Treatment

For now, there is no way to cure multiple sclerosis. It is an unpredictable disease, in which some persons can manage the symptoms with no treatment.

Treatments for MS have severe and risky side effects. Nevertheless, the FDA approved three beta interferon compounds: avonex, betaseron and rebif to treat relapsing remitted form of MS. The effects of this class of drugs consist in both reducing the number of exacerbations and in slowing down the development of physical disability. They cause the attacks to be milder and shorter.

Also for the treatment of relapsing remitted form, FDA gave their approval to copolymer I,(Copaxone)that is an artificial form of myelin. This medicine has only a few side-effects and it diminishes the rate of relapse by 25%.

The immunosuppressant Novatrone was approved to treat chronic or advanced MS.

Corticosteroids don't influence the long term progression of MS, but they are effective in diminishing the severity of some attacks .Spasticity may show up in two forms: as a sustained rigidity caused by the muscles ' overtone or as spasms that appear and disappear .It is treated by means of tranquilizers and muscle relaxants like tizanidine, diazepam, baclofen, donazepam and dantrolene.

Exercises are useful in order to maintain the function of the foot braces, canes and walkers enable the patient to have certain independence and may increase their mobility.

In order to fight physiological tiredness, the patients should refrain from activities that are too soliciting and to keep away from heat. In case the symptoms (depression and anxiety) appear, an antidepressant may help, and also one of this kind of drugs: amantadine (Symmetrel), pemoline(Cylert), and aminopydrine (this is still on development). To improve the optic problems, although they spontaneously disappear in many cases, intravenous methylprednisone (Solu-Medrol) should be used in combination to the steroids.