Treatment for Secondary Progressive MS

[happyalc90]

52 year old woman with a severe case of Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS). She is around an 8 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale and has been on multiple interferon-beta1a treatments, including Rebif and Avonex and nothing seems to be helping. What course of treatment would you recommend?

[Cara842]

I'm also Secondary Progressive, but not as severe as you, I'm now a 5.5 on the scale.  I was on Rebif for 15 months, sicker than a dog and so weak and in so much pain the whole time and the MRI's showed it clearly wasn't working for me.  My last neuro had me stop taking it and wanted me to try Novantrone, but the I wasn't ready to do that.  I've been off the Rebif for about a year and a half and have been stable and have felt so much better for the past year.   I was a 7.5 on the scale while on Rebif.  I went down in scale considerably approx. 90 days after getting it out of my system.

I just started a new neuro and they want me to try Copaxone.  It apparently isn't as harsh on your system and over time really slows down the progression.  With so many new drugs being researched and FTY720 (an oral pill) getting ready to come on to the market late this year or next year, I'm going to try the Copaxone at least until then.  Since I feel I'm doing so well at the moment, I really feel I need to take something to slow the progression.

[Karen99]

Bone marrow/peripheral stem cell transplantation are getting good results as reported by the National MS Society at:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/research/clinical-trials/index.aspx

[Karen99]

I have read and heard that certain chemotherapy agents are being considered for MS and other autoimmune diseases.  Maybe there are clinical trials she can get into?  Somewhere?

Doctors use other medications "off label" but I doubt this is the case with chemo drugs yet.