My Road to Treatment (pt 2)

Medical treatments for MS are called Disease Modifying Drugs (DMD) or Disease Modifying Therapies (DMT). Their purpose is to slow the progression of the disease. They are supposed to partially reduce the number of relapses and the formation of new lesions, and slow the progression of disability. They are not a cure and do not treat daily symptoms. In many cases, the side effects may actually make a person feel worse than initial symptoms of the disease. Each drug can affect each person differently, just like the disease itself can affect each person differently.

There are currently 2 main types of DMT for Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (the type I have). The first are injections which have been around the longest and have the most data about long term results. They are self injections and have daily or weekly dosing methods. This DMT is the type my first neurologist had encouraged me to try, simply because she said they had been around since the '80's and were 'tried and true' (this is partially why I decided to see another doctor). The second type are oral pills taken daily. They are newer, more potent, and are still being studied quite a bit since the long term effects are still uncertain. My new neurologist, Dr. B, recommended that I try an oral medication and she has specialized in the study and treatment of MS for many years. 

With everything I've read, I'm not convinced that the injections which have been around so long are the best option for me. I want to pursue newer treatments. So far the orals seem to be more successful at delaying progression of the disease and I want to be part of the bigger picture of finding more effective treatments for MS. If MS patients don't try these newer treatments we will never have the data needed to make them the norm. This being said, please know that this is my opinion about my own journey with MS and should not cast a shadow on other's choice of treatment plans.

**this is the 2nd installment of a series - stay tuned for the next installment!**