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Goodbye!
Goodbye!!! Unfortunately, this is going to be my last column for now. Let me take this chance to thank the folks at Healthline for giving me the opportunity to write as much as I did. The one requirement I made when I started writing is that non...
Feb 28, 2012
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Combination Therapy
One of the interesting questions to emerge in MS therapies in the next few years will be the possibility of using combination therapy to slow down disease progression. This means the use of more than one medication with different mechanisms of act...
Feb 24, 2012
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BG 12, Part 2
In my first post on BG-12, I introduced the two major studies supporting its efficacy. No discussion of medication is complete without acknowledging the downsides, however. The most common side effects of BG-12 were flushing, headache, gastrointes...
Feb 21, 2012
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BG 12, Part 1
One of the most exciting disease modifying medications on the horizon in the treatment of MS is currently known as BG-12. It is made by Biogen, the same company that makes Avonex and Tysabri. This is the first oral medication from this company an...
Feb 16, 2012
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A Tincture of Time
One of the most frequent e-mail questions I have received is from someone describing their symptoms and wondering whether or not these symptoms could be due to MS. This, of course, is a common reason for patients to visit an MS Center as well. G...
Feb 14, 2012
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Relying on Tests to Diagnose MS, Part 2
In my previous post, I reviewed the diagnostic criteria for MS and some of the reasons a diagnosis is often not as straightforward any anyone would like. I also explained why doctors put great stock in the MRI and the lumbar puncture results in ev...
Feb 6, 2012
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Relying on Tests to Diagnose MS, Part 1
During a recent online chat about MS, one person asked the question: “why are doctors so heavily reliant on MRI and lab tests to diagnosis MS?” This is a good question. In order to answer it, let me briefly review the criteria for diagnosing MS. ...
Feb 2, 2012
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Vitamin D, Part 2
While the role of a low vitamin D level is a becoming an established risk factor for MS, it is not universally accepted as such. Even less clear is the role for vitamin D supplementation once the diagnosis of MS has been made is less clear. A st...
Jan 31, 2012
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Vitamin D, Part 1
Perhaps the biggest mystery in the entire field of MS is why do some people get the disease and others do not? Genetics play a role in who gets the illness, though the role is rather small. In identical twins who share the exact same DNA, if one...
Jan 26, 2012
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Gilyena Safety Update
As soon as I submited my posting entitled "Safety Update," new information broke regarding the safety of the medication Gilyena (from the business section concerned about stock prices!). At this point, all I know can be found in this article here...
Jan 23, 2012
