September 15, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias I may be stressed out, but my MS doesn’t know about it Lightning struck at 3 a.m. the other night. The alarm system in my apartment blared — beep, beep, beep — for hours. The dog was barking, the cat was zooming, and I wasn’t sleeping. My stress meter was off…
September 11, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Bowel symptoms, MS blood test, diet study Note: This column was updated Sept. 12, 2023, to correct that Octave’s MSDA blood test is currently available and in use throughout the U.S. Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on…
September 8, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Let’s not get overexcited about any mouse study used in research Mice exaggerate and monkeys lie, some researchers jokingly say. (Or is it the other way around?) Testing on rodents and animals is a typical early step in creating medications, and Multiple Sclerosis News Today publishes…
September 5, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Diagnosing PPMS, NB-4746, Neubie stimulation Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: PPMS is difficult to diagnose, report…
September 1, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias The 1st biosimilar OK’d as an MS DMT should save patients money The late August approval of Tyruko (natalizumab-sztn) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is big news in the multiple sclerosis (MS) world. Tyruko is a biosimilar for Tysabri (natalizumab), and…
August 28, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Spasticity, early treatment, pediatric onset Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Can noninvasive brain stimulation reduce MS…
August 25, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias My scooter, my grandkids, and a cave: What could go wrong? My wife, Laura, thought it would be fun to take our grandkids, ages 7 and 9, to spend a few hours exploring a giant cave. I wasn’t so sure. Ten minutes into the excursion, I was wondering which one…
August 21, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Measuring the cost of MS, early treatment, Pilates Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: MS is costly to patients and…
August 18, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias A topical reminder to prepare for a disaster while living with MS By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures of the wildfires that charred Maui, Hawaii. As I write this, a week after the blaze, The Associated Press reports that more than 100 people have…
August 14, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: Biomarkers, cow’s milk, EBV vaccine Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Is it MS or something else?…
August 11, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Who says MS doesn’t hurt? Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a pain in my butt — and other places, too. It hasn’t always been that way. For many years post-diagnosis, I didn’t notice much pain. But of the 43 years I’ve lived…
August 7, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: DMT survey, keto diet, Gilenya generic Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Neurologists comment on DMTs available for…
August 4, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias In August, I’m celebrating a big birthday and an MS anniversary “Will you still need me, will you still feed me/ when I’m 64?” Could Paul McCartney have imagined what life would be like at 64 when he wrote that iconic lyric as a teenager,…
July 31, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: AI and MS diagnosis, gut bacteria, DMTs Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Could MS be predicted by an…
July 28, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias I’m trying Factor meal service in an attempt to eat healthier My wife hates to cook, except for a big Thanksgiving turkey. I don’t know how to cook, except for scrambled eggs or meat on a grill. So for many years, our meals have pretty much been…
July 24, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: DMT use in older people, spinal MRIs, and more Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Are DMTs useful and safe for…
July 21, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Why pills became the most popular first DMTs for MS Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with several disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Times, they’ve…
July 18, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: 10-minute Ocrevus injection, NfL blood test, optic nerve Editor’s note: “MS News Notes” will return to its regular Monday morning schedule next week. Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my…
July 14, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Bottoms up: Why I’m drinking more water because of my MS I’m drinking again, more than I have in years. It’s not the hard stuff, though; not even beer or wine. It’s just plain water. That may sound crazy for someone like me who has bladder problems…
July 10, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias MS news notes: New gadolinium agent, myelin, high-efficacy DMTs Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Testing a new MRI…
November 30, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Is multiple sclerosis everywhere, or am I just more aware of it now?