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@trace75 

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trace75

DMD's decisions decisions

Hi guys. I am a newbe. I have had a clinically isolated syndrome early this year and my MRI shows both acute and chronic lesions.Still not yet diagnosed with ms but think it is only time. I am coping fairly well with this as i have a great boyfirend supporting me every step of the way and the neurologist i see has a special interest in ms and has been great. I meet criteria to start DMD's. I have looked at the ms decision making website and when it come to the practicalities Avonex comes out on top then when i read some reviews in the Cochrane library i am swaying more towards betaferon with the study results. With reading around it may take a little bit of trial and error to find the treatment that is most effective for you. Has anyone any advice? Any information would be welcomed. Thanks Trace
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@Stumbler
@Stumbler
 

Trace, it's good that DMDs are being considered at this stage. It's very much a case of deciding which DMD seems to fit your lifestyle. You've looked at the MS Decisions website, so you know the pros and cons of each. Try the one that seems to fit you the best and see how it goes - you can always change if it's problematic. Good luck.

@chueykooh
@chueykooh
 

Hello and welcome Trace. DMD choice with the CRAB drugs is totally dependent on what side effects you want to deal with. They're efficacy is pretty much the same as far as relapse rate, about 30%. Interferon drugs such as Avonex, Rebif, and Betasteron all have flu like symptoms as their main side effect, Copaxone dubbed an "immune modulator" doesn't have flu like symptoms but does have injection site reactions. Copaxone is a daily shot and the others are every other day, every 3 days or once a week depending on which one you choose. You are right about the trial and error, some people respond better to certain drugs, while others might respond better to the other drugs. You will have to decide what side effects you can handle and how often you can handle giving yourself the shot. They all work the same though as far as effectiveness. There are new oral drugs that have far superior results and far fewer side effects that are just waiting for approval like BG12. I do recommend starting therapy in the early stages of the disease as research has shown very positive results for early treatment. I am on Copaxone and LDN now, but I waited almost a decade before starting any therapy, probably not a good idea looking back :) The more research you do the more confusing it can get sometimes. Some people swear by Copaxone while others swear by Betasteron while others insist on LDN, and some want Tysabri. The maze is never ending it seems. I spent the first few years after being diagnosed trying to figure out which was best, back then there was only a couple choices. I finally gave up trying to decide and used Johnny Walker as a cure all :) Your choice is personal and the information on the internet is endless, good luck on your decision, and if I can help in any way you can always message me with any questions or post here and everybody here are very helpful. Rob