Recently, a historic winter storm brought record amounts of snow to the northern parts of the Sunshine State. Some areas of Florida’s panhandle surpassed 8 inches of snow! It has snowed before in Florida, but this level of snowfall and ground cover is a first. Despite my immense excitement about…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with high-dose steroids to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. My first experience treating an MS relapse with intravenous steroids was interesting.

It’s only day one, but my eyesight has already improved. It may not be that of a hawk’s, but at least I can tell the difference between a lumbering pigeon and a bird of prey. The world seems brighter — and not just because of that vision thang, peeps. If…

My hips have hurt for several years. Right now, it’s just a dull ache. But there have been times when it has been a shooting pain. Hip pain isn’t necessarily connected to your multiple sclerosis (MS), but it could be. It might be caused by alterations in your…

A type of blood-cleansing process called immunoadsorption worked better than a second round of methylprednisolone for treating relapse in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who failed to respond to a first, standard cycle of the corticosteroid, a study found. Among people with relapsing MS, immunoadsorption also was associated with…

A short course of high-dose methylprednisolone was associated with signs of mild liver injury in nearly 3% of multiple sclerosis patients given this treatment, according to a study in Iran. Notably, a history of alcohol abuse and hyperlipidemia — higher-than-normal blood levels of fatty molecules such as cholesterol — were…

Analysis Finds Acthar Gel Cost-effective for MS Relapses I’ve seen social media posts from people with MS who use Acthar Gel and report that it helps with their spasticity. The gel, which is a shot, not an ointment, prompts the body to creates cortisol, a steroid hormone that helps…

I am having an MS relapse, my first in three years. In the first two years after I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in early 2017, I relapsed every two or three months. It got to the point that I couldn’t tell where one relapse began and another ended.

People with  multiple sclerosis (MS) who are using a disease-modifying therapy — and are at a younger age — when they have a relapse within the first three years of their disease course are more likely to recover completely, lowering their risk of long-term, 10-year disability, a study suggests. Complete recovery…

“Let’s go for a walk,” my wife, Jane, chirpily suggested. This was a bit of a nightmare. I had to put on trousers. I perhaps cheekily get away with only wearing an apron all day. It makes going to the bathroom so much easier. (A little later in the day…

“No Sex Please, We’re British” was a British farce that opened in London’s West End in 1971 and ran until 1987. It was panned by critics, but having “Sex” in the title sure was a winner, helping it to run for 17 years. Let’s hope some of this rubs off…

MetP Pharma‘s patent application for a new method to treat demyelinating and neuroinflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), has been approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patent, titled “Treatment of Demyelinating Diseases” (U.S. Appl. No. 16/506,830), is valid until 2039,…

A blood-cleansing process known as immunoadsorption appears to be superior to plasma exchange in treating relapses that don’t respond to conventional steroid therapy in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), a study reports. These findings were reported in “Safety and efficacy of immunoadsorption…

Today I came back to myself. For two months, I have been encapsulated in a hazy bubble. I could not kick this persistent bronchial condition and began to get frustrated. After three courses of ineffectual antibiotics and inhalers, I had a work-up for pneumonia. Thirty minutes later, I received…

  Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her series on the “MS alphabet” with this column referencing terms starting with the letter “S.” Fourth in a series of five. Symptoms of MS Scotoma Scotoma describes a vision problem in which the presence of “blind spots” or other partial vision…

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals is seeking 66 participants for a clinical trial to determine the safety and effectiveness of its injected therapy H.P. Acthar Gel as a treatment for acute relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). MS relapses are flare-ups of central nervous system inflammation that damage the myelin coating that protects nerve cells. The damage disrupts the transmission of impulses between the cells, causing spikes in MS symptoms. For severe relapses that interfere with a person’s mobility, safety or ability to function, most neurologists recommend corticosteroid treatment administered intravenously or taken orally. Steroids can also be administered by injection of a gel under the skin. H.P. Acthar Gel is designed to provide extended release of steroids in the body. The trial will evaluate whether the gel is an effective treatment for RRMS patients who have been unable to recover from a relapse after receiving high-dose intravenous or oral steroids. Researchers will randomly assign participants to receive either H.P. Acthar Gel or a placebo, delivered by injection once a day for 14 days. Follow-up visits will be required at 14, 28 and 42 days. The study's main objective will be seeing whether patients' disability improves. Researchers will use a standard tool for measuring disability known as the Expanded Disability Status Scale.  Other objectives will include seeing how the therapy affects patients' fatigue, quality of life, workplace productivity, and use of healthcare resources. Participants must have a confirmed diagnosis of RRMS, be older than 18 years of age, and have experienced a relapse within 29 days of enrolling in the trial. For more information about enrollment criteria and how to participate in the trial, please contact Valerie Carvajal at (800) 556-3314 or by email at [email protected]. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced in an MS trial alert that Mallinckrodt will be  enrolling participants in Tucson; Fort Collins, Colo.; Tampa; Atlanta; Savannah, Ga.; Northbrook, Ill.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Kan.; New York; Cleveland; Dayton, Ohio; Dallas; Round Rock, Texas; San Antonio; Salt Lake City; Richmond, Va.; and Tacoma, Wash. Without clinical trial participation there is no way for patients to obtain new medicines or for scientists to ultimately find a cure for MS. The National MS Society encourages participation. It has developed a guide for patients who want to take part in studies called “Participating in Clinical Trials.” It covers the basics of participation, benefits versus risks, patient protection, costs and other important issues about trials.  

Health Canada Approves Merck’s Mavenclad to Treat RRMS The European Union OK’d Mavenclad back in August. Now, Canada has come on board with approval for this oral MS therapy, which has been reporting very good success at attacking MS. How about the United States joining them? Apparently,…

Oral steroids may be cheaper, more convenient and less invasive alternatives than intravenous steroids in treating relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, suggests an analysis of five randomized trials. Glucocorticoids are recommended as the first line of treatment for MS relapses. Yet recent studies have shown no significant difference between…

People with a demyelinating disease associated with antibodies against a myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), most often develop episodes of optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve) that can be treated with corticosteroids, according to data presented today at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting from Oct. 25-28 in Paris. MOG antibody-associated demyelination is a…

For most of the 36 years since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis I’ve not been bothered by pain. Just lucky, I guess. Until last month. Suddenly, I’ve developed pain in both hips and I don’t know why. The pain is most intense when I first put my feet on…

Medicare spent more $650 million in 2013 and 2014 on one single medication — H.P. Acthar Gel —— that was prescribed by fewer than 1 percent of clinicians to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), with questionable results. That’s the conclusion of new research by Oregon Health and Science University (OSHU), which presented its…

A pilot study in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) found a steroid treatment of benefit by decreasing oxidative stress in the cerebrospinal fluid. The study, “One-time intrathecal triamcinolone acetonide application alters the redox potential in cerebrospinal fluid of progressive multiple sclerosis patients: a pilot study,” was published in the journal …