Suggest Medication With Less Side Effects For MS

Posted on Tue, 12 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 13 Nov 2013 Answered on

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I hope you can, I am trying to decide which meds to take for MS they all seem to have crazy side effects. Wondering which is best and has the least side effects.

Answered by Dr. Dr.Albana Sejdini Greca (7 hours later)

Brief Answer: Please refer to the following answer... Detailed Answer: Hi, First, bare in mind that all medications have their own side effects. When a doctor describes a medications, he/she will put in a balance the benefits and side effects. So, we doctors will consider if the benefits you will get from taking such drug is higher than the side effects it might cause; then, we prescribe it for that particular patient. Now, with regards to the MS medications, they are used for 2 reasons: 1. to treat the attack 2. to reduce the progression of the disease. The neurologist will decide the right treatment after physical evaluation. Hope it answered to your inquiry! If you have more questions, feel free to contact me again! Dr.Sejdini

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Dr.Albana Sejdini Greca (19 hours later)

Hi, my Doctor is going to treat the progression of the MS, but has given me a list of many meds to choose from I am just wondering which meds you think treat the disease better and with less side effects. I have checked into all of them but would like a second opinion, my Doctor has left me to decide which I think is best for me, which is good but I only know what I have read about them.So again I am just asking which meds would you prescribe for the progression of this disease to your patient ?? thanks.

Answered by Dr. Dr.Albana Sejdini Greca (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Please refer to the following suggestions... Detailed Answer: Hi my dear, Thank you for asking back. If you doctor has given to you the list of meds to choose, could you please upload and send this list to me? I usually evaluate the health condition of my patients together with evaluating the severity of the MS disease before deciding for the meds. The primary drugs I usually prescribe in close collaboration to the neurologist is the interferon-therapy. As it carries the risk of liver damage, we closely evaluate the health condition of our patients. Looking forward to have the list of meds your doctor gave to you to help you further. Dr.Sejdini

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Dr.Albana Sejdini Greca (1 hour later)

I have received your reply, and I appreciate the answer, was just wanting to know which you usually would prescribe. My Dr. mentioned that one also gave info on it, but said that is the one he doesn't like because many of his patients become depressed along with the damage to the liver. I thank you again for your time and answer. XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Dr.Albana Sejdini Greca (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Please follow the answer below... Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Thank you for writing back. Please bare in mind that usually, patients with chronic diseases as you, do get depressed for 2 main reasons : 1. the illness itself 2. the medications they use. That's why I (and all my colleagues) evaluate the current health condition of our patients. If the benefits we get are greater than the side effects, we go ahead with that specific drug (interferon in our case). However, as mentioned earlier, we keep evaluating the liver damages through blood tests regularly. Once we notice undesirable changes, we stop that drug and discuss for another one. Copaxone injections is the next choice, while monitoring heart problems. This is the strategy we generally follow in our clinics. Once again, everything depends on the patient's health condition and disease progress. This is the reason I strongly suggest to be in close contact with your doctor. Thank you for sharing with us your concern! Wish you health and good luck! Dr.Sejdini

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T