Multiple sclerosis is one of those diseases that does not have any cure. However, there are certain treatment options for it, which can help to manage the symptoms and slow down the condition’s progression. Depending on the kind of multiple sclerosis the patient has, the doctors choose the procedure.
Here are some of the top treatment options for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Injectables
There are a few disease-modifying drugs that are used to reduce the severity and frequency of the MS attacks. These medications can also help to manage the symptoms by controlling the growth of the lesion, which damages the nerve fibers. The medicines can be offered to the patients via multiple methods, including injections. Some of the effective injectable medicines for MS are interferon beta-1a (Rebif®, Avonex®), glatiramer acetate (Glatopa®, COPAXONE®), interferon beta-1b (EXTAVIA®, BETASERON®), and pegylated interferon beta-1a (Plegridy®).
Infusions
Another one of the effective treatment options for multiple sclerosisis the use of disease-modifying drugs that are given using the infusion method. The most common drugs used for this treatment are alemtuzumab (LEMTRADA®), mitoxantrone (Novantrone®), natalizumab (Tysabri®), and ocrelizumab (OCREVUS®).
Oral treatments
There are also disease-modifying drugs that can be taken in either pill or capsule form. These can help to manage the symptoms of MS and also make sure that MS episodes are less severe. Some of the most commonly used oral pills are teriflunomide (Aubagio®), fingolimod (GILENYA®), dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera®), cladribine (MAVENCLAD®), and siponimod (Mayzen®t). The oral medicines that are available in capsule form are proximal fumarate (Vumerity®) and ozanimod (Zeposia®).
Stem cells
MS leads to nerve damage, and one of the best treatments for that is the use of stem cells. It has been found that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment has the ability to repair damage to the central nervous system caused by MS. What you need to be aware of about stem cell treatments is that their exact effects are still not clearly understood. However, more studies are being done to thoroughly determine how stem cell treatments can help.
Corticosteroids
One of the most important aspects of treatment options for multiple sclerosis is controlling MS relapses. A prominent reason behind the relapse is inflammation, which can also result in fatigue, pain, and weakness. Inflammations can be eased using corticosteroids, which are available in intravenous (methylprednisolone) and oral medication (prednisone) forms.
Symptom management
Managing the symptoms of MS is very important to reduce the suffering of the patients. There are certain medicines like baclofen (Lioresal®), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril®), diazepam (Valium®), and tizanidine (Zanaflex®), which reduce muscle pain. To treat the fatigue caused by MS, amantadine hydrochloride (GOCOVRI®), fluoxetine (Prozac®), and modafinil (Provigil®) are often used.
Your doctor will use the treatment options for multiple sclerosis to create a course of treatment that is best suited for your case. The right treatment can make it easier to live with MS.