This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Just trying to be provide some positive news for the start of a new week. Anyone know where I can get the medication that has a remission rate of 90%-95%?



http://www.vancouversun.com/life/drug+t ... story.html

You have to read these articles carefully, something which I have been doing for over 40 years.
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"But Vancouver MS specialist and former medical director of the city’s MS clinic Dr. Stanley Hashimoto says the impact of the therapies introduced in the mid-90s was relatively modest.

“Their impact was exaggerated significantly through a lot of marketing,” he says.

“We needed something that had an actual benefit in terms of therapy and disease modification.”

Dr. Paul O’Connor, the multiple sclerosis program director of St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, and president of the Canadian network of multiple sclerosis clinics, agrees “these drugs have modest effectiveness, but their introduction in 1995 did mark the advent of a new era (in MS treatment).”

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When MS docs make comments like "relatively modest" when it comes to the current drug therapies, they are trying to be positive while at the same time stating objectively the very limited results of these medications. Like Hashimoto inferred, the drug company marketing methods proivde a lot of bark where no bite exists!

And read carefully what Dr. O'Connor stated. He said it would be nice if we could offer something that gave a 90-95% remissions rate as opposed to what we have now. In other words, the getting to this goal would be great compared to what exists today.

I realize the importance of trying to be positive when it comes to treating MS. Since I was 15 when my uncle had the disease and all through the life of my wife who had MS for 35 years, I tried to find the positive aspects of the various therapies that were developed. Only Prokarin, the alternative drug used by some to help their fatigue, gave her any relief from the nasty symptoms of MS. We all know the track records of the other, extremely expensive long term use medications that have been developed....and there isn't much to get excited about.

At lease now MS research has branched out to other areas as opposed to strictly focusing on the autoimmune aspect. Hopefully there will be some amazing discovery in the near future that will indeed give MS patients some true hope.

Harry

Thanks for catching my error Harry. I read through it quickly while at work and misread the doctors quote!