Slowing disease progression?

[jonwat]

Hi.

 

The MSDECISIONS website suggests that use of interferon beta therapies can slow the progression of the disease.

 

This seems to be in discord with the findings of the recent Shirani report.

 

Who is right? What is the evidence used by the authors of the msdecisions website?

 

John

Edited 21 Oct 2012, 8:59 am by jonwat

[Bigbird]

Hi there

Just read the final sentence that's on line and it's just says doesn't appear to stop progression. My understanding of beta interferon is that it stops the severity/number of the relapses. I may be wrong as I've never been on it.

The report is only one piece of research. Has it been peer reviewed?

 

BB x

[Great Dane]

I found the MSdecisions website so confusing. I tried to make a decision as to which drug I ought to start based on side effects I would rather not have and convenience. When I saw the doctor at the hospital she tried to convince me to take a different drug to the one I had chosen. After explaining my reasons for why I did not like her choice she just went on to say that she had never had patients complaining about the side effects I brought to her attention.

Finally I was told that maybe my symptoms were not severe enough to warrant disease modifying drugs! I told her the first doctor I saw thought it was important to start treatment sooner than later. I was then asked to get dates for my various attacks (which I do not have to hand as I did not know what was going on) to prove that I needed to start treatment. Quite frankly by then I had had enough and I left being told that the ball was now in my court - although not in so many words.

[Hezza]

Hi John,

My opinion on it was that it's hard to be certain, either way, so I did my own research and made the choice that felt right for me. So far so good but who knows what will happen in 5, 10 or 20 years time. Then again something else might get me first

 

If no one can tell me how my MS might progress it follows from there that they can't tell me whether my medication is doing me any good or not. I may be wrong but I also think the DMDs haven't been in use for long enough in MS to be able to reliably tell what long term implications there might be

 

Great Dane, The best advice I can offer is that you make the decision that feels right for you. Take your time x