Fingolimod pill or Fitoxantrone

[pafitis]

Dear Experts,

My Sister has MS and we want your advise regarding the therapy she is advised to take now, below little from her MS history:

She took the below medicines in the order given :

AVONEX
INTERFERONE
COPAXONE
TYSABRI


At this point she is continuasly tired she has pains on her spine, she hardly feels
anything below her knees she feels like electricity passes through her feet , she feels pressure
around her belly and breast, headaches and she can hardly walk.

She is in a dilemma to either use the Fingolimod  pill or the Fitoxantrone therapy. If you could kindly guide us on which one should be the best for her and or the most effective from both.


Thanks.

[Lulu54]

There is very good information on both of these drugs on the NMSS site-

the Mitoxantrone (Novantrone) link is

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/treatments/medications/mitoxantrone/index.aspx

the Fingolimod (Gilenya) link is

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/treatments/medications/fingolimod/index.aspx

We can't give medical advice here, because most of us are not medical experts -  we are just patients with lots of experience that we are willing to share. I know having to make a choice like this is tough because we always want to pick the best one, first. If this were me and I had already failed these other treatments, I would want to be as aggressive as possible to stop or at least slow the MS.

I am unfamiliar with the Medical system in Greece and how these choices apply to her situation.  Hopefully there is great medical care and experts she can consult with.  You are welcome to come through here anytime to ask questions.  Thanks for being a good advocate for your sister.

best, Laura

[HVAC]

I would make a pros/cons chart with each drug and side effects. Each case of MS is different and each is treated differently. Also your over all medical condition has a lot to do with the choices the doctors make. Try which ever has the best benefit/risk formula. If she does not like the one she chooses she can change. There are still other choices if those do not work.

Alex

[TLC_31]

MS is a complicated disease, different for everybody, and there is no way any responses here can substitute for consultation with one or more medical professionals. We can only share from our own experiences and offer support.

Fingolimod (Gilenya) and Mitoxantrone are very different therapies, the latter more common as a treatment for secondary progressive MS. Gilenya is prescribed for relapsing-remitting MS. From your limited description of current symptoms, with no historical perspective, I would guess your sister is secondary progressive. But it's only a guess. Perhaps that's why the four earlier treatments failed, because they are for relapsing-remitting. But we don't know if/how they really failed, how long each one was used, etc. And there is no specific drug called "Interferone" ... perhaps the drug was Betaseron, which like Avonex and Rebif is an interferon.

Your sister is blessed to have you looking out for her. Ask more questions anytime!