There\u2019s no cure for\u00a0multiple sclerosis<\/a>\u00a0(MS), but medicines and lifestyle changes can help you manage the disease. Work closely with your doctor to find the treatment that\u2019s best for you and causes the fewest side effects.<\/p>\n If you have a type of\u00a0multiple sclerosis<\/a>\u00a0called relapsing-remitting MS and your condition is acting up, your doctor may first treat you with a disease-modifying drug. These medicines slow down the advance of your disease and prevent flare-ups.<\/p>\n The\u00a0drugs<\/a>\u00a0work by curbing the immune system \u2014 your body\u2019s main defense against germs \u2014 so that it doesn\u2019t attack the protective coating called\u00a0myelin<\/a>\u00a0that surrounds the nerves.<\/p>\n Some drugs come as injections under your\u00a0skin<\/a>\u00a0or into a muscle. The shot might make your skin sore, red, itchy, or dimply. They include:<\/p>\n Beta interferons:\u00a0<\/strong>These are some of the most common drugs used to\u00a0treat MS<\/a>. They ease the severity and frequency of flares. They can also cause flu-like symptoms, like aches,\u00a0fatigue<\/a>,\u00a0fever<\/a>, and chills, but these should fade within a few months. They may make you slightly more likely to get an infection. That\u2019s because they lower the number of white\u00a0blood cells<\/a>, which help your immune system fight illnesses. They include:<\/p>\n Glatiramer<\/a>\u00a0(Copaxone<\/a>,\u00a0Glatopa<\/a>):<\/strong>\u00a0This medication stops your immune system from attacking the myelin that surrounds and protects your nerves.<\/p>\n You can take other medications as a pill:<\/p>\n Cladribrine<\/a>\u00a0(Mavenclad<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0is a pill taken once a day for five days for one month and once a day again for the second month. You may need another course in a year. It is not for treating relapsing forms of MS, including relapsing-remitting disease and active secondary progressive disease. It can affect your immune system and make you susceptible to other infections, so you will need to be monitored. You could also have hair loss and experience some rashes.<\/p>\n Dimethyl fumarate<\/a>\u00a0(Tecfidera<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0is a tablet you take twice a day. It can lower your immune cells, so the doctor will do regular blood tests to keep an eye on them. The drug\u2019s most common side effects are flushing,\u00a0stomach pain<\/a>, diarrhea,\u00a0nausea<\/a>, and vomiting. An active ingredient similar to the one in Tecfidera is linked to four cases of PML.<\/p>\n Diroximel fumarate<\/strong>\u00a0(Vumerity<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0is similar to Tecfidera. You take a tablet twice daily. The drug is used to treat relapsing forms of MS. Its most common side effects are\u00a0flushing, redness, itching, or rash; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or indigestion. However, Vumerity has been shown\u00a0to be easier on the stomach than Tecfidera.<\/p>\n Fingolimod<\/a>\u00a0(Gilenya<\/a>)\u00a0<\/strong>is also a once-daily tablet. If you haven\u2019t had\u00a0chickenpox<\/a>, you\u2019ll need a\u00a0vaccine<\/a>. Common side effects include headache, diarrhea,\u00a0back pain<\/a>,\u00a0cough<\/a>, and abnormal liver tests. Because the medicine may slow your heart rate, the doctor will watch you closely after your first dose. The drug is also linked to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare\u00a0brain<\/a>\u00a0infection.<\/p>\n Siponimod\u00a0<\/a>(Mayzent<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0is a tablet taken daily after a 5 day build-up to the proper does. It can affect your immune system and had been linked to clotting\u00a0in the extremities. The most common side effects are diarrhea, dizziness, swelling in the extremities, high blood pressure, headaches and a slowed heartbeat. You shouldn\u2019t take siponimod if you are pregnant.<\/p>\n Teriflunomide<\/a>\u00a0(Aubagio<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0is a tablet you take once a day. The most common side effects include\u00a0diarrhea<\/a>, abnormal\u00a0liver<\/a>\u00a0tests,\u00a0nausea<\/a>, and\u00a0hair loss<\/a>. It does carry a \u201cblack box\u201d warning, the FDA\u2019s most serious warning, because it can lead to liver problems and\u00a0birth defects<\/a>. If you take it, your doctor will likely do regular tests to check how well your liver is working. Don\u2019t take it if you\u2019re pregnant.<\/p>\n Other medications are given by infusion into a vein in a doctor\u2019s office or a hospital. But you only have to go once every few months:<\/p>\n Natalizumab<\/a>\u00a0(Tysabri<\/a>)\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0ocrelizumab<\/a>\u00a0(Ocrevus<\/a>)\u00a0<\/strong>are options if other drugs don\u2019t work for you. Natalizumab prevents immune cells from getting to your brain and spinal cord, where they can damage nerves. Ocrelizumab attacks certain B cells and stops your immune system from attacking your body. The drugs are linked to PML, so your doctor will do blood tests to check for it.<\/p>\n Alemtuzumab<\/a>\u00a0(Lemtrada<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0mitoxantrone<\/a>\u00a0(Novantrone<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0are\u00a0chemotherapy<\/a>\u00a0drugs designed to treat\u00a0cancer<\/a>. They\u2019re an option if you don\u2019t respond to other mediations. They curb your immune system and prevent it from attacking nerve coverings. Novantrone has an FDA \u201cblack box\u201d warning because it can lead to\u00a0heart<\/a>\u00a0damage and a type of\u00a0leukemia<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re taking other medication, mild flares will eventually go away on their own. If they aren\u2019t bothering you, you don\u2019t need to treat them.<\/p>\n Steroids<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong>If a flare gets in the way of your life, your doctor may give you high-dose steroids through a vein (intravenously) or by mouth to ease your symptoms quickly. These drugs will calm the flare, but they won\u2019t slow the course of your disease. The most common ones are:<\/p>\n Plasma exchange:<\/strong>\u00a0This can help when a flare doesn\u2019t respond to steroids. Your doctor will remove some of your\u00a0blood<\/a>\u00a0and separate the liquid portion (called plasma) from your blood cells. The cells are mixed with a\u00a0protein<\/a>\u00a0solution and go back into your body.<\/p>\n Your doctor may recommend treatments for:<\/p>\n Muscle stiffness and spasms<\/strong>: Muscle relaxants like\u00a0baclofen<\/a>\u00a0(Lioresal<\/a>) and\u00a0tizanidine<\/a>\u00a0(Zanaflex<\/a>), or sedatives like\u00a0clonazepam<\/a>\u00a0(Klonopin) and\u00a0diazepam<\/a>\u00a0(Valium<\/a>)<\/p>\n Fatigue<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0Amantadine<\/a>\u00a0(Symmetrel<\/a>), armodafinil (Nuvigil),\u00a0modafinil<\/a>\u00a0(Provigil<\/a>)<\/p>\n Depression<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0Antidepressants<\/a>, such as\u00a0bupropion<\/a>\u00a0(Wellbutrin<\/a>), fluoxetine (Prozac<\/a>), and\u00a0sertraline<\/a>\u00a0(Zoloft<\/a>)<\/p>\n Bladder<\/a>\u00a0problems:\u00a0<\/strong>Oxybutynin<\/a>\u00a0(Ditropan<\/a>) or tolterodine (Detrol<\/a>)<\/p>\n She may also suggest:<\/p>\n Physical therapy<\/strong>: A trained\u00a0health care<\/a>\u00a0professional can teach you exercises that help you stay active. You might also learn how to use a cane, walker, or other\u00a0assistive device<\/a>\u00a0to get around more easily.<\/p>\n Medications aren\u2019t the only answer. Taking good care of yourself will help you live better with MS. Every day, make sure you:<\/p>\n Get plenty of rest:<\/strong>\u00a0Keep a regular\u00a0sleep<\/a>\u00a0schedule and make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and screen-free.<\/p>\n Eat healthy food:<\/strong>\u00a0There is no \u201cMS\u00a0diet<\/a>.\u201d Choose foods low in\u00a0saturated fats<\/a>\u00a0and high in fiber. The U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s\u00a0MyPlate<\/a>\u00a0website is a good starting point.<\/p>\n Get some\u00a0exercise<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0Even a walk around the block can help.\u00a0Exercise<\/a>\u00a0builds bones and strengthens muscles. It keeps\u00a0depression<\/a>\u00a0at bay and helps you\u00a0sleep<\/a>\u00a0better.<\/p>\n Manage your\u00a0stress<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0It may make your symptoms worse. Whether you meditate, read, journal, or chat with friends, find something that helps you control the ups and downs.<\/p>\n Stay cool:<\/strong>\u00a0A rise in body temperature can make your symptoms worse. Stay in the AC if you can. Wear loose, breathable clothes outside.<\/p>\n Many products claim to help\u00a0MS symptoms<\/a>. Be wary of those that don\u2019t have scientific studies behind them or make claims that seem too good to be true. Talk to your doctor about anything you\u2019re tempted to take. Some\u00a0supplements<\/a>\u00a0can change the way your medicines work.<\/p>\n Current research suggests these treatments are worth a try:<\/p>\n Vitamin D<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0Low levels of\u00a0vitamin D<\/a>\u00a0in your blood can boost your chances of having MS. Studies are under way to see if\u00a0vitamin D<\/a>\u00a0supplements can help. You should get your doctor to check your levels and discuss if you need to take a supplement.<\/p>\n Acupuncture<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0This traditional Chinese treatment holds that energy called chi flows along your body in lines called meridians. When your chi is out of whack, illness or pain results. An acupuncturist slides thin needles into points along the meridians to change your energy flow. Studies show it can help MS symptoms like\u00a0fatigue<\/a>,\u00a0pain<\/a>, mood,\u00a0spasticity<\/a>, numbness, tingling, and bladder problems.<\/p>\nDisease-Modifying Drugs<\/h2>\n
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Treating Flares<\/h2>\n
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Symptom Control<\/h2>\n
Lifestyle Changes You Can Make<\/h2>\n
Are There Alternative Treatments?<\/h2>\n