Category Archives: MS Treatment

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online The fatigue that many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) feel is often written off as just being part of the territory of their chronic neurological condition. A new study from the University of Michigan, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, suggests that a large number of MS patients might have an undiagnosed and treatable sleep disorder, known to cause fatigue: obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. The research team, from the U-M Health Systems Sleep Disorders Center, conducted a study involving 195 patients at the U-M Multiple Sclerosis Center. Based on a method of screening for the condition known as the STOP-Bang questionnaire, they found that 56 percent were at an increased risk for OSA. Most of those had never had a formal diagnosis, however, and less than half who had been told they had sleep apnea were using standard treatment for it. The results also showed that patients who were more fatigued were more likely to have an increased risk for sleep apnea. This was true even factoring in other aspects that might have contributed to feelings of fatigue, such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), sleep duration, depression, and … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 14-Feb-2014 Contact: Lynn Celmer lcelmer@aasmnet.org 630-737-9700 American Academy of Sleep Medicine DARIEN, IL A new study provides evidence that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and it suggests that OSA may be a contributor to the fatigue that is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of MS. Results show that one-fifth of MS patients surveyed in a large tertiary MS practice carried a diagnosis of OSA, and more than half were found to have an elevated risk for OSA based on a validated screening tool. Further analysis showed that OSA risk was a significant predictor of fatigue severity, even after adjusting for potential confounders such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), sleep duration and depression. "OSA may be a highly prevalent and yet under-recognized contributor to fatigue in persons with MS," said lead author and principal investigator Tiffany J. Braley, MD, MS, an Assistant Professor of Neurology from the University of Michigan Multiple Sclerosis and Sleep Disorders Centers in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Our study suggests that clinicians should have a low threshold to evaluate MS patients for underlying sleep disturbances." The study results appear in the Feb. … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 14-Feb-2014 Contact: Kara Gavin kegavin@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System ANN ARBOR, Mich. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) might assume that the fatigue they often feel just comes with the territory of their chronic neurological condition. But a new University of Michigan study suggests that a large proportion of MS patients may have an undiagnosed sleep disorder that is also known to cause fatigue. And that disorder obstructive sleep apnea is a treatable condition. In the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, researchers from the U-M Health System's Sleep Disorders Center report the results of a study involving 195 patients of the U-M Multiple Sclerosis Center. In all, 56 percent of the MS patients were found to be at increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea, based on a method of screening for the condition known as the STOP-Bang questionnaire. But most had never received a formal diagnosis of sleep apnea, and less than half of those who had been told they had sleep apnea were using the standard treatment for it. The authors also found that patients who were more fatigued were more likely to also be at elevated risk for sleep apnea … Continue reading →

Peterborough This Week PETERBOROUGH -- Thanks to a crowdfunding initiative that's garnered more than $36,000, a Peterborough woman is beginning an intensive treatment program to battle anorexia. On Feb. 5 -- in the midst of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week -- 23-year-old Ingrid Davidson left a Hamilton hospital and checked into Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, which offers specialized treatment for those suffering from anorexia. Her treatment comes after an online campaign launched in early January received national media attention exposing Ms Davidson's eating disorder to friends, family and people she'd never met. While it's only raised a little more than half of the $60,000 she expects she'll need for a four-or-five-month stay at the treatment centre, the funds donated so far are enough to get her started, according to an update from her mother, Sue Nelson. "It's a but of a leap of faith to get her started at Homewood, not knowing if we will raise enough to finish treatment," she says. Still, she's hoping to reach the target before the campaign ends on Feb. 27. In addition, she says some of Ms Davidson's friends have fundraising initiatives in the works. "(It's) all pretty amazing," she says. If Ms … Continue reading →

Health News of Tuesday, 11 February 2014 Source: GNA The Mfantseman Municipal Health Director, Ms. Georgina Graham Hayfron, has expressed concern about the increasing rate at which patients diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) in the municipality were defaulting treatment despite the treatment being free. She said most of them, after being put on medication, either relocate or travel without notice, sought refuge at spiritual gardens or went fishing sometimes for weeks thus making it difficult to complete the six months treatment. Mrs. Graham-Hayfron expressed the concern in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the end of a days Annual Performance Review Meeting of the Mfantseman Municipal Health directorate held in Saltpond. The review meeting was attended by medical and non-medical staff from Anomabo, Dominase, Biriwa and Saltpond/Kormantse Sub-Districts, Mankessim Sub Municipal, Saltpond Hospital, Mercy Women Centre, Municipal Ambulance Service and Mfantseman Mutual Health Insurance. She said even though TB patients were defaulting treatment, the disease was not part of the top 10 causes of death in the municipality and that there was a decrease in cases as 120 cases were recorded last year as against 133 in the previous year. She appealed to TB patients to be regular … Continue reading →

Current ratings for: Immune treatment for MS shows promise Public / Patient: 5 (4 votes) Health Professionals: 3 (1 vote) A new treatment that boosts immunity to Epstein-Barr virus may benefit patients with multiple sclerosis, according to the results of an Australian study published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. In their study report, Michael Pender, a professor at the University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, and colleagues describe how a patient with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced noticeable clinical improvement after receiving 6 weeks of the immunotherapy treatment. MS is an inflammatory disease, where the body's own immune system attacks and destroys myelin, the protein that insulates the nerves in the spinal cord, brain and optic nerve and stops the electrical signals they convey from leaking out. As the disease advances, symptoms progress from mild numbness in the limbs to paralysis and blindness. Estimates from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society suggest MS affects around 400,000 Americans. In Australia, the number of people affected by the disease is thought to be over 23,000. See the article here: Immune treatment for MS shows promise … Continue reading →

Indonesia's Justice Minister AmirSyamsuddinis under attack over his decision to grant Schapelle Corby bail. The Queenslander was granted bail, MrSyamsuddinsaid late Friday. She is due to be released on Monday. Friday saw eight MPs from different parties sign a letter opposing Ms Corby's release. One, Taslim Chaniago, from a nationalist and religious party, said the government is being soft on people involved in the drug trade. Today, the government faced pressure from the Indonesian media, which is asking if Ms Corby is getting special treatment to smooth diplomatic relations with Australia. Mr Syamsuddin reiterated his decision on Saturday, saying it is not a special case but simply one that follows Indonesian laws. The decision was not politically motivated, he said. His deputy, Denny Indrayana, said Ms Corby would still not be allowed to leave the country after being released. He said just like other inmates who were granted parole, Ms Corby would be obliged to report to the authorities periodically, the Jakarta Post reports. This is proof that she has not gotten any special treatment, Mr Indrayana said. Ms Corby - currently held at Kerobokan prison in Bali, will be required to stay in Indonesia until her sentence expires in … Continue reading →

Sufferers from progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) are ramping up a campaign to have a new drug listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) when its Advisory Committee meets next month. Having trouble walking is a common symptom of MS, and the drug Fampyra is a potassium blocker designed to help those with MS to get around more easily. Two years ago there was an application to list the drug on the PBS but it was knocked back on the basis of unclear clinical evidence or cost effectiveness. The decision means Fampyra is available in Australia, but costs around $600 per month. Victorian woman Brenda Fisher's husband Mark was diagnosed with progressive MS in 1996, when the couple had three children, aged seven, four and two. Ms Fisher says the symptoms developed aggressively. "He's suddenly turning 37 and having to retire from work, and then it hits you - that this is actually going to be the rest of our life," Ms Fisher said. Ms Fisher became her husband's carer as he gradually lost mobility. These days, he does not leave the house. "He hasn't walked in quite a few years. He struggles to stand, has to be assisted, relies on … Continue reading →

Australian scientists are showing promising results with a new treatment for advanced multiple sclerosis (MS). It's early days, but it has changed the life of Dr Gary Allen, a 43-year-old academic with secondary progressive MS who agreed to be a guinea pig. He was given six weeks of treatment, which resulted in a sustained boost of energy, reduced pain and increased productivity at work. "It's impossible to overstate the improvements," said Dr Allen. The study on the treatment is a high point in the career of Professor Michael Pender, who has been researching MS for 33 years. In 2003 he proposed a new theory that people with MS have impaired immunity to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). There is a growing body of evidence to support his view that this allows the virus to accumulate in the brain and cause MS. EBV is a well known as a cause of glandular fever. The new treatment boosts the body's ability to fight the virus, said Prof Pender, of The University of Queensland. "EBV gets out of control in the brain of MS patients. See original here: Life-changing MS treatment shows promise … Continue reading →

MILWAUKEE-Lakesha Johnson wants to be a good wife and mother. But her multiple sclerosis keeps getting in the way. "I have blurred vision. I see four of you now," the 33 year old recently told CBS 58's Michele McCormack in an exclusive interview from her Milwaukee home. "I also have this blind spot in the middle which is really weird and my right leg goes completely numb. I'm dragging it.I can't feel it at all." She was diagnosed in 2007. Traditional drugs have failed her. She undergone 22 sessions of chemotherapy with steroids. The symptoms keep coming on. There was new hope recently when her doctor told her she was an excellent candidate for a stem cell transplant study at Northwestern Hospital which uses an MS patient's own stem cells. "Their neurological disability reverses." the study's founder Dr. Richard Burt told CBS 58 News during a recent tour of his lab in Chicago. "Even though they're on no therapy after this treatment for MS," he explained, "they improve neurologically at six months. They're better at one year than six months and the maximum improvement is two years after the procedure with reversal of what had been neurological deficits." Dr. Burt … Continue reading →