MS Paralympian Aims for a Bull’s-eye
Lia Coryell says she wanted to die. According to The New York Times, after fighting COVID-19 last winter, Coryell 56, was hit with heart and kidney failure, pneumonia, and shingles. This was in…
The MS Wire — Ed Tobias
People say to write what you know and Ed Tobias knows about MS. He’s lived with the illness since 1980, when he was 32 years old. Ed’s a retired, award-winning broadcast journalist and his column combines his four decades of MS experiences with news and comments about the latest in the MS community. In addition to writing his column, Ed is one of the patient moderators on the MS News Today Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. He’s also the author of “The Multiple Sclerosis Toolbox: Hints and Tips for Living with M.S.” Ed and his wife split their time between the Washington, D.C. suburbs and Florida’s Gulf Coast, trying to follow the sun.
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After more than 7 years, ‘The MS Wire’ column is moving on
This is my 823rd column for Multiple Sclerosis News Today. It is also my last. Over the past seven and a half years, I’ve written about multiple sclerosis (MS) fatigue and…
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With MS, a New Pair of Shoes Makes a Big Difference
I wish I could walk a mile in my shoes, but even with a new pair, that’s not going to happen. My MS limits me to about 100 steps while using two canes and…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus, Myelin Repair, Early MS Problems, Black MS Experience Summit
Ocrevus Reduces MS Relapse Risk, But Linked to More Hospitalizations As you can see from the first two paragraphs of this story, these hospitalizations occurred most frequently in older people with MS. Yet,…
I’m Trying a Different Medication, Myrbetriq, for My Urinary Issues
I’ve had pee problems for as long as I’ve had multiple sclerosis. Many folks with MS have issues, including urinary urgency, frequency, or both, bladders that don’t empty completely, or streams that don’t…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus, Probiotics, Floodlight App, Sativex in UK
Trial Will Test Ocrevus on Arm, Hand Function in PPMS A lot of the focus in MS treatment and clinical trials is placed on walking ability. It seems to me that only recently…
Do People With MS Need a 3rd Vaccine Shot?
Now that a third COVID-19 vaccine shot has been approved in the U.S. for immunocompromised people, and vaccine boosters are expected to be available to the general public sometime after Sept. 20,…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad, Sativex, Mistreatment, Patient Survey
Trial Will Test Mavenclad for Advanced Progressive MS I often think that researchers have forgotten about people whose MS has progressed to an advanced stage. But MS patients who have moved into a…
Can Special Diets or Vitamin Supplements Ease My MS Symptoms?
Can I survive without dessert? Can I live without ice cream, chocolate, and fruit pies, or with only a small amount of beef when I want a burger? The other day, my wife decided…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19, High-dose Biotin, MS Diets, Tysabri
Risk of Severe COVID-19 Not Raised by Immunosuppressive DMTs Here’s the latest on whether disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) raise the risk of a person having a bad case of COVID-19 if infected with the…
Getting Something Off My Chest
May I vent, please? In the five years that I’ve been writing this column, I don’t think I’ve ever used it to get something off my chest. But I need to today. It’s…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Stem Cells, Home Infusions, Hippocampus
FDA Greenlights Stem Cells Trial Aiming to Improve Quality of Life I’m pleased every time I see stem cell research being approved. Hopefully, this will move us closer to approval in the U.S.
Could BTK Inhibitors Be the Next Big MS Treatment?
Is orelabrutinib one of the next big MS therapies? Biogen is betting at least $125 million that it is. Orelabrutinib is an experimental oral BTK inhibitor (BTKi). BTKi’s are designed to selectively block…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Mavenclad, Genetic Risk, Fatigue Impact, Multivitamins
Skin Reactions ‘Frequent’ With Mavenclad, Real-world Study Finds I regularly see people posting on social media about having a rash or itchy skin, or losing hair while taking Mavenclad. Researchers in this study…
It’s Not a Crime to Ask for Help When You Need It
“Do you need help?” The question came from a 30-something woman after I’d finished loading some cartons into the back of my SUV. I automatically replied, “No thanks, all done.” But lifting and loading…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Orelabrutinib, MS Stress, Selma Blair
Biogen Strikes Deal for Orelabrutinib, Now in Phase 2 Trial BTK inhibitors, such as orelabrutinib, are designed to selectively block the activity of an enzyme important for the activation of B-cells and microglia.
Using Cannabis to Treat Your MS? A Word of Caution
People with MS who are using cannabis take heed: A research letter published in May in JAMA Network Open reports that calls to poison control centers about people intentionally or inadvertently using plant-based…
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Sativex, IMU-838, Ibudilast, Supercomputer
Sativex Eased MS Spasticity as an Add-on Therapy A reader in Belgium told me he has used Sativex for a couple months. He reported no dramatic improvements in his symptoms, but he said…
Don’t Let MS Stop You From Grandparenting
My grandson, John, turned 5 in May, and my granddaughter, Hayden, turned 7 in June. I love being their Poppy, but I wish their Poppy didn’t have MS. I was diagnosed with MS in…
Sativex Study Reports Positive Results in People With MS
Could a cannabis spray be just what the doctor ordered to treat our MS symptoms? I’m talking about Sativex (nabiximols), which has been developed as a treatment for moderate and severe MS spasticity.
MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: MS Diet, Early Symptoms, Kesimpta, Spinal Fluid Test
MIND Diet May Protect Brain Tissue in MS The Mediterranean Diet is one of several diets that proponents believe slow their MS progression and in some cases help to improve some symptoms. However,…
