Alternative titles: disseminated sclerosis; MS Multiple sclerosis (MS), also called disseminated sclerosis, a progressive disease of the central nervous system characterized by the destruction of the myelin sheath surrounding the nerve fibres of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. As a result, the transmission of nerve impulses becomes impaired, particularly in pathways involved with vision, sensation, and movement. MS has a worldwide distribution but is five times more common in temperate regions than in tropical regions. The disease primarily occurs in individuals between the ages of 20 and 40, and women are affected by the disease more often than men. There are four major types of MS: relapsing-remitting (RRMS), secondary-progressive (SPMS), primary-progressive (PPMS), and progressive-relapsing (PRMS). About 8085 percent of patients are diagnosed initially with RRMS. In this form of the disease, onset is usually gradual, and there are alternating intervals of symptom exacerbation and complete symptom remission. In many patients with RRMS, symptoms may worsen gradually during subsequent recurrences and eventually may no longer disappear during remissions. When this occurs, the patients diagnosis changes from RRMS to SPMS. About 1015 percent of patients have PPMS, which is characterized by steady disease progression from the time of onset, without … Continue reading →

FROM THE ISSUE | SPRING 2011 By MOLLY M. GINTY Kathleen Prieskorn gasped in shock as her medical nightmare began. Still reeling from the heartbreak of an earlier miscarriage, Prieskorn was three months pregnant and working as a waitress when she felt a twinge, felt a trickle down her leg and realized she was miscarrying again. She rushed to her doctor's office, "where I learned my amniotic sac had torn," says Prieskorn, who lives with her husband in Manchester, N.H. "But the nearest hospital had recently merged with a Catholic hospitaland because my doctor could still detect a fetal heartbeat, he wasn't allowed to give me a uterine evacuation that would help me complete my miscarriage." To get treatment, Prieskorn, who has no car, had to instead travel 80 miles to the nearest hospital that would perform the procedureexpensive to do in an ambulance, because she had no health insurance. Her doctor handed her $400 of his own cash and she bundled into the back of a cab. "During that trip, which seemed endless, I was not only devastated, but terrified," Prieskorn remembers. "I knew that ifthere were complications I could lose my uterusand maybe even my life." Ordeals like … Continue reading →

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health administers the public system of alcohol and drug use prevention and treatment services in Mississippi through the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services. These services are provided through a statewide network, which includes state-operated facilities, regional community mental health centers, and other nonprofit community-based programs. The Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services is responsible for establishing, maintaining, monitoring and evaluating a statewide system of alcohol and drug use services, including prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The Bureau has designed a system of services for alcohol and drug use prevention and treatment reflecting its philosophy that alcohol and drug use is a treatable and preventable illness. The goal of this system is to provide a continuum of community-based, accessible services. The Bureau is committed to quality care, cost-effective services, and the health and welfare of individuals through the reduction of alcohol and other drug use. A variety of outpatient and community-based residential alcohol and drug use prevention and treatment services are provided by Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC). The Departments goal is for each CMHC to have a full range of treatment options available for the citizens in its region. Most CMHCs provide the following substance … Continue reading →

For most cases of MS-related headaches, the treatment is the same as it would be in people without MS. However, it's important to see your neurologist, as certain drugs may work better for your headaches, depending on the cause. It's also possible that some of the medications that you are currently taking for your MS or MS symptoms could be causing the headaches, in which case the doctor may want to alter how you take them, change to another drug, or have ideas on how to cope with this side effect. In addition, there are some drugs used to treat headaches that have side effects that can make MS symptoms feel worse. NSAIDs, such as naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may help your tension headaches and migraines and are often recommended first, especially for mild pain. Some people cannot take NSAIDs though, so it's important to consult your doctor first, even though many NSAIDs are available over-the-counter. Some people may require treatment with antidepressants, as depression (a very common MS symptom) has also been associated with migraines in people with and without MS. Depression and migraines are both linked to low serotonin levels. Examples of antidepressants sometimes used … Continue reading →