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Multiple Sclerosis

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MEDICATION COMPLIANCE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder with no known cause or cure. Due to this fact, it is beneficial for patients begin disease modifying therapy once a definitive diagnosis has been made. Because disease modifying therapy is expensive, has potentially fatal side effects and the onset of debility can be delayed for years, many patients elect not to start disease modifying therapy or choose to discontinue therapy shortly after starting. The purpose of this paper is to explore ways to increase medication compliance. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune cells attack the protective myelin sheath surrounding nerves which leave plaques or scars that …show more content…

Of this total, sixty percent was attributed to direct cost and forty percent was attributed to indirect costs, which includes lost wages and early mortality. The impact of Multiple Sclerosis on life expectancy is negligible, a decrease of five to fifteen years, however, quality of life can be significantly impaired as a result of disability, depression and cognitive impairment. Currently, there is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis but there are several medications currently available that are proven to prevent the frequency of exacerbation. I have chosen to categorize these medications by their route of administration; injectable, oral and …show more content…

Currently there are three medications, Teriflunomide, Fingolimod and Dimethyl Fumarate. While these medications offer the convenience of a pill they have considerable and potentially dangerous side effects. Teriflunomide (Aubagio) works by blocking the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, which inhibit rapidly dividing cells like those of the immune system. Serious side effects include inability to fight infection, breathing problems and high blood pressure. Other side effects include: headache; diarrhea; nausea; hair thinning or loss; and abnormal liver test results. Fingolimod (Gilenya) is a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator. Serious side effects are potentially fatal infections, bradycardia and, hemorrhaging focal encephalitis. Currently, two patients have died while taking Gilenya, although it is not clear if the drug was solely responsible. Dimethyl Fumarate (Tecfidera) belongs to a class of drugs called Nrf2 activators and may work by decreasing inflammation thus preventing nerve damage. Tecfidera may cause serious side effects, including allergic reactions and has been implicated in the death of one patient who developed Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML). The most common side effects of Tecfidera include flushing and stomach

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As of 2013, the number of people with MS was estimated to be over 2.3 million worldwide. ( atlas 2013) Most of the non-traumatic disabilities in young adults are caused by MS [1]. It is considered that an interaction of genetic factors, environmental predisposition, and abnormal immune responses can be the chief causes of MS, But the exact etiology of MS is still in question [2]. MS has been greatly studied within the recent years, but a great number of clinical challenges still remain in regard to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.[6]

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In “Am I MS?” Miriamne Ara Krummel talks about her personal journey she endured dealing with multiple sclerosis. Krummel further explains at the end how she was finally able to accept her diagnosis and to embrace it. She finds that it’s important to be open about the disease. She believes that, “it might be helpful if more people would talk about death and dying as an intrinsic part of life” (76-77).When she was first diagnosed, she had a difficult time coping with MS.

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Multiple Sclerosis is a real life disease, that effects real life people, so why is it not portrayed on television? Nancy Mairs life with Multiple Sclerosis was one thing she could not control. Showing people what living with MS can be like was something she might be able to change. Nancy Mairs makes a point in her essay about advertising companies, that just because the person in the Coke commercial is in a wheelchair doesn’t mean they they’ll lose business. People with disabilities are real and live day in and day out just like “normal people”, they shouldn’t be excluded from what’s shown in the media.

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Higgins was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was in college around twenty two years old. She was suffering from loss of vision and horrible migraines. She had a vision test, an MRI, and then a spinal tap. The MRI showed four lesions on her brain and the spinal tap confirmed the diagnosis because her spinal serum tests differently than healthy humans. Every month Higgins has an injection of medicine that is meant to help slow down the progression of her MS.

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This article can turn out to be an inspiring article for people who are suffering from multiple sclerosis or other disabilities. Mairs begins her introduction with a hilarious event which is an attention grabbing for a reader. Then she

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Introduction Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system, causing damage to the nerve cells, which could cause permanent damage, leaving those who suffering from the disease with a myriad of lifelong issues. According to Mayo Clinic (2018), “Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected.” The damage varies from patient to patient; with many of the symptoms include numbness and tingling of the extremities, mental health issues, such as depression, vision issues, speech impairment, balance issues, and chronic fatigue, as well as incontinence and bowel issues. In more advanced stages, cognitive function can change, such as memory impairment,

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Finding An Answer To Your Health Concerns: Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis A correct diagnosis of multiple sclerosis is attempted by taking a close-up look at the nerve cell tissues in the brain and spinal cord. The answers to developing health concerns like speech impairments, blurred vision and severe fatigue are often found in testing procedures such as these: Measuring the Water Content In Tissues An MRI is a tool that is used to examine different concerns in the body, including a disease called multiple sclerosis. This non-invasive action can get an image of the spinal cord, brain or other parts of the body. The MRI analyzes the water content in tissues.

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Eight years later, Kate was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. An MRI showed plaque on her spinal cord, and her neurologist gave her the diagnosis. This news is devastating. Although Kate was glad to finally have answers to her health issues, the answers didn’t add

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Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis include fatigue, numbness, weakness, vision problems, depression, and walking difficulties. In the United States, more than 350,000 patients

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Let me start off by explaining what MS is. Multiple Sclerosis is when, for reasons scientists are not yet sure of, a person’s immune system attacks the myelin that covers and protects the spinal cord and nerve fibers in your brain. After the myelin is damaged, the nerve fibers then are attacked by the immune system as well. This causes nerve damage, fatigue, vision loss, poor balance, and more unpleasant side effects. Multiple Sclerosis itself isn’t necessarily the cause of death, however, it 's the complications of MS that take a great toll on one’s health.

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Most people that are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis suffer from MS attacks. Just like with the disease, some are worse than others, when an MS attack occurs the symptoms that the person has worsen and can become unbearable. Treatments for MS can aid in speeding up the recovery of attacks and can slow the progression of the disease, the medication that is most commonly used is corticosteroids, an oral prednisone that will reduce nerve inflammation. Plasma exchanges are also used when symptoms are severe and haven’t responded to steroids. The prognosis of a person with Multiple Sclerosis is very positive if managed and good health is maintained, even though there is still no cure for the

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According to Multiple Sclerosis, a pamphlet by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Multiple Sclerosis is caused by the scarring and inflammation of brain and spinal cord tissue (Richert, 1990). This inflammation actually breaks down the myelin of those nerves, which makes it difficult for a nerve cell to send impulses needed for doing simple things like walking or eating. After the myelin has been stripped away it is followed by the hardening of, or sclerosis, of nervous system tissue, which is how the disease gets its name. This illness usually only shortens a person’s life by five years.

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According to Preston, O’Neal and Talaga (2013), other noted side effects include tardive dyskinesia symptoms, which present as uncontrollable movements, lip smacking, and rigid movements. Hypertension, diabetes

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