Post Angio-do U need Immune Enhancement or Immunomodulation?

[MegansMom]

Please forgive me as I am new to MS but I have been reading MS info from the Internet daily x the last few weeks few weeks and I am an RN for close to 40 years ( Yikes!) I need to know if I am thinking correctly....

My 35 yr old daughter is the patient and she is and always will be my precious girl ( I am sure all you parents all nodding). She was dx with CIS 2 weeks ago, she has 2 lesions and her symptoms have all abated(for now)Her symptoms started in June 2010.

Anyway I have reached some conclusions and we are moving forward. She will be tested for CCSVI within the next 2 weeks and I am convinced she will need angioplasty ( as she has classical CCSVI symptoms)

My problem is understanding the whole medication Tx. Since they all were designed around suppressing or depressing or altering the immune system ......it seems to me that they would be the opposite of what we want post-angioplasty-- that is a healthy immune system with all of its "clean-up crew"

I am basing this on Avonex which depresses Macrophages ( WBCs which eat up old debris) and the 2 new oral Drugs Clabribine and Fingolimod- both that suppress some WBCs (albeit selectively) by 2 differing methods.

Now if you believe that that your immune system is attacking the myelin this would support these kind of drugs but if you believe CCSVI is the cause then the belief that the immune cells (WBCs and other parts of various types) are in the brain trying to get rid of inflammation, cell debris , iron and other solutes. This is the opposite of the desire of the Immune cause theory!

If these drugs alter immune function than after the angioplasty when venous flow is repaired the immune system would need all the help it can get to remove wastes, cell debris , enhance cell repair and do all the things it normally does and this does NOT include any drug that would hinder a normal immune system.

Does anyone have a good handle on Rx after Liberation procedure? Or is this all to be played out in the future? I am tempted to have her get the angioplasty( if indeed she has the blockage) and then take nothing.

Am I totally off base?

[cheerleader]

MM--
you might have better luck having questions answered in the CCSVI specific forum. Dr. Zamboni has suggested that for RRMS patients who are already on disease modifying medications and doing well (no relapses or progression) that they remain on these medications. We just don't know how long the immune system remains active after blood flow corrected. This is why my husband still takes copaxone (albeit every third day after research announced at the ANA conference of lower dosage efficacy.)

Since your daughter is CIS and has never started a medication, it is hard to know what to say...it's a good question. Move it below---and maybe folks will have more insight-
take care,
cheer

[MegansMom]

Thanks Joan,

I moved my question to the CCSVI thread