I said I would try not to overwhelm you with tales from my past in the military. For the most part, I’ve been true to my word, but something crossed my mind recently that made me think immediately of multiple sclerosis (MS), and I couldn’t resist sharing it. As…
symptoms
About two years after my multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, I began having hand-related symptoms that interfered with my daily life and caused significant stress. I’m a college student and remote employee, so I spend a lot of time typing, which is considered a fine motor skill because of the…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation to privosegtor, an experimental treatment from Oculis that aims to protect the vision of people experiencing acute optic neuritis. This condition, which involves inflammation of the optic nerve, is a common and often debilitating symptom of…
Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have children experience significantly longer waits before receiving a diagnosis than women without children, according to a new U.S. study. On average, each child was associated with an additional 1.28-year delay in diagnosis. The delay was even longer among women whose symptoms…
Relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) may be more common in spring and summer, coinciding with warmer temperatures, low humidity, and greater fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, according to a study from Poland. Stressful life events and infections were the most frequent potential relapse triggers, the study found.
In people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment with the antioxidant lipoic acid did not improve walking or lessen other symptoms, such as fatigue, but it did show signs of slowing brain atrophy, or the loss of brain tissue. According to the researchers, this suggests possible positive biological…
Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) — areas of chronic active inflammation seen on MRI scans — tend to lose more brain volume over time, a new study found. These lesions were common in pediatric MS, a rare form of the disease…
Due to my uneasiness with heights, I complained a lot about parachuting throughout my career in the U.S. Army. There’s a small chance, however, that I haven’t been entirely fair. Sure, I was afraid every time, made some less-than-stellar landings, and sustained a few injuries, but those were really…
I mentioned last week that I had been in the hospital recently with pneumonia and promised to elaborate. Without further ado or any gross details, I give you my recent tale of woe. As with many of my experiences, may it serve as a warning of what not to do.
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have higher levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum in the mouth — bacteria that can contribute to periodontitis, a serious gum infection — may be more likely to experience more severe symptoms, according to a study from Japan. This finding adds to recent preclinical evidence…
The holidays tend to arrive with a mix of excitement and stress, even for people without a chronic illness. But for those of us living with multiple sclerosis (MS), the season can feel like its own kind of marathon, full of expectations, overscheduling, symptoms that flare when we least…
The holidays have a way of turning up the volume on everything. The lights feel brighter, rooms feel busier, and even soft conversation seems amplified. Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) has taught me that this kind of noise isn’t just sound — it’s work. It’s one of the…
Simultaneously measuring levels of two blood proteins — glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) — may offer a clearer way to track both disease activity and disability progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new long-term study. Each…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) share similar symptoms but are two biologically distinct conditions, with different immune signatures, a study found. These findings help explain why treatments approved for MS generally show limited effectiveness for MOGAD, researchers said. “These findings support MOGAD as its…
People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have consistently lower quality of life than the general population — regardless of age or gender, a new study shows. The scientists also identified several factors that are significantly associated with worse quality of life in MS. These included disease symptoms such as…
Metis Biotech‘s experimental oral therapy MTS-004 was safe and eased symptoms of pseudobulbar affect (PBA), a neurological condition marked by bouts of sudden, involuntary, and inappropriate laughter or crying, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders. That’s according to data from a Phase 3 clinical…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have altered levels of bacteria in their mouths, with reduced levels of normal healthy bacteria and higher levels of bacteria that can cause disease, a new study reports. “Your mouth may reveal more about your overall health than you think,” Ashutosh Mangalam, PhD, senior…
As a physician, I hang my hat on certainty, where a certain medical issue can be solved with a certain medication. But when it comes to real life, especially as a parent and a person living with multiple sclerosis (MS), I know there’s little certainty in everyday living. My…
Signs of myelin damage are detectable about one year before damage to nerve fibers is apparent and about seven years before the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, a new study reveals. These findings shed new light on the timing of MS onset, and could open new avenues to…
During my hospital stay earlier this year, all I could think about was the relief that would come when I finally went home. I pictured sinking into my own bed, exhaling for the first time in weeks, catching up with all that had happened inside my body. I needed…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more than twice as likely to experience headaches, including migraines, than their healthy counterparts, a study from Greece found. Headaches were also longer and more intense for MS patients, and more likely to lead to the use of acute medication. “These findings suggest that headaches…
Going through menopause with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be challenging, as the changes that come with this stage of life may interact or occur in tandem with existing MS symptoms. A team of researchers recently studied how menopause affects women living with MS, with their findings presented…
Seizures in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be driven by changes in levels of certain brain signaling molecules, implying that targeting these molecules may be a viable strategy to treat MS-related seizures, according to new research done in a mouse model. “If the same transporters and receptors are…
Increasing blood vitamin D levels with high-dose supplementation can significantly reduce the risk of new disease activity in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), or those who experienced a first episode of symptoms suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new data from the D-Lay-MS…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) seem to experience significant changes in cognition more than a year before significant physical decline is evident, a study found. While measures of processing speed, verbal memory, and visual memory worsened after about 2.7 years, significant changes in walking function and dexterity were only…
Psychological testing indicates that I’m not crazy, but when I share some of the things I’ve done in the Army, people sometimes wonder. I never say that I’m not, because that’s what a crazy person would say. Instead, I provide a three-point answer: One, would I even know? Two,…
Life with multiple sclerosis (MS) is unpredictable, involving many unknowns. Symptoms can come and go, flare up without warning, and affect every aspect of our health, from movement to memory. Managing MS is already a full-time job, and the added weight of life’s uncertainties often makes it even more…
Children and adolescents who go on to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) begin visiting the emergency department more often than their peers as early as a dozen years before their first MS symptoms appear, a new study from Canada suggests. In fact, over an 18-year period, children later diagnosed…
Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs), which represent areas of damage in the brain and spinal cord with chronic active inflammation, are highly indicative of multiple sclerosis (MS) in people being evaluated for the disease, a new study reports. The findings support using this imaging biomarker as a useful tool for…
We all have stomach or bathroom issues from time to time. Eat the wrong thing, catch a bug, drink too much coffee, and your body will let you know. That’s just life. But when you have multiple sclerosis (MS), digestive and urinary problems aren’t occasional; they become their own…