living with MS

My husband and I have been on a bit of a quest as of late. For several reasons that I won’t bore you with here, we are in search of a new church to join. A few weekends ago, we made our first visit to an Orthodox church here…

I’ve been popping vitamin D pills for years — decades, really. I never really understood why, I just knew that many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are vitamin D-deficient. A recent study has cast some new light on why I should continue. It all seems to comes down to…

More than half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with self-injectable therapies — namely, glatiramer acetate, marketed as Copaxone, among others, or any of a host of interferons — showed no evidence of disease activity after two years, according to a study out of Turkey. Among patients treated for…

A relationship between meat consumption and how it affects gut bacteria, immune cell profiles, and metabolism was identified in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) participating in a small study. Specifically, a diet rich in meat was associated with a decrease in Bacteriodes thetaiotaomicron, a common gut bacteria that works…

Reservations at a base lodge have been made, and a starting date is circled on her calendar. MS hiker April Hester is ready to start up the Appalachian Trail in the eastern U.S. It’s always an uphill hike for April, even when the trail is flat. She was diagnosed with…

“Hey, man, I’m alive. I’m taking each day and night at a time/ I’m feeling like a Monday but someday I’ll be Saturday night.” — Bon Jovi Multiple sclerosis (MS) medications can generally be separated into two categories: disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and those that help to manage symptoms. While…

Vitamin D can influence the immune system’s tolerance to certain proteins by changing how DNA is packaged in specific immune cells called dendritic cells, according to a new study. Its findings could have implications for treating diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are characterized by the immune system attacking…

The MS Society of Canada is hosting its annual MS Read-a-Thon, a fundraiser that supports vital services to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community and to disease research while helping children discover the joys of reading. For a 45th year, the program invites children, individually or in teams…

One of the great things about living in Atlanta is that there is always something new and exciting going on in town. Sure, we have our fair share of sporting events, but on any given night, you can attend a live concert, or see a show or stand-up performance. There…

Move along, move along. Nothing to read here. What a great start to a column! Last week, my worries about MS lifted as I was consumed by a glitch in my computer software. I’m pleased to report that I’ve found a whole series of admittedly fiddly workarounds. I’m even…

Exergames — playing video games that involve physical exercise — may be more effective at improving balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than conventional rehabilitation, a review of current studies suggested. The study, “Efficacy of Virtual Reality and Exergaming in Improving Balance in Patients With…

“Who in the world am I? Ah, that is the great puzzle.” — “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” by Lewis Carrol Jan. 9 was my 31st birthday. I remember looking outside, watching the low January sun glisten on the frosty ground as its orange haze thawed the earth. I liken this…

It took some time for Tyler Campbell to truly accept he had relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The San Diego State University running back had just finished his junior year in 2007 when his multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms began. After an MRI confirmed the diagnosis, his neurologist cleared him to…

The vagaries of multiple sclerosis are always present, but this week, my waking hours have been consumed by something far more important. I say waking hours, but we have to discount much of that time, because I’m put to bed at the early hour of 10 p.m. and spend several…

In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Allen C. Bowling, MD, PhD, to answer some of your questions related to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Bowling is an internationally recognized neurologist and integrative medicine pioneer with…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at greater risk of developing cancer than the general population, according to a French study involving nearly 100,000 patients. This increased risk was particularly apparent for prostate, breast, colorectal, and anal cancers, as well as cancers of the trachea, bronchus, and lung. The researchers…

Cognitive dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is predictive of worse outcomes, including clinical progression of the disease and a higher risk of mortality, according to a new study. “This review revealed that cognitive dysfunction … was associated with higher odds of transitioning from [a] relapsing–remitting course to…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have high levels of toxic compounds made by gut bacteria in the fluid around their brain and spinal cord, a study found. “This work not only furthers our understanding of the role of gut-brain communication in neurodegenerative disease progression, but also provides a potential…

A little over a year ago, I wrote about whether people with multiple sclerosis (MS) should get a COVID-19 vaccine. I was anxious to be vaccinated as soon as I could, but I was also concerned about how the vaccines would affect someone with MS. Would the side effects…

Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific research, advances in treatment, and clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout 2021. We look forward to continuing to be a resource for the MS community in 2022. Here are the Top 10 most-read articles of…

Vitamin D supplementation may improve quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a literature review study. Because vitamin D deficiency is common in MS patients, these findings suggest that “supplementation should be applied at least in a dose that covers the recommended intake,” the researchers…

XRHealth, a virtual reality clinic that provides treatments in patients’ homes, has integrated Tobii‘s eye-tracking technology into its platform, which will let clinicians treat patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions. “We are excited to partner with Tobii — the leader in eye tracking —…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in the U.K. are now eligible to receive one of three new treatments for COVID-19 that are meant to prevent serious disease in at-risk populations who tested positive for the virus. First available under this plan were Regeneron and Roche’s antibody-based therapy…

Protxx and the University of Victoria are partnering to explore digital biomarkers for multiple sclerosis (MS) that may improve monitoring of disease progression, and facilitate more personalized care and a better quality of life. The digital biomarkers are based on motion vibrations picked up by Protxx’s wearable “phybrata”…

This is the fifth year I’m writing a Christmastime missive about how my MS journey as Santa is going since the disease mortally attacked my immune system. The trouble was that it took doctors ages to work out my diagnosis. Being Santa Claus, no MRI machine…

I’m back in Florida for the next several months, having left cloudy, windy, chilly Maryland for the Gulf Coast. It’s been sunny and in the low 80s for the past few days, and my multiple sclerosis (MS) is feeling just fine. A lot of people with MS avoid the heat,…

Fatigue management — whether through a symptom-specific self-management program or through general education regarding managing multiple sclerosis (MS) — may help people with MS in keeping fatigue levels stable in the long term, a recent study suggests. Indeed, the benefits of such programs were found to remain in effect…

In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked registered dietitian Mona Bostick to answer some of your questions related to diet and nutrition for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Bostick, who has MS, works in private practice in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she helps…

Owning a dog, cat or other household pet during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has helped multiple sclerosis (MS) patients gain a better overall sense of their health and well-being, a single-site survey by mail of people in the U.K. reported. But pet-owning patients reported no significant improvements in their…

Leaders of the International Progressive MS Alliance have proposed a global research strategy to find better ways to care for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). They detailed their proposal in the paper, “Charting a global research strategy for progressive MS—An international progressive MS…