BLOG: Treatment decisions (I've finally made one!)

[ActiveMSers]

Grumble, grumble, grumble. No, that’s not my tummy pre-breakfast urging me to consume multiple doughnuts (mmm, doughnuts). It’s just me, grumbling about my MS, which has gotten feisty again. After more than five years of being medication free following my stem cell transplant for my particularly aggressive form of multiple sclerosis, I recently was tasked with choosing my next form of treatment. And boy has the treatment landscape changed since 2010 when I got my HSCT....

FULL BLOG: http://activemsers.blogspot.com/2015...uandaries.html

[Suebee]

Thanks Dave for sharing your decision making process. I am wondering my next step, when and what, and your blog was really helpful. Suebee

[AMFADVENTURES]

Me too. I'm on my 3rd neuro in as many years and finally seem to have found one I like, at least I like his background and we seem to be on the same page as far as trying to do something about the MS.

Two and a half years ago things started progressing slowly but noticeably, coincidentally, about the same time as a shingles vaccination. I know what the studies say about vaccinations not affecting MS but shingles is a live vaccine and I didn't go back to see if or how many live vaccines were tested, just saying, I don't know how thoroughly those studies were conducted.

At any rate, as soon as I can get a new MRI and assuming I can pass all of the blood tests I'll start a course of Rituximab to see if the progression slows.

Rituximab seems to be all the rage around these parts right now. I was talking to a newly diagnosed MSer today, a physician no less, who says he is going to start Rituximab. Interesting. 3 other people in the group were also either on Rituximab or had recently started it. All except the recently diagnosed physician were older men who had had MS for at least 15 years.

If anything comes of it I'll try to let you all know but it could be a while.

Larry

[ActiveMSers]

Good to hear you found some neuro success, Larry. It's so important to have the right doc on your team. Sorry to hear about your MS rumbling, but Rituxan is one of the best treatments out there. Let me know how it goes!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Thanks Dave, I'm finding out some interesting things about Rituximab, I'll eventually start a thread on my experience with it, maybe it'll help someone else.