Over-the-counter pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like Aleve (naproxen) and Advil (ibuprofen), can treat musculoskeletal pain and headaches common with MS. These medications can relieve pain and lower inflammation in the body, which can also help with the pain associated with MS.
Interferon beta medications.
These drugs used to be the most prescribed medications to treat MS . They work by interfering with diseases that attack the body and may decrease inflammation and increase nerve growth. They are injected under the skin or into muscle and can reduce the frequency and severity of relapses.
Vitamins that seem of particular interest to people with MS include vitamin D, the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hormone, or chemical messenger, in the body.
Treatment: Your doctor may recommend pain relievers and drugs to ease muscle spasms. They may prescribe muscle relaxers, such as baclofen, tizanidine, or diazepam, or recommend spinal infusion pumps of muscle relaxers or pain medication. Even Botox shots can help by temporarily paralyzing a muscle or nerve.
Tylenol® (acetaminophen), or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil® (ibuprofen), may be helpful in managing a variety of types of musculoskeletal pain.
People with multiple sclerosis can incorporate natural therapies into their health protocol in order to reduce inflammatory chemicals and reduce blood-brain-barrier disruption. Some of the most potent natural therapies to achieve these goals include resveratrol, vitamin D, fish oil, and a healthy diet.
This will usually be either baclofen or gabapentin, although there are alternative medicines, such as tizanidine, diazepam, clonazepam and dantrolene.
In some cases, medication can help treat sensory symptoms. Neuropathic (nerve) pain may respond to anticonvulsant drugs, such as Neurontin (gabapentin) or Lyrica (pregabalin), Lublin says. Antidepressants are also sometimes used to treat some types of nerve pain, such as burning and tingling, per the NMSS.
In MS , the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.
There are no medications to relieve numbness. Fortunately, most instances of numbness are not disabling, and tend to come and go. In some cases of a new onset of severe numbness, associated with a MS relapse, your healthcare provider may prescribe a brief course of corticosteroids to accelerate recovery.
Magnesium is often prescribed for nocturnal leg cramps or general muscle cramps, and some healthcare providers suggest it can be used to ease the muscle spasms of MS.
Supplements that stimulate the immune system should be avoided in high doses. Those include selenium, zinc, B1, B2, folic acid, B6, vitamin A, biotin, magnesium, copper, and manganese. The effectiveness of these is not supported by studies in MS.
The symptoms of a relapse may disappear altogether, with or without treatment, although some symptoms often persist, with repeated attacks happening over several years. Periods between attacks are known as periods of remission. These can last for years at a time.
What causes exacerbations? Exacerbations (relapses) are caused by inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). The inflammation damages the myelin, slowing or disrupting the transmission of nerve impulses and causing the symptoms of MS.
MS providers sometimes administer diphenhydramine or another antihistamine as a precaution to help reduce the likelihood or severity of an infusion reaction with MS treatment. Antihistamines are drugs that block histamine — a chemical made by white blood cells.
While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.
Here's where MS (typically) starts
Although a number of MS symptoms can appear early on, two stand out as occurring more often than others: Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache.
Our brains have the incredible ability to repair myelin. But, with age and repeated attacks, this stops working so well. And as MS progresses, disability accumulates because nerves are permanently lost.
How long does MS numbness and tingling last? For most people with MS, the numbness only lasts for a short period of time and will go away naturally. In severe cases, the numbness can affect your mobility, but there are many things you can do to help.
Vitamins B-1, B-6, and B-12 have been found to be especially beneficial for treating neuropathy. Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine, helps to reduce pain and inflammation and vitamin B-6 preserves the covering on nerve endings.
Numbness or Tingling
A lack of feeling or a pins-and-needles sensation can be the first sign of the nerve damage from MS. It usually happens in the face, arms, or legs, and on one side of the body. It also tends to go away on its own.
Siponimod (Mayzent) was approved by the FDA in 2019. This tablet is taken orally and approved for relapsing-remitting and secondary-progressive forms of MS . It's an immune-modulating therapy that helps reduce both relapses and progression of disability.
"Anti-inflammatory therapy shows promise in slowing progression of multiple sclerosis: Study shows using intranasal delivery method may reduce inflammation in the brain." ScienceDaily.
The evidence leads to the conclusion that inflammation is tightly regulated, and that its net effect may be beneficial in MS, thus explaining some of the results from recent trials of anti-inflammatory agents. We argue that the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat MS may not be appropriate in all cases.