Starting disease-modifying multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments and staying on them is key to slowing the course of the disease, preventing relapses, and improving your quality of life. Of course, maintaining that treatment can take a lot of work. These tips will help you stay focused.
Find the right doctor and medical team
Finding a doctor whom you’re comfortable with is an important first step in sticking to your treatment plan. The right doctor will listen to your concerns and take time to answer your questions. Your doctor can also help you develop strategies for overcoming the treatment challenges you face.
You’ll need to consider many factors when assembling a medical team for MS treatment. The National MS Society and other organizations can help by providing recommendations in your area.
Understand your payment options
Getting and keeping insurance coverage can be a frustrating obstacle to maintaining treatment. If your coverage or financial situation has changed, start researching assistance programs. Your doctor may need to switch your treatment if there’s no other option. If you’re struggling with paying for your medication, seek help as soon as possible to avoid interrupting your treatment.
Learn what to expect from treatment
Having realistic expectations about treatment outcomes will help you stay motivated. Since MS is a complex disease, it can take up to a year of consistent treatment before you start noticing any improvements in your symptoms. Effective treatment can be subtle because you’re preventing additional relapses. While no MS treatment is 100 percent effective, studies show that people who stick with treatment feel better physically and mentally than those who don’t take medication regularly.
Talk to your doctor about side effects
Side effects often discourage people from taking their medication. For example, disease-modifying treatments may cause headaches and flu-like symptoms that improve after several weeks. In the meantime, your doctor may recommend managing those symptoms with over-the-counter medications.
If side effects are discouraging you, talk to your doctor about how you can manage them, how long you should expect them to last, or if you need to change your treatment plan.
Schedule your medication
Even people with the best intentions forget to take their medication. Follow these tips to remember to take your medication:
- Take your medication at the same time every day.
- Use a print or electronic calendar.
- Schedule phone reminders.
- Record your treatment in a journal or a mobile app designed for MS treatment.
Keep a journal
Recording your treatment and symptoms daily can help you remember to take your medications and stay motivated. Since MS is a complex disease, tracking it over time can remind you of the progress you’ve made or how your body behaved during past relapses. A record of your treatment and response is also a powerful tool if you need to talk to your doctor about managing side effects or changing your treatment. Journaling can also help you monitor your emotional well-being and stay on track with diet and exercise.
Create a support network
Surrounding yourself with supportive people can ease the emotional strain of MS and help you stay on track. Your network may come from a variety of places. It may mean telling your friends and family about your MS, joining an online or local support group, or seeing a therapist or counselor.
Stay positive and manage stress
MS can be a drain on your mental health and contribute to anxiety and depression. It may be harder to stick to your treatment plan when you feel down. Plus, being stressed can make your symptoms worse.
It’s important to find the stress-management techniques that work for you. Exercise, meditation, and getting enough sleep can help reduce stress. Making time for the activities you enjoy will also help you maintain a positive outlook. A neuropsychologist can also help you address the mood changes that come with MS.
Change is OK
As important as it is to stick to your treatment plan, don’t use something that isn’t working for you. The complexity of MS means that your disease may change over time. You may need to change treatments as that happens.
Talk to your doctor if your side effects are unmanageable or if you think your medication isn’t effective. You should also be aware of the dangerous side effects of some disease-modifying treatments and be prepared to seek medical help if you have them.
Your neurologist will want to know if you’ve had more relapses or more severe relapses in the last year. They may schedule an MRI to look for new lesions. An increase in lesions can indicate ineffective treatment. If your current treatment is failing, finding new options will help you maintain your health.
