FW: [Multiple Sclerosis Research] New comment on Treat-2-Target: NEDA (no evidence of disease activ....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Treat-2-Target: NEDA (no evidence of disease activ...":

In general, I am very happy with the new concept of treating with the goal of NEDA, and think that I would want that for my family member or friend with MS.
However, treating MS is different from treating those with RA, and there are reasons why one might choose not to be overly aggressive at first.
1. MS patients tend to be younger, and most often are women who may wish to have children in the future. Using some of the present DMT drugs in those young people would cause concern for long-term harm.
2. Many people with MS can and have achieved NEDA for many years while taking some of the older "less aggressive" injectable DMTs which do not have major safety concerns.
3. A personal comment regarding rheumatologists vs. neurologists: my mother has RA, was treated with methotrexate in her early 80's although her pain responded well to agents such as naproxen. After about one year of methotrexate, she developed mycobacterium avium intracellulare, most likely a consequence of immunosuppression by methotrexate. She underwent 18 months of triple dose antibiotics (which left her feeling chronically nauseated) and of course stopped the methotrexate before her MAI came under control, but it will never be cured and she must now use oxygen (she was not a smoker). The point is that some stronger agents have more potential for harm, and this possibility of harming versus helping a patient must always be considered.

Posted by Anonymous to Multiple Sclerosis Research at Sunday, September 21, 2014 9:18:00 pm