@knotty 

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knotty

Pros and Cons of Lemtrada?

Hi everyone, I will also do lots of research and thinking, but wanted to consult you all for your experiences - the good, the bad and the damn right ugly, please whether you are considering, are on the waiting list, on the journey or completed the treatment -what has been the best and worst for me to consider as to whether I switch to Lemtrada? PLEASE respond as it may help others who are chewing over the options too. I am currently on Plegridy and coping ok with it. I saw my MS neuro earlier in the year and he recommends I stay on this treatment as when he heard of my current my symptoms he decided I was doing really well, with no remission, so stay with the plan. Interestingly, by comparison, I saw my neurologist this am and he has a different perspective. He thinks I have had some minor relapses and suggested an MRI (see my other post where I asked you all re what is normal for follow-up). He agrees with most and thinks once a year for an MRI is good, so he has booked me in for one. He also thinks prevention is better than cure and asked me to seriously consider moving up the fight to take on Lemrada. I'm in two minds, my symptoms are mild and manageable currently (but I know this could change at any time), I'm also about to start a new job and they don't know I have MS (another story), hence why your thoughts and experiences will be invaluable to me. I've thought I will await the outcome of the MRI before making the final decision but in the meantime please share your story Thanks Knotty xx
@RedRightHand

Different neurologists will have different opinions. My neurologist wasn't keen on Lemtrada. I was diagnosed in October last year and have been on Tecfidera for a few weeks, so I can't offer any advice from experience. One thing to bear in mind is that Lemtrada permanently changes your immune system. If it doesn't work well for you, you may not be able to take other DMTs afterwards. Also, if a better DMT becomes available in the future, you may not be able to take that.

@TracyD

I'd love to see some evidence of that statement from a reputable source ........ :( Lemtrada does NOT permanently 'change' your immune system, it's a monoclonal antibody which targets specifically CD54 bearing T & B Cell Lymphocytes and depletes them. Over the course of the following year these T & B cells return to your system. When the T&B cells grow back they seem to have forgotten that Myelin was their favourite snack food and they stop munching their way through it - or sometimes they remember and start scoffing away again and then you can have a 3rd round or chose something else. There is NOTHING to stop you having other approved treatments post lemtrada if it doesn't work for you. There is HSCT and Ocreuvus which will both likely be fully approved soon and once the approvals are through having had Lemtrada does NOT preclude people from having them. Once you've had Lemtrada though it does tend to mean they don't want to accept you onto new trials..... but then if your MS is dormant, you've got no activity or new lesions ...... well you're no good to them on a trial anyway