have resulted…

Factors including being male, smoking, and having more frequent relapses are linked to significantly increased risk of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a meta-analysis of several published studies. Other variables linked to disease progression included disability score and the use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). “Hence,…

Quantum Biopharma has signed an agreement with a global pharmaceutical contract research organization to continue advancing Lucid-21-302, its experimental therapy for promoting myelin repair with multiple sclerosis (MS). The collaboration will help the company put together an investigational new drug (IND) application for the therapy, which is also…

Stem cells from donated placentas appear safe and may help reduce symptoms of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small, open-label Phase 1 clinical trial involving five patients. “Our results suggest possible neuroprotective effects” from these stem cells, researchers wrote in “Cell therapy with placenta-derived mesenchymal…

Supervised, noninvasive at-home neural stimulation helped women with multiple sclerosis (MS) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) decrease their cannabis intake and reduce withdrawal, a study suggests. Overall symptoms of MS also tended to ease with four weeks of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) plus mindfulness training. “This pilot [randomized…

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have a close friend to confide in experience better physical and mental health outcomes than women without this kind of relationship, a study reports. As well as higher rates of depression and anxiety symptoms, women who did not have a confidant had worse…

Tysabri (natalizumab), an approved treatment for forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), can be safely used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, a study showed. “The findings of our observational study offer … relevant insight into the safety profile of [Tysabri] therapy not only during pregnancy but also during breastfeeding,”…