Is it safe to discontinue MS treatment after age 60?
Disease-Modifying Therapy for MS: Discontinuing After Age 60 Appears Safe. Disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis is not without risks. Since its benefits may wane as immune function diminishes with age, discontinuation is tempting.
Should I stop working if I have multiple sclerosis?
Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) means having to make a lot of hard decisions. One of those decisions is when – or if – you should stop working. But living with MS doesn’t mean you have to stop in your tracks. Many people who are diagnosed with MS lead long, productive working lives.
Is there a cure for multiple sclerosis?
Treatment There is no cure for multiple sclerosis. Treatment typically focuses on speeding recovery from attacks, slowing the progression of the disease and managing MS symptoms. Some people have such mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary.
What happens if you stop taking your MS Meds?
Your MS symptoms may get worse if you stop taking your meds, especially if : You’re under 65. You’ve had new relapses or tests that show MS-related inflammation or damage in the past several years.
At what age can you stop MS medication?
Despite these advances, the prevailing standard of care with MS is to discontinue the anti-inflammatory medications in patients in their 50s and 60s because of a lack of efficacy as patients age.
What happens if I stop MS treatment?
Once medications were ceased, patients were followed for at least three years. After discontinuing medication, 24 percent of patients experienced a clinician-reported relapse, 32 percent sustained three-month disability progression, and 10.6 percent of patients recorded both relapses and disability progression.
Can you live with MS without medication?
A small number of people with MS have only mild disease and do well without treatment. But many get worse over time. Medicines can reduce the severity of attacks of relapsing-remitting MS and how often you have them. They may also reduce or delay disability.
Can multiple sclerosis be stopped from progressing?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is difficult to diagnose, and, as yet, it has no cure. However, according to new research, it may be possible to slow its progression without some of the health risks associated with current treatments.
Can MS go into remission forever?
A remission can last for weeks, months, or, in some cases, years. But remission doesn't mean you no longer have MS. MS medications can help reduce the chances of developing new symptoms, but you still have MS. Symptoms will likely return at some point.
Does MS progress after 65?
Disease-Modifying Therapy Yet, the number of persons with MS in this age group is increasing, and progressive MS is more common in those over age 65.
Can MS be mild forever?
After the first round of symptoms, multiple sclerosis can stay mild without causing major problems for decades, a 30-year British study indicates.
How do you know your MS is progressing?
To figure out if disease is progressing, doctors use a scale called the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). The EDSS is a way of measuring physical disability. Two-thirds of those with MS will not progress past level 6 on the EDSS.
How long do MS lesions stay active?
Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days. These attacks or relapses of MS typically reach their peak within a few days at most and then resolve slowly over the next several days or weeks so that a typical relapse will be symptomatic for about eight weeks from onset to recovery.
What slows the progression of MS?
Vitamin D. People who have higher levels of vitamin D in their blood are at lower risk of getting MS. Research is underway to see if there's a link between vitamin D levels and curbing your relapses. You can get your daily vitamin D from foods like fatty fish and fortified milk.
How do you know when your MS is getting worse?
If you noticed that the physical ability is worsening over the past 6 months or year, inform your healthcare provider. Also, report changes in cognition such as short-term memory loss, multitasking problems and word-finding difficulties.
Can MS get worse without new lesions?
But most people go on to develop symptoms that gradually get worse, known as secondary progressive MS. Recent work has found that many MS lesions are still actively damaging nerve fibres even when you aren't experiencing a relapse. These are called slowly evolving lesions.
When will MS be diagnosed in 2021?
Medically Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on January 14, 2021. If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), you might be wondering if you’ll have to be on medication for the rest of your life. That’s something only you and your doctor can decide together.
Can you relapse while taking a med?
If you relapse while taking medication, you could feel that if it isn’t working, you shouldn’t bother using it.
Do people with MS have the same rate of relapse?
A 2016 New York University study of 1,339 adults over 40 with MS found that people who chose to stop taking disease-modifying medication had about the same rate of relapse as those who kept taking it. But they had disability earlier than most of the those who stayed on their meds.
Does RRMS medication help?
If you have RRMS, using disease-modifying medication may have long-term benefits, especially if you start it right after you’re diagnosed. Medication lessens inflammation and damage in your nervous system. It can also help lower the number of relapses you have.
What is the Alliance for MS?
The Alliance is an unprecedented global collaboration of MS organisations, researchers, health professionals, the pharmaceutical industry, companies, trusts, foundations, donors and people affected by progressive MS, working together to address the unmet needs of people with progressive MS ─ rallying the global community to find solutions.
Is Gilenya approved for pediatric MS?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the expansion of the use of the oral MS therapy Gilenya® (fingolimod, Novartis AG) to include the treatment of children and adolescents 10 years of age or older with relapsing MS. This is the first therapy specifically approved to treat pediatric MS.
Relapses slow as patients age
At the recent MSParis conference, Corboy reported data showing that relapses are more common in younger patients and less frequent as patients grow older. That’s certainly been the case with me. I’m 69, and though my disability has slowly progressed, I haven’t had a real relapse in, I’d guess, at least 20 years.
To continue or not to continue?
Yes, that is the question. Is it time for me to get off these drugs? Corboy’s data, so far, suggest that this might be the case for some of us. But, more information is needed, and there haven’t been many clinical trials that have studied the effects of DMTs on people who are older than 55.
Are you interested?
To participate in the study, patients will need to meet several requirements in addition to those I’ve already mentioned. You can see what they are here. As it turns out, I don’t meet all of them, so I won’t be asking my neuro about enrolling.
About the Author
Ed Tobias Diagnosed with MS in 1980 at age 32, Ed has written the "MS Wire" column for Multiple Sclerosis News Today since August 2016. He presents timely information about MS, blended with personal experiences.
How to get enough sleep for MS?
Exercise. If you have mild to moderate MS, regular exercise can help improve your strength, muscle tone, balance and coordination.
How does MS affect the immune system?
Much of the immune response associated with MS occurs in the early stages of the disease. Aggressive treatment with these medications as early as possible can lower the relapse rate, slow the formation of new lesions, and potentially reduce risk of brain atrophy and disability accumulation.
What is the best test for MS?
Neurological exam. Neurological exam. A complete neurological exam and medical history are needed to diagnose MS. There are no specific tests for MS. Instead, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis often relies on ruling out other conditions that might produce similar signs and symptoms, known as a differential diagnosis.
What is the best treatment for spasms in the legs?
Muscle relaxants. You may experience painful or uncontrollable muscle stiffness or spasms, particularly in your legs. Muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Lioresal, Gablofen), tizanidine (Zanaflex) and cyclobenzaprine may help. Onabotulinumtoxin A treatment is another option in those with spasticity.
How do electrodes work for MS?
Electrodes measure how quickly the information travels down your nerve pathways. In most people with relapsing-remitting MS, the diagnosis is fairly straightforward and based on a pattern of symptoms consistent with the disease and confirmed by brain imaging scans, such as MRI.
What tests can be done to check for multiple sclerosis?
Brain MRI scan showing white lesions associated with multiple sclerosis. Your doctor may then recommend: Blood tests, to help rule out other diseases with symptoms similar to MS. Tests to check for specific biomarkers associated with MS are currently under development and may also aid in diagnosing the disease.
Is there a cure for MS?
There is no cure for multiple sclerosis. Treatment typically focuses on speeding recovery from attacks, slowing the progression of the disease and managing MS symptoms. Some people have such mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary.
Is age a good guide for MS patients?
Stopping disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) after age 60 may be a good strategy, suggests an observational study out of Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
Is DMT safe?
DMT is not without risk. The benefits of continuing DMT must be balanced against potential adverse effects, including life-threatening infections, other autoimmune diseases, cancers and infusion reactions. Stopping therapy is in a patient’s best interest if it no longer confers benefits. Various factors may be at play.
Is DMT a controversial treatment?
The question of whether and when to stop DMT in MS is a controversial one. Because DMTs have been clinically available for a quarter century and are increasingly initiated early in the course of MS, many patients have now experienced decades of DMT management, raising concern about the potential for this immune-modulating strategy to cause harm, such as through increased risk of infections.
When was DMT approved?
It’s the newest DMT to be added to the market and was FDA approved in March 2020. Ponesimod (Ponvory). The FDA approved this drug in March 2021. Ponvory has been shown to reduce annual relapses for relapsing types of MS by 30.5 percent when compared with teriflunomide (Aubagio).
What is the FDA approved DMT?
To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved more than a dozen DMTs for different types of MS. Most recently, the FDA has approved: Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus). It treats relapsing forms of MS and primary progressive MS (PPMS). It’s the first DMT. Fingolimod (Gilenya).
Does ibudilast help with MS?
The results of a phase 2 clinical trial suggest that ibudilast might help reduce the progression of disability in people with MS. To learn more about this medication, the manufacturer plans to conduct a phase 3 clinical trial.
Is there a cure for MS?
There’s currently no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but treatment can help manage it. In recent years, new medications have become available to help slow the progression of the disease and relieve symptoms. Researchers continue to develop new treatments and learn more about the causes and risk factors of this disease.
Does clemastine fumarate help with MS?
The findings of a small 2017 study suggest that clemastine fumarate might help restore the protective coating around nerves in people with relapsing forms of MS.
How old was Rick Sommers when he was diagnosed with MS?
New Yorker Rick Sommers, 56, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when he was 34, though he thinks he probably had the condition for 10 years before that. At the time, doctors could offer only one drug for treating MS.
Can MS patients take medication?
Many people with MS say no to medication, and "the reasons vary considerably from person to person,” says Nicholas LaRocca, PhD, vice president of health care delivery and policy research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS).
Can MS patients be treated?
Multiple sclerosis drugs have been proven to reduce relapses. But some with MS still say no to treatment. Most doctors recommend starting an MS medication at the time of diagnosis, but some people with MS choose not to. Getty Images.
How to Maximize Remission
MS flares up because of inflammation in your central nervous system. This interferes with your body's ability to send nerve impulses, which leads to the more obvious symptoms of MS.
Treatment for Intense Relapses
Some people have severe flare-ups that include intense weakness, vision loss, or trouble with balance. When this happens, many doctors suggest a high dose of corticosteroids to stop the relapse quickly. Your doctor might give you a 3- to 5-day course of methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol) through an IV, or prednisone ( Deltasone) by mouth.
What does MS mean when you live with it?
Share on Pinterest. Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) means having to make a lot of hard decisions. One of those decisions is when – or if – you should stop working. But living with MS doesn’t mean you have to stop in your tracks. Many people who are diagnosed with MS lead long, productive working lives. Some people still work successfully ...
What to do if MS makes your job difficult?
If your MS symptoms are making your job difficult, consider talking to your employer. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, employees can ask for reasonable accommodations to do their job. These accommodations may include: adjusting your work schedule. getting a closer parking spot.
Can MS patients work for years?
Many people who are diagnosed with MS lead long, productive working lives. Some people still work successfully for many years. However, there are times when people with MS should consider whether or not to stop working.
Relapses Slow as Patients Age
to Continue Or Not to Continue?
- Yes, that is the question. Is it time for me to get off these drugs? Corboy’s data, so far, suggest that this might be the case for some of us. But, more information is needed, and there haven’t been many clinical trials that have studied the effects of DMTs on people who are older than 55. That’s why Corboy hopes to recruit up to 300 older MS patients to see what happens if they sto…
Are You Interested?
- To participate in the study, patients will need to meet several requirements in addition to those I’ve already mentioned. You can see what they are here. As it turns out, I don’t meet all of them, so I won’t be asking my neuro about enrolling. And since I’m being treated with Lemtrada, I’m hoping to be drug-free, anyway, at the end of the second round of that treatment. But, for those of you w…
Diagnosis
Treatment
- There is no cure for multiple sclerosis. Treatment typically focuses on speeding recovery from attacks, slowing the progression of the disease and managing MSsymptoms. Some people have such mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary.
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- To help relieve the signs and symptoms of MS, try to: 1. Get plenty of rest.Look at your sleep habits to make sure you're getting the best possible sleep. To make sure you're getting enough sleep, you may need to be evaluated — and possibly treated — for sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. 2. Exercise. If you have mild to moderate MS, ...
Alternative Medicine
- Many people with MSuse a variety of alternative or complementary treatments or both to help manage their symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle pain. Activities such as exercise, meditation, yoga, massage, eating a healthier diet, acupuncture and relaxation techniques may help boost overall mental and physical well-being, but there are few studies to back up their use in managin…
Coping and Support
- Living with any chronic illness can be difficult. To manage the stress of living with MS, consider these suggestions: 1. Maintain normal daily activities as best you can. 2. Stay connected to friends and family. 3. Continue to pursue hobbies that you enjoy and are able to do. 4. Contact a support group, for yourself or for family members. 5. Discuss your feelings and concerns about l…
Preparing For Your Appointment
- You may be referred to a doctor who specializes in disorders of the brain and nervous system (neurologist).