MS and Betaseron

Posted By  CCFNeuroMD/MRR on February 26, 1998 at 08:15:49:

In Reply to: MS and Betaseron posted by Jeff Corsello on February 23, 1998 at 10:34:52:

: Would you question the use of Betaseron for MS? My wife was recently diagnosed with MS and we're trying to decide if Betaseron is something she should try.
  Also, has Betaseron ever been known to alleviate or correct MS related problems?

[CCF neuro MD/MRR]

Dear Jeff,
Hello- the way the we determine who goes on disease modifying medications like Betaseron is the clinical history; how many attacks she has had in the last year and what type of MS she has, the MRI;is it active, the exam; the level of ability and other tests such as the CSF exam.  Betaseron has been shown, as has Avonex and Copaxone , to decrease the annual relapse rates and  MRI lesions on the brain.  The  mediactions each have their own side effects and specific findings in their studies that may differ from one another in the details.  
MS has recently been shown to cause more nerve damage than was previously thoguth s othat treatment is recommended early rather than waiting until more problems arise.  Betaseron is an every other day injection with flu like side effects and red spots at the site of injection so the Avonex may be more helpful in that it is only once a week and does not have the skin reactions that Betaseron has.  The decision of which medication to start is very individualized and I am unable to make recomendations without seeing your wife, good luck.  The key is finding a Neurologist
that is familiar with MS at a MS Center.  We have an MS clinic at the Cleveland Clinic, 216-444-8600.