Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that can be challenging to understand and treat. While there is no cure for MS yet, significant progress has been made in recent times to identify treatment options that can help manage symptoms and slow its progression. In this article, we’ll explore the various multiple sclerosis treatment approaches available, including both medication therapies. As MS manifests differently in each individual, creating a treatment plan usually requires careful consideration of a person's specific symptoms and disease course with guidance from their neurologist.
Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis treatment involves reducing the impact of attacks, reducing relapses, slowing the progression of the disease, and managing symptoms. Doctors can employ any of the following for MS treatment:
- Corticosteroids, like prednisone and intravenous methylprednisolone, are prescribed to reduce nerve inflammation.
- Plasma exchange (plasmapheresis), by which some of the patient's blood plasma is removed and separated from blood cells. The blood cells are mixed with albumin (a protein) and returned to the body. Plasma exchange may be used if your symptoms are new or severe and you haven't responded to steroids.
To deal with a relapsing or remitting MS, DMT, i.e., disease-modifying therapies, are utilised. Aggressive treatment with these medications is required as early as possible. Injectable, oral, and infusion medications are treatment options for relapsing-remitting MS.
Injectable treatments include:
- Interferon beta medications: These drugs are the most prescribed medications to treat MS. They interrupt diseases that attack the body, help decrease inflammation, and increase nerve growth.
- Glatiramer acetate: This medication may help block your immune system from attacking myelin (the protective layer around the nerves) and must be injected beneath the skin.
Oral treatments include:
- Teriflunomide: This once-everyday oral drug can lessen the relapse rate.
- Dimethyl fumarate: This oral medication can reduce relapses. Side effects may include flushing, diarrhea and nausea. This drug requires blood test monitoring regularly.
- Diroximel fumarate: This twice-daily capsule is similar to dimethyl fumarate. It leads to fewer side effects.
- The FDA approved monomethyl fumarate (Bafiertam) as a delayed-release medicine. It has a slow and steady action. Because of its time release, side effects are assumed to be fewer.
- Siponimod:. Research demonstrates the way that this once-day-to-day oral drug can lessen relapse rates and assist with the slow progression of MS.
Infusion treatments include:
- Natalizumab: This is a monoclonal antibody that has been studied to decrease relapse rates and slow down the risk of disability. This medication is designed to stop potentially damaging immune cells from your bloodstream from reaching the brain and spinal cord.
- Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus). This treatment reduces the relapse rate along with the risk of disabling progression in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. It slows down the progression of primary-progressive forms of multiple sclerosis.