Expert Support
Making a choice – taking responsibility for your MS treatment
Dr. Freedman, Professor of Medicine (Neurology)
You take the car in for all the regularly scheduled oil changes. You drag the dog to the vet for its rabies shot and you make sure the kids get their teeth cleaned twice a year. But how often do you do a maintenance check on your own health? When was the last time you talked to your doctor about the medication you’re taking to treat your MS?
Whether you’re newly diagnosed with MS or have been coping with the disease for years, it’s important to be actively involved in the decisions about your treatment. Over the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in developing medications that slow down the progress of MS. As more therapeutic options become available, it’s a good idea to review your treatment program with your doctor periodically. Every medication has advantages and disadvantages and you owe it to yourself to make sure that your treatment is the safest and most effective and best suited to your needs.
Review your medical history
Dr. Mark Freedman, Professor of Medicine (Neurology) and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit at the Ottawa Hospital, suggests that you start by discussing the status of your disease with your doctor. The type of MS that you have and the severity of your condition are important factors to consider when evaluating treatment options. By reviewing your medical history with your doctor, you should be able to determine whether your drug therapy is effectively controlling your symptoms and reducing the frequency and severity of your MS attacks. If your MS is still quite active, your doctor may be able to modify your therapy to give you a better result.
Consider lifestyle issues
Once you’re satisfied that your therapy is doing what it’s supposed to, the next step is to consider the effect of the treatment on your lifestyle. MS therapies can complicate your life with regular injection regimens, unwelcome side effects and special storage requirements. When making treatment decisions, Dr. Freedman strongly advises you to be honest with yourself and your doctor about your personal needs. “Your drug treatment should fit your lifestyle and allow you to maintain the activities you enjoy,” he explains. “Ideally, you should look for a treatment that’s convenient for you, relatively easy to tolerate and doesn’t have a negative impact on your quality of life. If you have trouble tolerating needles or find the side effects of your medication difficult to manage, tell your doctor – there are ways to minimize the impact of these problems. “However,” Dr. Freedman adds, “keep in mind that drug side effects are usually short-lived. If you just tough it out for a while, you may find that the benefits of the medication outweigh the temporary inconveniences.”
Check drug safety records
Of course, it goes without saying that you should always check the safety record of any medication before you take it. When a new drug comes on the market or you’re thinking about switching to a different treatment, do your homework before you make any decisions. Ask your doctor if there are health risks associated with the recommended treatment. You can also do your own research by checking the Drug and Health Products section of the Health Canada website (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) or contacting your local MS Society for current information on approved drug therapies.
The bottom line in making any treatment decisions is compliance. A therapy will only benefit you if you’re willing to stick with it over the long run. Rather than letting your disease and your medication control your life, take responsibility for your own health and take an active role in your treatment decisions. After all, no one knows better than you how the medication is affecting your life or the compromises you’re willing to make to keep your MS under control. By sharing your concerns and feelings with your doctor, you’ll get the best results from your medication and you’ll improve the overall quality of your life.
Modern medications don’t cure MS, but they play an important role in slowing down the progress of the disease,” explains Dr. Freedman. “By reducing the frequency of MS attacks, these drugs give the body time to heal itself and repair the damage done to the central nervous system. Although you may not see immediate results when you take your medication, you should realized that your condition would probably be much worse if you weren’t taking it. Ultimately, there’s an element of trust involved in treating MS – if your symptoms are under control, you’re having fewer attacks and little disease progression, then you know it’s probably working.
Click here to discover helpful questions and discussion guides you can use at your next appointment with the neurologist.
Or click on one of the links below to obtain a Doctor Discussion Guide for the patient:
Doctor Discussion Guide: newly diagnosed MS or possible MS
Doctor Discussion Guide: currently or previously treated MS
This feature is intended solely for informational purposes and is not a substitute for routine or urgent medical evaluation, treatment or consultation. Dr. Freedman’s guest editorial should not be construed as a medical opinion aimed at establishing a diagnosis or course of treatment. Individuals who are being treated should not construe information here as replacing or superseding recommendations of their own physician.
