Re: riluzole

Posted By CCF NEUROLOGY MD/in on April 26, 1998 at 13:34:16:

In Reply to: riluzole posted by bob on April 25, 1998 at 22:37:25:






If they have not ruled out ALS, possibly Lymes disease, would riluzole be a proper medication to try?




Dear Bob:
Riluzole is a new treatment that was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of some forms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).  It has been shown to delay the deterioration of the neurological condition due to the ALS process.
As you may know ALS is progressive neurodenerative disease that affects the brain and the spinal cord and leads to death.
To my knowledge it has no effect on Lyme disease that is an infectious disease with neurological manifestations.
Therefore, the first step before starting any form of treatment is to confirm the diagnosis.
I would suggest that you see a Neurologist for this purpose. Tests may be needed such as MRI of the brain/spine, electromyogram (EMG) and spinal tap among others (depending on the results of the evaluation)
You may call the Cleveland Clinic Department of Neurology for an appointment with an ALS specialist at 1-800-CCF CARE or 216-444-5559
Good luck