Category Archives: MS Treatment

Feb. 21, 2013 A drug that is currently used for cancer can relieve and slow down the progression of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS) in rats, according to a new study published in PLOS ONE. The discovery, which was made by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, might one day lead to better forms of treatment for patients with MS. Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the spinal cord and brain, damaging nerve tissues to cause visual impairment, paralysis and other neurological disabilities. There are approximately 17,000 MS victims in Sweden, most of who develop the disease between the age of 20 and 40. The disease is currently incurable, and the treatments that are able to ameliorate the symptoms can have severe side effects. "There is a particularly urgent need to find new, efficacious drugs with minimal adverse effects for patients with MS in the relapsing phase of the disease," says Assistant Professor Ingrid Nilsson at Karolinska Institute's Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics. The disease is caused when white blood cells attack the central nervous system. The CNS is normally protected by the blood-brain barrier, which governs what passes through the vascular walls. … Continue reading →

JEFFERSON CITY - The National Multiple Sclerosis Society met with Missouri lawmakers Wednesday to promote awareness about Missourians living with MS, and to push for Medicaid expansion. Sarah Gentry with the MS society said a Medicaid expansion could mean more resources for MS patients, like access to neurologists and new treatment options. Gentry also said about 60 percent of MS patients cannot work within 10 years of being diagnosed. With a two year waiting period before patients can receive disability, Medicaid can provide patients with health coverage during that time. Gentry said if Medicaid is not expanded, it could mean trouble for Missourians living with MS. "It would impact those living with MS negatively, because there's still that barrier to health care, and we want to open up access to health care for individuals who live with MS," said Gentry. (D) Representative Mike Colona said Medicaid expansion is needed to prevent problems in the future. "Without an expansion, smaller hospitals are at risk of closing, and less benefits will be available for those with illness or disability." said Colona. (R) Representative Sue Allen also said changes must be made to the Medicaid program, but she does not think expansion is … Continue reading →

Dear Dr. Roach: I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis three years ago, and I seem to have the worst, most aggressive type of the disease. I receive IV steroid treatment and prednisone that relieves my leg pain, but the relief lasts only a month. I have to limit my activities, which has significantly changed my mood and outlook toward life. My MS doctor has prescribed a myriad of drugs for depression, inflammation and pain, most of which I refused because I do not want to live under the vice of a hundred pills a day. The one pain medication I agreed to try was morphine. This allowed me to go about my daily activities almost the way I lived my life before the MS. The problem is my doctor refuses to continue to prescribe painkillers, saying she doesnt want to further complicate the constipation most people with MS deal with. I am willing to take any medication necessary for constipation, but she wont budge. Should I deal with the pain, or change doctors? J.D. A: Treatment of noncancer pain with powerful narcotics like morphine is a big issue right now in the medical community, with some advocating never doing so … Continue reading →

Pictures from the 2012 presidential campaign depict Ann Romney, wife of candidate Mitt Romney, as a woman with bright eyes and a dancers posture. But beneath the polished business suit, another battle has raged. Ann Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) many years ago and experienced a flare-up of symptoms that forced her to curtail campaign efforts. There is no known cause or cure for MS, although medications are available to slow the progression of the disease. However, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered that the drug daclizumab appears to tone down the autoimmune response in MS patients, providing hope for those trying to overcome the obstacles of living with MS. MS is an autoimmune disorder, meaning cells in the bodys immune system attack healthy tissues. In the case of MS, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells. Myelin is crucial in the conduction of electrical impulses to and from the brain. The loss of myelin, called demyelination, causes hardened scars in areas of the nerves and brain affected. The name multiple sclerosis actually means many scars. MS is the most common disease of the central nervous system in young adults, affecting … Continue reading →

CALGARY , Feb. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - EmberClear Corp. (EMB.V) ("EmberClear" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its subsidiary, EmberClear GTL MS Inc. ("EmberClear GTL"), has completed the technical feasibility study for a natural gas to liquids project (the "Project") in Natchez, Mississippi. It is anticipated that if the Project proceeds it will be capable of producing 4,000 tons of methanol per day or 14,000 barrels of gasoline per day. Abundant natural gas supplies in North America can produce high value transportation fuels using proven technologies. This Project's proximity to competitively priced sources of natural gas and the Gulf Coast petrochemical complex creates the potential for attractive pricing, efficient access to markets and multiple modes of transportation. "It is our intent to take advantage of the recently available long-term natural gas contracts and address the desire for more domestic energy. The USA may continue to import oil for decades but facilities like ours could potentially reduce such imports while providing lower cost energy," stated Nick Cohen , Chief Operating Officer. EmberClear has access to an 800-acre site along the Mississippi River. "This site is served by American Midstream's Midla pipeline system that intersects three interstate gas pipelines providing us … Continue reading →

Kurt Rishel leaves on the 3,785-mile journey in June. Central York High School grad Kurt Rishel will bike across the country starting in June to raise funds for MS research. (SUBMITTED) When Kurt Rishel signed up to ride his bicycle across the country to support multiple sclerosis, he didn't know of anyone with the disease. The 21-year-old athlete started cycling after graduating from Central York High School in 2010. He needed something to fill the void of competitive sports -- soccer and track -- and cycling became a passion. Rishel has wanted to ride across the country since he read an article about someone who made the trek a few years ago. When he learned about Bike the US for MS -- a nonprofit that raises money for research and treatment -- he felt he had to get involved. On June 1, Rishel plans to dip the back tire of his bicycle in the Atlantic Ocean in Yorktowne, Va., before embarking on a 3,785-mile ride for two months. The nonprofit provides participants with route leaders who drive a trailer, where cyclists may store a few pairs of bike shorts, a tent, a sleeping bag and some nonperishable food in a … Continue reading →

JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) - Brooklyn Burgess and her mother,both of Carthage,were among the thousands of people stranded on the Carnival Triumph this week. The two went on the cruise as a girl'strip with other family members. Brooklyn talked with WLBT and Fox 40 from the ship Thursday evening. "It's more of the uncertainty that was so scary, not knowing if anyone was gonna find us. You know, for the first two days there was no one in sight," Brooklyn said. She also confirmed many of the reports, coming from otherpassengers, of the conditions on the ship. "It was hot when we were closer to Mexico. Now, it's actually really cold. So everybody is trying to get as warm as possible. They have their robes on. The food, for the first few days it was really horrible. Nobody knew if it was ruined or if it would be ok to eat. Everyone was scared," Brooklyn said."The bathroom situation, which is probably the worst thing that has happened, there's nowhere to go, you know, so we have these little red bags." Brooklyn's father Joe Burgess waitedto pickBrooklyn and her motherup in Mobile. Joe Burgess said Carnival has made arrangements for … Continue reading →

Lindsay B. Eastman, DDS, MS, PA, provides the technologically advanced gum disease treatment with the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. The laser procedure allows Dr. Eastman to eliminate gum disease from the mouths of his Bradenton patients without using a scalpel to cut away the diseased tissue. (PRWEB) February 16, 2013 Although there are literally millions of people across the country suffering from gum disease, many of them do not get treatment. Whether they are putting it off because of lack of time or out of fear of traditional treatment methods, the results are the same; they are putting themselves at risk. Not only can periodontal disease cause painful gums that may bleed easily and lead to possible tooth loss, but it has also been scientifically connected to serious health issues. Some of these complications include low birth-weight babies, heart disease and pancreatic cancer. The technologically advanced LANAP gum disease treatment procedure provides a new take on treatment methods. Rather than utilizing a scalpel to cut away diseased gum tissue, the new protocol uses a very specialized and sophisticated laser. The PerioLase MVP-7 laser is designed to eradicate bacteria and dissolve away diseased gum tissue. However, it is not absorbed … Continue reading →

POWAY, Calif. - Crisis counselors and extra staff were expected to be at Twin Peaks Middle School Monday to help students cope with their feelings about a 12-year-old boy's threat to open fire on the Poway campus, specifically to kill 23 students and a teacher. The boy was taken into custody and then to a hospital for treatment and evaluation on Saturday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. On Friday night, the boy sent an email to a Twin Peaks administrator, saying a teacher, whose name was withheld, and 23 students would be shot, sheriff's officials said. He also allegedly made reference to 3,000 rounds of ammunition and numerous firearms. Deputies learned of the email Saturday morning and worked with school district officials and a multi-agency technology-related crimes task force to find the source, sheriff's Sgt. Dave Ross said. They identified the boy and went to his home to serve a search warrant around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Several computers and numerous rifles and handguns were seized, sheriff's officials said. Sheriff's Capt. Bill Donahue told reporters at a news conference that the five rifles, three shotguns and three handguns had been locked up at the time the search warrant … Continue reading →

Phyllis Snider at Aldi on Saturday, February 9, 2013, in Ocala, Florida. Phyllis Snider woke up one day in 2007, blind in one eye. Alarmed, she made an appointment with her doctor. It wasnt until late 2008 that a physician diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis. MS is a neurological disorder where the immune system attacks the central nervous system. If affects about 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.1 million people worldwide. According to the National MS Society, some symptoms of MS include fatigue, abnormal gait, visual problems, bowel and bladder incontinence, numbness, dizziness/vertigo, pain and depression. Snider developed the relapsing/remitting type of MS, where there are exacerbations of symptoms and periods of time where there are few or no symptoms. The other type of MS is progressive, a more disabling condition where symptoms worsen over time. Many people must use a wheelchair and are often unable to meet their own basic needs. A serious fall several years ago left Snider further incapacitated, needing two canes to get around the house and a wheelchair or power scooter when she goes out. Before her current treatment, Sniders MS used to only exacerbate the problem. Snider stopped working sometime before moving to … Continue reading →