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@BeatnikSpirit 

Last reply

BeatnikSpirit

Plegridy or Copaxone

Hi, I have rejected disease modifying therapies a number of times since being diagnosed with relapsing-remitting ms in 2006. I'm currently being strongly advised to begin using Plegridy or Copaxone. I'd be really interested to know how other people have got on with these treatments please. From what I've been told they both have potential to reduce new nerve damage by 30%. The trade off with Plegridy being that I will feel like I have the flu, and for Copaxone, daily injections that will leave sores all over me. It's so hard to know whether it's worth the trade off. :-)
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@Stumbler
@Stumbler
 

@beatnikspirit , it's a tough choice. Accept some side-effects with these drugs or accept the unpredictable risks associated with MS. You have been offered two of the least effective Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs), whereas there are now more efficient treatments available. It's your body that has to accept these drugs, so you should have a say in what is offered. Check this document, https://support.mstrust.org.uk/file/DMD-Book-Final-WEB.pdf , for details of the available DMTs. Then use this website, https://www.mstrust.org.uk/about-ms/ms-treatments/ms-decisions-aid , to help with your choice. Your Neuro seems happy to watch you accumulate MS damage before trading up to the better DMTs. So, why not start with the better DMTs............

@anonymous
@anonymous
 

@ beatnikspirit I think it’s important for all msers to understand that there is always a risk whether you use DMT’s or not. This is true with any medication. Does the value out weigh the potential risk. Immunosuppressants have become s sophisticated and they work well. Yes there is a risk of Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. If you get PML there is a chance that you will die of become more disabled than you are. Ocrevus is a immunosuppressant. We haven’t seen in cases of PML with ocrevus except from people who switched to ocrevus from tysabri. People taking ocrevus could still get PML. Ocrevus has been proven to slow the progression of RRMS & PPMS. I met someone 57 who never tried any DMT and he could barely walk and talk. Had this person been on a DMT years ago he may be experiencing a better quality of life. So deciding to take a DMT is still a complicated decision to make.