ms meds

[gnz]

after 9 months i've been dx with cis...my doc gave me a list of 5 different meds to choose from...after reviewing them briefly i noticed that they all had some bad sideffects...anyone with any thoughts,it would be appreciated(30000 a year cdn just flippin crazy)

thanks  james

[Lulu54]

James, that money is crazy - since your are in canada, I take it that is not out of your pocket?

We've kicked around the CRABs here, a lot. Copaxone, Rebif, Avonex, and Betaseron are the primary four.  Your doctor didn't offer Tysabri as your fifth, did he?

I like the Decision Maker tool in the uk that walks you through the drugs and helps you figure what is important for you.  You can access this at

http://www.msdecisions.org.uk

welcome to the world of drugs aand bills.  I'm glad to hear you are getting treatment for your CIS.  Congrats on that one.

Lulu

[HVAC]

Hello James,
  I am guessing you mean drugs to slow the progression such as Rebif, Copaxone, Avonex and Betaseron . All but Tysabri are reasonably safe which is more affecective in slowing progression in some MS patients.

  The deal with MS drugs is the better they work at slowing progression the more dangerous they are because at the same time they suppress the immune system.

Yes and the cost of all are very high. I had to weigh the cost against the cost of caring for me if I just allowed the illness to progress.

  If your illness is progressing rapidly Tysabri is an option. The others are equal in safety and effectiveness. It just depends on the injection method and frequency as to what you and your Doctor decide. Most Doctors let you decide.

I took Copaxone for a year and side effects were not bad. The injections stung for a bit afterward but it was tolerable. I had no other issues. I suffer from Depression so choosing was easy since all the others can worsen depression.

Good Luck to you.
Alex

[sllowe]

Hi there,

I'm so happy to hear CIS will be treated!!!!! This is good news. Getting started on meds earlier is better.

I've dug up a couple discussions for you and hope they help! After you peek at these, please send us your thoughts.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/DMD-Users-Past--Present---Copaxone--Rebif--Avonex--Betaseron--Tysabri--other/show/1193746

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/DMD/show/1041491

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/DMDs-experiences-please/show/759170

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/For-those-of-you-on-one-of-the-disease-modifying-drugs/show/471258

You may fair well with side affects. They are bearable for most and you can always switch meds if you experience problems.

See you around,
Shell