Posted on 04/23/2023 9:27:31 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A drug called teriflunomide may delay first symptoms for people whose magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans show signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) even though they do not yet have symptoms of the disease.
Called radiologically isolated syndrome, the condition is diagnosed in people who do not have MS symptoms but who have abnormalities in the brain or spinal cord called lesions, similar to those seen in MS. MS is a disease in which the body's immune system attacks myelin, the fatty white substance that insulates and protects the nerves. Symptoms of MS may include fatigue, numbness, tingling or difficulty walking.
"With more and more people having brain scans for various reasons, such as headache or head trauma, more of these cases are being discovered, and many of these people go on to develop MS," said Christine Lebrun Frenay, MD. "The sooner a person can be treated for MS, the greater the chances of delaying damage to the myelin, which decreases the risk of permanent neurologic impairment and debilitating symptoms."
The study involved 89 people with radiologically isolated syndrome. Half of the people were given 14 milligrams (mg) of teriflunomide daily and the other half were given a placebo. They were followed for up to two years.
During the study, eight people who took the drug developed MS symptoms, compared to 20 who took the placebo.
After adjusting for other factors that could affect the risk of developing symptoms, researchers found that people taking teriflunomide had a 72% lower risk of experiencing first symptoms than those taking the placebo.
"Our findings suggest that early intervention with teriflunomide may be beneficial to those diagnosed with radiologically isolated syndrome, the presymptomatic phase of MS," Lebrun Frenay said.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“… researchers found that people taking teriflunomide had a 72% lower risk of experiencing first symptoms than those taking the placebo.”
Of course, you would have had to have had an MRI of your brain, showing the white spots that can mean MS is possibly coming, but the medicine reduced the MS risk by 72%.
I know people who have had both a preventative MRI and a preventative CT scan. It is great to get a baseline, despite the cost involved.
You uncover a few things you did not know, usually not positive, but you can address them, then.
Getting scans for other issues can also inform, in a similar way, and would be covered by insurance.
Looking for the recent article here on a combination of Quercetin and….
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Mrs. LS was diagnosed with MS around 1995 or 96. At first she was on Avonex. This is painful (injected into muscle tissue weekly) and gave her essentially the flu for 2 days. It would basically take her out of action for a weekend. Finally, she switched (when it became available) to an oral drug (I think tecfidera) but one of the side effects, that was NOT listed, was hair loss. When she started losing hair, she got off that and has not been back on since. Her condition more or less stabilized with no further progression. Once in a while high stress will cause a flareup.
The problem with MS drugs is that no one knows if they work. People have such wide reactions. We know another woman who contracted the disease about the same time Mrs. LS did and NEVER took a drug and it never progressed.
Interesting and encouraging.
Does she do anything that might help prevent recurrence?
Thanks!
No. Usual vitamins, lots of excercise.
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