If you have multiple sclerosis (MS) and are considering switching your medication, there are several factors to keep in mind. This includes how a change in medication may affect your lifestyle as well as your budget.
Many disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are available to treat MS. Other medications can be used to manage symptoms, too. As your health and lifestyle change over time, your prescribed treatment might also change. The development and approval of new drugs may also affect your treatment plan.
If you change medications or add a new medication to your treatment plan, it can affect your health, lifestyle, and budget. Here are some of the ways it might affect you.
In many cases, the goal of adjusting your treatment plan is to relieve symptoms, reduce side effects from medication, or otherwise improve your condition. Switching medications might help you feel better. You might experience improvements that range from moderate to drastic.
If you think that your medication is improving your condition, it’s important to tell a doctor which symptoms are improving and how much they’re improving. This can help them learn how well your treatment plan is working.
Sometimes, changes to your treatment plan may not have the desired effect. New medications might not work as well as medications that you tried previously. Or you might develop side effects from the new drug.
It can take time for medication to have a noticeable effect on your health. But if you think a new medication is making you feel worse or causing side effects, it’s important to talk with a doctor. They can adjust your dosage or prescribe a different drug.
Possible side effects of stopping DMTs can include new or worse symptoms or an increase in disease activity.
If they suspect that another medication or supplement is interacting with the drug, they may also recommend changes to your wider treatment plan.
Q: Are MS flare-ups after treatment normal?
A: Multiple sclerosis (MS) flare-ups can happen after stopping disease-modifying therapy (DMT).
MS is treated on an ongoing basis with DMT to prevent flare-ups and progression. Over 15 different DMTs are available for treating MS, and people usually take a single DMT for many years. MS flare-ups are managed with high dose steroids or other immunosuppressant treatments.
Some people may want to stop taking DMTs due to side effects or inconvenience. The decision to stop your DMT can be a major one because a flare-up can occur within weeks or months after discontinuing a DMT. This doesn’t always happen, but it’s one of the risks of stopping therapy.
Once you stop taking DMT, you may be at risk for more severe or frequent MS flare-ups if you’ve experienced them in the past. Instead of stopping, you can talk with a doctor about switching to another DMT that might have fewer side effects or is more convenient for you.
Heidi Moawad, MDAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.DMTs are available in several different forms, such as:
- oral pills, such as ozanimod (Zeposia) and ponesimod (Ponvory)
- subcutaneous injection (injected below your skin), such as Copaxone and Glatopa
- intravenous (IV) infusions, such as ublituximab-xiiy (Briumvi)
If you use an oral or injectable DMT, you can give yourself the medication at home. Depending on the specific type of DMT, you might have to take it twice a day, once a day, or less frequently.
If you use an intravenous DMT, you will typically have to visit a clinic to receive your infusion. In some cases, you can arrange for a nurse to visit you at home to administer the infusion. The infusion schedule can vary from one intravenous medication to another.
You may also find some medication regimens more convenient or comfortable than others. For example:
- You might find it hard to remember to take a pill or injection every day.
- If you’re afraid of needles, you may find it difficult to give yourself injections.
- If you don’t drive, it might be challenging to arrange travel to infusion appointments.
A doctor can consider how your lifestyle and habits may affect your treatment. Consider speaking with them about your preferences or concerns.
DMTs can cause side effects, some of which can be serious. A doctor may order preliminary tests to assess your risk of certain side effects before deciding to start you on a DMT.
Additionally, you may need to have regularly scheduled surveillance tests if you take certain DMTs that have a high risk of side effects. Depending on the specific medication that you take, a doctor might order one or more of the following:
- routine blood tests
- routine urine tests
- heart rate monitoring
If you change medications, you might need to undergo more frequent lab tests to check for side effects. Or you might need less frequent tests. In some cases, you might need to register in a drug safety monitoring program.
It’s important to speak with a doctor about how your lab test schedule will change with your new treatment plan.
Changes to your prescribed treatment plan can increase your monthly expenses — or lower them. The cost of medication varies widely from one drug to another. There may also be costs associated with the lab tests that a doctor orders to check for side effects.
If you have health insurance, some medications and tests might be covered while others are not. To learn whether your insurance covers a medication or test, contact your insurance provider. Ask them how much you can expect to pay in copayment and coinsurance fees. In some cases, it may make sense to switch to a different insurance plan.
If you’re finding it difficult to afford your current treatment plan, consider speaking with your MS care team. They might be able to suggest a less expensive drug. Or they might know of a subsidy or rebate program that can help save you money.
What vitamins should you avoid with MS?
If you have MS, it may be beneficial to avoid vitamins such as vitamin C and biotin (B7), as they may worsen symptoms.
What is the latest treatment for multiple sclerosis?
The latest treatment for multiple sclerosis is the drug ublituximab-xiiy (Briumvi). It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in
What MS medication has the least side effects?
After you start taking a new medication, you might feel better or worse in terms of symptoms and side effects.
Depending on how your medication is taken, it might affect your overall lifestyle and ability to follow your prescribed treatment plan. It might also affect your budget.
If you’re having trouble adjusting to a new medication, consider speaking with a doctor. They may be able to alter your treatment plan to better suit your needs.