April 16, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Cancer Medication Shows Promise in Treating Dangerous Brain Infection PML, Small-scale Study Finds Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, more commonly referred to as PML, is a brain infection that’s frequently fatal. PML is particularly dangerous to people with MS, which is why I’m interested in a report about a medication that’s showing promise…
April 15, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: MS Misdiagnoses, Mineral Intake Risk Study, Hormonal Changes, Rituximab and Vitamin D MS Misdiagnosis Too Common, Puts Patients in Unnecessary Peril from Therapies, Study Reveals Many people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) report that it’s taken doctors years to come up with their diagnoses. So, it’s interesting to…
April 12, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Immunocompromised? Watch Out for the C. Auris Fungus. Most healthy people probably don’t have to worry about a fungus called Candida auris, or simply C. auris. But if your immune system is compromised, it’s a different story. Health officials say C. auris should be of special…
April 9, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias 3 Strategies for Dealing with the High Costs of Medications It’s tough paying for medications. Whether they’re for multiple sclerosis (MS) or another illness, Americans are having a hard time coming up with the cash needed to cover the cost of their meds. Many…
April 8, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Mayzent Approval Surprises, Myelin Repair, Monitoring Nerve Inflammation Cleveland Clinic Neurologist Applauds Mayzent’s FDA Approval, But Surprised by Those It May Not Treat When I wrote my “MS Wire” column a few days after Mayzent’s approval, I wondered why…
April 2, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Mayzent Joins the MS Medication Arsenal, But I Have Questions As you might have heard, a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for patients with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) was approved a few days ago. That’s great news. A medication targeting SPMS is overdue, but…
April 1, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Reaction to SPMS DMT Approval, Ozanimod’s FDA Application, Caregiving Partnerships, a New Preventive Medication? MS Patient Groups React Favorably to Mayzent Approval, But Question Therapy’s Price Tag The approval of this medication is very good news. However, as the headline indicates, it comes with a relatively hefty cost.
March 29, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Some Thoughts About Controlling Your MS Bladder There are two types of people with MS: Those who have bladder problems and those who will have them. That may be an oversimplification but I’d be willing to bet that you, like me, have had that…
March 25, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Walking Med Trial Recruiting, DMT Risk Tolerance, Sex and MS Phase 3 Trial of ADS-5102 Recruiting Participants of All MS Types This medication is similar to Ampyra (dalfampridine) because its goal is to improve walking in those with MS. It sure would be nice…
March 22, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Things to Know If You’re Thinking About Leaving Your Neurologist If you’re a member of the baby boomer generation, or if you just like the music of the 1960s and ’70s, you probably know Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover“: “‘The…
March 19, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias DMT Choice for Your MS Is Your Decision About 15 disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are available to treat MS these days. So, choosing which to use can be daunting. I’ve been treated with four DMTs since I was first prescribed Avonex (interferon beta-1a) back…
March 18, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Non-contrast MRIs, Stem Cell Study Seeks Subjects, Postpartum Relapses, Which DMT? Non-contrast MRI Effective in Monitoring Progression of MS, Study Shows There’s been increased interest in the risks versus the benefits of using gadolinium to make lesions more visible on an MRI.
March 15, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Pediatric MS Can Be ‘Diagnostic Odyssey’ A post in one of the MS social media groups I follow recently asked whether kids can have MS. The writer was worried about her 3-year-old. One commenter replied that her son was diagnosed when…
March 12, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Are MS Patients Using Too Many Medications? Have you ever heard of the word “polypharmacy”? I saw the word for the first time today. It’s generally defined as taking many medications together. There’s been debate over how many is “many,” but…
March 11, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: A Cure for MS?, MS App, Robot for Balance, Botox for Spasticity All of the stories in this week’s column come from the recently held Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) forum, held Feb. 28 to March 2 in Dallas, Texas. #ACTRIMS2019…
March 8, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Things Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You About Living with MS A recent article in The New York Times hit the nail on the head when it comes to describing the world we live in with MS. But the article isn’t about MS. The Times‘ Tessa Miller…
March 5, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Two Different Approaches to Providing Online MS Help I received an email recently from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the U.S. promoting a searchable database of “credible doctors and resources.” A few days later, I happened to run across another online…
March 4, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: New DMT, Stem Cell Trial, Pediatric MS Treatment Study FDA Will Review New Drug Application of Diroximel Fumarate for Relapsing Forms of MS The good news: Another disease-modifying therapy (DMT) has taken a step toward approval in the U.S. The discouraging…
March 1, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Bravo to Selma Blair and Her Cane for Appearing at the Oscars Over the past few months, I’ve had a few things to say about actress Selma Blair and the very public way in which she’s been handling her MS diagnosis. When Blair went public with…
February 26, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias A Warning About ‘Young Plasma’ Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis Plasma is the fluid part of our blood that carries nutrients and blood cells through our bodies. Donated plasma can save the lives of burn and injury victims and it’s used as a treatment…
April 18, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Learning how to write a ‘SOAP’ note feels different after an MS diagnosis
April 15, 2024 Columns by Leigh Anne Nelson What does ‘delicate balance’ mean in my life with multiple sclerosis?