Category Archives: MS Treatment

There is strong evidence that medical-marijuana pills may reduce symptoms of spasticity and pain reported by multiple sclerosis patients, but little proof that smoking pot offers the same benefit, according to new alternative-treatment guidelines released by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The guidelines on complementary and alternative medicine (or CAM) treatments for MS were published Monday in the journal Neurology and are among the first from a national medical organization to suggest that doctors might offer cannabis treatment to patients. Though advocates of medical-marijuana use said the guidelines appeared to be part of a recent national trend in which doctors were seriously evaluating the use of cannabis, they argued that the federal government had stymied marijuana research. The reason theres no evidence on inhaled cannabis is because its very difficult to study, said Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a marijuana researcher who was not involved in the guideline study. The government really restricts studies of the plant. A panel of AAN researchers based their guidelines on a review of 115 clinical studies that examined a variety of alternative MS treatments, including the use of Ginkgo biloba, magnets, bee … Continue reading →

By Misty White Sidell PUBLISHED: 12:45 EST, 28 March 2014 | UPDATED: 15:57 EST, 28 March 2014 46 shares 239 View comments Kim Kardashian may be on the cover of this months Vogue, but she was originally slated to star on the February cover of Harpers Bazaar instead, it has been revealed. According to WWD, Bazaars editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey had planned to feature Ms Kardashian in a close-up beauty shot on the cover because the then-pregnant reality star appeared overweight. Ms Kardashian was apparently unhappy with this treatment, as well as Bazaars idea to have the controversial photographer Terry Richardson produce the shoot. Scroll down for video Vogue prevails: After signing up to shoot with Harper's Bazaar, Kim Kardashian reportedly dropped the magazine for Vogue intead See the rest here: Was Kim Kardashian too fat for Harper's Bazaar? How Vogue's rival hoped to feature star … Continue reading →

By Brenda Goodman HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, March 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that they think they have figured out why patients who take the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri face a high risk of developing a rare, and sometimes fatal, brain infection. A common virus that can cause the brain disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) likes to infect and hide in certain blood cells that are triggered to mobilize by Tysabri, the study authors explained. Even more troubling, the researchers discovered that current tests may be missing some who harbor the virus. "Right now, the risk of PML in patients treated with [Tysabri] for more than two years is about one in 75 patients. That's a very high risk," said study author Eugene Major, a senior investigator at the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in Bethesda, Md. "We need to be able to understand why this therapy puts patients at risk. As we further define that, we'll be able to develop better tests and better treatment decisions can be made," Major said. In PML, the normally harmless "JC virus" attacks the white matter of the brain, stripping nerve cells of their insulation. Without this insulation, … Continue reading →

Related Content FARMINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) There is promising research for patients with multiple sclerosis. The on-going study at UConn Health Center is looking for more people with MS to sign up. Unlocking the cause for auto-immune diseases like Mutiple Sclerosis has proved challenging. But millions of dollars of research funding from the National MS Society has led UConn researchers to discover a strong link that could affect treatment. Its in the UConn Health Center laboratory, where research scientist Dr. Robert Clark and his team are studying the role of gastro-intestinal bacteria in auto-immune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, which attacks the central nervous system. Can the bacteria in the GI Tract affect diseases like this? said Clark. In a small study comparing blood samples of MS patients with a control group, the lead investigator found a link. This is a group of typical bacteria that we believe that are in the gastrointestinal tract, said Clark. While the bacteria was common to both the levels of a certain molecule it secretes were not. In 17 out of 17 MS patients, all of them had very low levels of this molecule, said Clark. In animal studies they found even more significant findings. View … Continue reading →

There is strong evidence that medical marijuana pills may reduce symptoms of spasticity and pain reported by multiple sclerosis patients, but little proof that smoking pot offers the same benefit, according to new alternative treatment guidelines released by the American Academy of Neurology. The guidelines on complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, treatments for MS were published Monday in the journal Neurology and are among the first from a national medical organization to suggest that doctors might offer cannabis treatment to patients. Though advocates of medical marijuana use said the guidelines appeared to be part of a recent national trend in which doctors were seriously evaluating the use of cannabis, they argued that the federal government had stymied marijuana research. "The reason there's no evidence on inhaled cannabis is because it's very difficult to study," said Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California San Francisco and a marijuana researcher who was not involved in the guideline study. "The government really restricts studies of the plant." A panel of AAN researchers based their guidelines on a review of 115 clinical studies that examined a variety of alternative MS treatments, including the use of ginkgo biloba, … Continue reading →

By Maureen Salamon HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, March 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medical marijuana pills and sprays might ease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, but most other alternative therapies do little to lessen the pain and muscle rigidity that often accompanies the disease, according to new guidelines. To reach that conclusion, an expert panel from the American Academy of Neurology reviewed more than 40 years of research on alternative medicine treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition to the recommendations about medical marijuana use, the nine experts also found that ginkgo biloba might help with the fatigue of MS and reflexology may ease MS symptoms such as tingling, numbness and other unusual skin sensations. Bee sting therapy and omega-3 fatty acids, however, offer weak evidence supporting their use. "It's a very common practice in the MS patient population to try alternative therapies," said the author of the guidelines, Dr. Vijayshree Yadav, clinical director of Oregon Health & Science University's MS Center, in Portland. "The problem is there was never an evidence-based recommendation for MS patients or those taking care of patients," Yadav said. "This is a first step to educate each audience." The guidelines are published in the March 25 … Continue reading →

Current ratings for: Marijuana pills and sprays ease MS symptoms Public / Patient: 4.5 8 ratings Health Professionals: 1.5 4 ratings Multiple sclerosis is characterized by disrupted communication between the brain and the body, resulting in symptoms ranging from blurred vision to muscle weakness and pain. There is no cure for the condition, and therapies have proven difficult, as many have serious side effects. But now, relief may come in the form of a medical marijuana pill. This is according to a new guideline released from the American Academy of Neurology and published in its journal Neurology. The guideline investigated complementary or alternative medicine therapies (CAM) for multiple sclerosis (MS). These are unconventional therapies used alongside or instead of doctor-recommended therapies. Medical News Today recently wrote a spotlight feature focusing on symptoms and treatments for the condition to coincide with National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March. In that feature, Arney Rosenblat, associate vice president of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, told us that though there are currently 10 disease-modifying therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MS, "there is deep unmet need for additional therapies, especially to treat progressive forms of disease for which there are … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 24-Mar-2014 Contact: Remekca Owens remekca.owens@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-3404 The JAMA Network Journals Bottom Line: Treatment with natalizumab in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) appears linked with JC virus (JCV) infection, which can lead to a rare and often fatal demyelinating disease of the central nervous system called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) that destroys the myelin that protects nerve cells. The movement of cells with JC virus into the blood stream may provide researchers with a possible reason why patients with MS develop PML Author: Elliot M Frohman, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, and colleagues. Background: Since natalizumab was reintroduced as a biologic therapy for MS in 2006, more than 440 cases of PML have been reported. Risk factors associated with development of PML include receiving 24 or more natalizumab infusions, receiving other immunosuppressive treatments and testing positive for JCV antibodies in a blood test. How the Study Was Conducted: The authors evaluated 49 patients with MS and 18 healthy volunteers by drawing blood samples and examining CD34+ cells from the bone marrow plus CD19+ and CD3+ cells. Among the 49 MS patients, 26 were beginning natalizumab therapy. For these patients, blood was drawn … Continue reading →

"MS has gone from an untreatable disease to having ten FDA-approved therapies for relapsing MS, the most common form of the condition," says Arney Rosenblat, a spokesperson for the National MS Society. "It's a wonderful time to be a neurologist and to have the opportunity to do some great things for people," says Clyde Markowitz, the director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at the University of Pennsylvania. There remains no cure and little treatment for rarer forms of MS. Relapses can be debilitating. "What we're looking for next," Markowitz says, "are more effective therapies, better-tolerated therapies, and restorative therapies." A chronic autoimmune disease, MS destroys nerve-insulating material called myelin and damages the underlying nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to weakness in one or more limbs, balance problems, and numbness. MS affects about 400,000 Americans, mostly younger women. Over the past year, the National MS Society has spent nearly $50 million on 380 research projects around the world. Sometimes called the 'snowflake disease,' MS can vary by individual. The most common type is relapsing-remitting, which affects about 90 percent of patients. Patients suffer flare-ups in which their symptoms worsen, followed by partial or complete remissions. … Continue reading →

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, March 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High doses of the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin -- sold under the brand name Zocor -- appeared to slow brain shrinkage in patients with multiple sclerosis, according to a small, early study from England. In patients with the secondary progressive (chronic) stage of multiple sclerosis, brain shrinkage was reduced 43 percent for those taking Zocor compared to patients taking placebos, the researchers said. "This effect is provisional and requires a larger phase 3 study, but holds promise for all types of MS," said Dr. Jacqueline Palace, a consultant neurologist with Oxford University Hospitals and co-author of an accompanying journal editorial. "Because it is a repurposed drug and already has a good safety profile and is cheap, it could become available fairly quickly if further studies confirm the suggested effect," Palace said. The report was published in the March 19 online edition of the journal The Lancet. Zocor is part of a class of drugs known as statins, which are commonly prescribed for patients with high cholesterol. Although how Zocor works to reduce brain shrinkage isn't known, Palace speculated that the drug might protect the brain by targeting inflammation. However, … Continue reading →