Are you taking your supplements to support your MS?

I am a big believer in several different types of supplements. I have picked these suggestions up in talking to other people about MS.

- B12, Biotin and other B vitamins for increased energy and to help fight fatigue
- Omega 3, 6 and 9 to help with stiffness and mobility
- Calcium and Vitamin D (I don't know why but studies show that you need to boost these two - I hear this repeatedly)

I have also found that you should not have more that the daily requirements of A, C and E as these put your immune system on overload. I got this from a Betaseron nurse recently. This was very eye opening as I drink nutrition shakes with a substantial amount of B12 but they also happen to have increased amounts (i.e. more than the RDA) vitamin A, C and E.

I also have a friend that is a firm believer in Tumeric as a supplement. I am not sure what this does but my friend has been doing really well with this supplement and has increased mobility that she attributes to Tumeric.

I would much rather take supplements to manage my MS than some of the drugs that have challenging side effects.

The future and Multiple Sclerosis

I went to a question and answer session last week with a prominent doctor in the Dallas area. I left thinking the future of Multiple Sclerosis looks bleak. Here is what I learned:

1) MRI machines vary widely. As a result, comparing images taken on different machines is really not an idicator of the progression of your multiple sclerosis. The machine may not capture disease activity if it is not sensitive enough. For example, there were a couple people in the audience who had MS for over 10 years. They had no disease activity evident on the MRIs so they thought they were fine. The specialist indicated that this is where the MRI machines not being precise enough could lead us to believe incorrect outcomes.

2) Doctors are not confident in their knowledge of what disease modifying drug is best for who. Once they have this knowledge, they will be better able to match people with the ABC drugs. Right now, it is a shot in the dark. Therefore, it is critical that you do your research and ask people (doctors, MS patients) for information so you can make the best decision for you about your MS treatment.

Take control of your disease management!

Self-Injecting Shot Trauma and Multiple Sclerosis

Every other day I go through what I call shot trauma when I self inject my Rebif shot. This shot trauma causes me to want to rethink taking one of the few disease-modifying drugs. However, I know that this is all I have when it comes to the fight against the Multiple Sclerosis raging in my body. I must endure the shots.

Rather than watch me spend 30-45 minutes wincing prior to self injection, my husband has offered to give me my shots. This is fantastic as it takes him a minute or two to inject me with my Rebif and then we are done. The challenge lately has been that the needle seems to sting a little and is therefore painful when it goes in my skin.

I called Serano to make sure my self injector was set appropriately and they told me I should ask my doctor about Emla which is a medicine that numbs the skin prior to this terrible side effect of dealing with Multiple Sclerosis.

I am so excited at the prospect of pain-free injections...I may just have to stay with this therapy!