People with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their families need to keep up with the latest information on MS symptoms, treatments and advice on how to cope with their condition. This information is consistently updated, but you can stay informed about these issues regarding multiple sclerosis, and many other MS topics, with these four reputable sources.
For the full story click here.
Showing posts with label multiple sclerosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label multiple sclerosis. Show all posts
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Sister Kenny, Minnesota
There is something to be said about not being able to use your legs properly. This was the case for me recently and I ended up staying, for 10 days, at Sister Kenny Rehab Institute in Minnesota. They are well known for their rehabilitation regime and it worked for me. With the use of botox shots in my leg and some good physical and occupational therapy I am back home. My leg is still giving me a little trouble but there continues to be physical therapy at home and I know that I will be able to 'achieve' again.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
How to Research AmpyraT as a Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis
The food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved AmpyraT (formerly known as fampridine SR, from Acorda Therapeutics) as a symptomatic treatment to improve walking for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). There are many reputable websites where there is information to research AmpyraT as a treatment for MS.
For the full article click here.
For the full article click here.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
How to Research Use of Cladribine for Multiple Sclerosis
Cladribine is an oral chemotherapy medication that has been used to treat hairy cell leukemia. This potential MS treatment drug has been the center of clinical studies for the treatment of relapsing progressive Multiple Sclerosis. There are several respectable sources to find out more information about the studies and the use of Cladribine for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.
For the full story click here.
For the full story click here.
Oral multiple sclerosis drug shows promise
January 20, 2010 | 2:00 pm
A large study on a new oral medication for multiple sclerosis has yielded promising results both in terms of how well the drug works and its safety, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
MS
The drug, Cladribine, is an existing chemotherapy medication that is used to treat hairy cell leukemia. It
would be the first tablet medication for MS and would only need to be taken for eight or 10 days a year. Currently, MS drug treatments include injections and intravenous infusions. The disease is a neurological condition that often beings in young adulthood and can lead to problems with muscle control, vision, hearing and memory.
The new study included 1,300 MS patients who were followed for nearly two years and had regular MRI scans to assess the progression of the disease. Patients were given either a short treatment of Cladribine or a placebo. Compared to the patients taking the placebo, patients on the medication were 55% less likely to have a relapse and 30% less likely to have a worsening of disability. The study was performed at Queen Mary, University of London.
The drug company MD Serono, an affiliate of Merck, has requested approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market the tablet. However it recently received a "refuse to file" letter from the FDA, which means the agency is requiring additional information or data. MD Serono said it is pursuing the matter with the FDA and hopes to re-submit its application.
The drug is of wide interest, note officials from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Cladribine "would represent a major treatment breakthrough -- hopefully the first of many successful oral therapies in the pipeline," Dr. John R. Richert, executive vice president of research and clinical programs for the National MS Society, said in a statement.
-- Shari Roan
A large study on a new oral medication for multiple sclerosis has yielded promising results both in terms of how well the drug works and its safety, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
MS
The drug, Cladribine, is an existing chemotherapy medication that is used to treat hairy cell leukemia. It
would be the first tablet medication for MS and would only need to be taken for eight or 10 days a year. Currently, MS drug treatments include injections and intravenous infusions. The disease is a neurological condition that often beings in young adulthood and can lead to problems with muscle control, vision, hearing and memory.
The new study included 1,300 MS patients who were followed for nearly two years and had regular MRI scans to assess the progression of the disease. Patients were given either a short treatment of Cladribine or a placebo. Compared to the patients taking the placebo, patients on the medication were 55% less likely to have a relapse and 30% less likely to have a worsening of disability. The study was performed at Queen Mary, University of London.
The drug company MD Serono, an affiliate of Merck, has requested approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market the tablet. However it recently received a "refuse to file" letter from the FDA, which means the agency is requiring additional information or data. MD Serono said it is pursuing the matter with the FDA and hopes to re-submit its application.
The drug is of wide interest, note officials from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Cladribine "would represent a major treatment breakthrough -- hopefully the first of many successful oral therapies in the pipeline," Dr. John R. Richert, executive vice president of research and clinical programs for the National MS Society, said in a statement.
-- Shari Roan
Monday, March 10, 2008
Study – MS Brain Atrophy
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop irreversible CNS tissue injury, the end result of which is brain and spinal-cord atrophy. Atrophy was thought to occur late in the course of MS because, despite periodic relapses, patients function normally for years after symptomatic onset of MS.
For the full story click here.
For the full story click here.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Determination Helps Natalie Carda Inspire To Achieve In Spite of MS
When you see Natalie Carda in her home town of Beresford, dribbling down the basketball court at the University of South Dakota, or coming straight towards you in life, you’ll see one common characteristic – determination.
Carda grew up in South Dakota with her Mom, older brother, and her basketball coach Father. “I’ve been playing basketball since I can remember”, says Carda. She has always felt comfortable as she stepped onto the court and excelled in basketball. With a head of steam she stepped into college life with excitement and ease. She was not prepared, though, to step in to a new role; the one that life handed her.
In her Freshman year in college Carda started feeling numbness in the top part of her body. “I have a bad back so I just thought it had something to do with that. You know, anything to explain why it was happening, then it went away so it wasn’t really a big deal.” She continued explaining that it only happened twice that year and it went away so everything must be fine.
The next year, as she was getting up out of her bed she fell, landing hard enough to jar her back. That incident, again, was explained away by back problems. At the beginning of this, her Junior year, her back tightened up and her entire right side went numb. Carda’s Trainer was concerned that more was wrong than her back and had her see a Doctor, who was concerned that these were signs of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He promptly did an MRI which showed lesions on her brain and sent her to a Neurologist who confirmed the diagnosis. Carda remembers, “I didn’t really know what MS was. I had heard of MS and knew that it wasn’t very good.” She talked herself into thinking it was just another little problem and denied the diagnosis. When her Neurologist explained he was 100% sure it was MS then she wanted to know more about what MS was.
"It was scary at first but when I learned more about
how it wasn’t as scary as everyone thought it was,
it was a lot easier to take."
Her team mates did not say much to her about the diagnosis. They did not know what to ask her because they did not know what it was or how she would react. “They did not want to reveal that they were ‘freaking out’ so I wouldn’t ‘freak out’.” she explained. “You get nervous about things you don’t know about and we didn’t know anything about MS.”
There were more questions than answers. Carda’s Mom has done a lot of research since Natalie was diagnosed and participated in different educational options provided by the MS Society. Information is power and the more they know about and understand what MS is the easier it is to deal with. Her Mom has done a lot to learn as much as they can about it. Carda and the entire basketball team were invited to attend a presentation by the MS Society that will help answer some of the questions they have, and some they may be afraid to think about or ask
As far as her basketball career Carda explained, “At first, with the new medication, I would get very tired – I wanted to sleep all day. I essentially had MS in my Freshman and Sophomore year and played right through it so it really doesn’t seem much different now. I haven’t really seen a dramatic affect on basketball at all.”
Carda was not sure what she wanted to major in but since being diagnosed with MS she has focused in on Nursing, specializing in Neurology. “I think getting MS was a sign that I should go into Nursing and help other people.” Her future has come into focus also. “I see this as a life perspective change.” She wants to live life to the fullest and help people understand more about the disease. “It doesn’t have to change everything that you do. I thought basketball was going to be over and it’s not and I plan on achieving the other things in life like getting married and having kids.”
The positive attitude this 21 year old has seems to be contagious. She is surrounded by people who also have a positive attitude and they help her get through tough times. Her Dad, with the Coach inside him, continues to tell her to ‘get back out there and keep playing hard’. “I do not want anyone to feel sorry for me, at all”, said Carda
With her positive attitude, being surrounded by family and friends, and strong determination this young athlete will learn how to play the new ‘game’ and win. For further information about achieving in spite of having MS click here. You will find up-to-date information about MS and others who inspire to achieve.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Yoga And MS
Interesting article on a study of individuals who have MS practicing yoga .
Toni
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Yoga Study for Multiple Sclerosis
February 1st, 2008
The purpose of the workshop was to investigate yoga’s effect on the functional abilities of an MS patient to maintain an active and fulfilling life.
Toni
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Yoga Study for Multiple Sclerosis
February 1st, 2008
The purpose of the workshop was to investigate yoga’s effect on the functional abilities of an MS patient to maintain an active and fulfilling life.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Scientists Find Genes To Predict Who Is Likely To Get MS
We are aware of the fact that genes play a major role in MS but this article talks about knowing who may be suseptible to getting MS.
Toni
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Linked to Genes
Scientists have recently pinpointed genes that can predict who is more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease, meaning the body attacks itself, and to date it affects approximately 400,000 Americans.
Toni
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Linked to Genes
Scientists have recently pinpointed genes that can predict who is more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease, meaning the body attacks itself, and to date it affects approximately 400,000 Americans.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Incredible News Video - Stem Cells Fight MS
Just click on the link. The clip is about 12 minutes long but very interesting.
Toni
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http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/healtheducation/ms_therapies_1.html
Toni
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http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/healtheducation/ms_therapies_1.html
Optimistic Attitude Wins Award
MS presents different challenges to each of us but with a positive attitude and perseverance this gal enjoys her life. I hope you are anjoying yours, too.
Toni
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MS doesn't hinder mom's optimistic attitude
Shirley Busch is an optimist. Like everyone, the St. Ann resident has had her share of challenges and disappointments, but she handles them all with an upbeat attitude and positive outlook.
Toni
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MS doesn't hinder mom's optimistic attitude
Shirley Busch is an optimist. Like everyone, the St. Ann resident has had her share of challenges and disappointments, but she handles them all with an upbeat attitude and positive outlook.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Incontinence Study Seeks Participants
A medical research study is now underway to determine if an investigational medication is safe and effective for reducing the frequency of urinary incontinent episodes in individuals with MS or spinal cord injury (SCI).
Read the full story here.
Read the full story here.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Bone Health In Adults With MS
It is essential to have healthy bones. Falls are common with lack of leg strength and balance. Here is a good article focusing on bone health.
Achieve In Spite of Having MS!
Toni
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It is probable that those with Multiple Sclerosis are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency than those without MS and this may be a factor in the poor bone health of people with MS. This is possibly worse in more severe cases of MS. This appears to be independent of dietary intake of vitamin D. Further investigation is needed into the reasons why. For example, is it a result of reduced absorption, reduced synthesis or increased metabolism?
Large clinical trials are needed to ascertain the effect of increasing dietary vitamin D particularly on bone health, but in the meantime it would be prudent to ensure dietary intake meets the recommendations for other at risk populations i.e. 10mcg/day.
There is insufficient evidence from clinical trials to show that supplementing with vitamin D will directly improve the severity of the condition of people with multiple sclerosis. Larger, well designed clinical trials are needed before any recommendation can be made.
However, it could be argued that the symptoms of this side effect of MS, specifically poor bone health, could be improved with consumption of Vitamin D. Taking vitamin D in its active form carries a high risk of adverse effects, such as raising levels of calcium in the blood and should only be done under medical supervision. Therefore, it may be more prudent to discuss increasing your dietary intake of Vitamin D within food with your health professional.
So where can you go to find reliable information on how nutrition can help mitigate the risks associated with Multiple Sclerosis? The internet provides considerable resources to enable this to happen. However, one needs to be careful as there are many spurious sites with information that is mainly geared towards selling vitamin supplements etc.
I would advise that you check the credibility of any sites offering nutrition advice by determining who has compiled the information. Only accept information from sites that have engaged Registered Dieticians, or qualified doctors (preferably neurologists) to compile their knowledge. It is important that you test this by seeing if the site has a link to the organisation that the health professional is registered to.
If you come across a website that has been compiled by “one man and his dog” or is offering a “one size fits all solution”, and there is no way to validate the quality of the information, I would suggest you ignore it, as it may cause more harm than good.
The charitable institutions are a good first port of call, such as The MS Society or the National MS Society. There are also other organisations on the internet that have credible and evidence-based information available on how specific nutrients help or hinder the management of Multiple Sclerosis. I would suggest that you conduct a Google search using the following search terms: food for MS or food for Multiple Sclerosis. You’ll be glad to know that our site will soon be amongst the search results.
People who read this article also found articles at http://www.harmonycuisine.co.uk interesting.
© Harmony Cuisine Ltd
Achieve In Spite of Having MS!
Toni
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
It is probable that those with Multiple Sclerosis are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency than those without MS and this may be a factor in the poor bone health of people with MS. This is possibly worse in more severe cases of MS. This appears to be independent of dietary intake of vitamin D. Further investigation is needed into the reasons why. For example, is it a result of reduced absorption, reduced synthesis or increased metabolism?
Large clinical trials are needed to ascertain the effect of increasing dietary vitamin D particularly on bone health, but in the meantime it would be prudent to ensure dietary intake meets the recommendations for other at risk populations i.e. 10mcg/day.
There is insufficient evidence from clinical trials to show that supplementing with vitamin D will directly improve the severity of the condition of people with multiple sclerosis. Larger, well designed clinical trials are needed before any recommendation can be made.
However, it could be argued that the symptoms of this side effect of MS, specifically poor bone health, could be improved with consumption of Vitamin D. Taking vitamin D in its active form carries a high risk of adverse effects, such as raising levels of calcium in the blood and should only be done under medical supervision. Therefore, it may be more prudent to discuss increasing your dietary intake of Vitamin D within food with your health professional.
So where can you go to find reliable information on how nutrition can help mitigate the risks associated with Multiple Sclerosis? The internet provides considerable resources to enable this to happen. However, one needs to be careful as there are many spurious sites with information that is mainly geared towards selling vitamin supplements etc.
I would advise that you check the credibility of any sites offering nutrition advice by determining who has compiled the information. Only accept information from sites that have engaged Registered Dieticians, or qualified doctors (preferably neurologists) to compile their knowledge. It is important that you test this by seeing if the site has a link to the organisation that the health professional is registered to.
If you come across a website that has been compiled by “one man and his dog” or is offering a “one size fits all solution”, and there is no way to validate the quality of the information, I would suggest you ignore it, as it may cause more harm than good.
The charitable institutions are a good first port of call, such as The MS Society or the National MS Society. There are also other organisations on the internet that have credible and evidence-based information available on how specific nutrients help or hinder the management of Multiple Sclerosis. I would suggest that you conduct a Google search using the following search terms: food for MS or food for Multiple Sclerosis. You’ll be glad to know that our site will soon be amongst the search results.
People who read this article also found articles at http://www.harmonycuisine.co.uk interesting.
© Harmony Cuisine Ltd
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Altitude With Attidude - My Personal Achievement
It may seem impossible t0o you but if youhave a goal of accomplishing something BIG then I'd like to hear about it. There are so many things each individual has to overcome after being diagnosed with MS, but you can't let this disease take over your enrire life.
I always wanted to ge parasailing but figured, since I can't swim out to the boat and it would be tough to put on all the gear, that I never would. My family had other ideas about it and decided that this should be something I will do. When I went down to Florida to visit my husband's Aunt and boyfriend, they had already scoped out every detail of this adventure(including where to part, how to get to the beach, what boat to use, and how to get out there), and I went parasailing.
What a glorious 20 minutes that was. Feeling so free up above the high rise condos that surrounded this beach and engulfed into the deep blue sky. I did not have a care in the world and was mad when they began to winch us down.
I can still remember the adventure and, when I'm having a bad day, I think about that 20 minutes and feel better. I definately experienced 'altitude with attitude'.
I always wanted to ge parasailing but figured, since I can't swim out to the boat and it would be tough to put on all the gear, that I never would. My family had other ideas about it and decided that this should be something I will do. When I went down to Florida to visit my husband's Aunt and boyfriend, they had already scoped out every detail of this adventure(including where to part, how to get to the beach, what boat to use, and how to get out there), and I went parasailing.
What a glorious 20 minutes that was. Feeling so free up above the high rise condos that surrounded this beach and engulfed into the deep blue sky. I did not have a care in the world and was mad when they began to winch us down.
I can still remember the adventure and, when I'm having a bad day, I think about that 20 minutes and feel better. I definately experienced 'altitude with attitude'.
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