What treatment should be given for multiple sclerosis at the present time?
Ramo-Tello, C.; León-Colombo, T.
Revista de Neurologia 30(10): 993-995
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0210-0010 PMID: 10919203 Document Number: 520425
This communication aims to describe an approach suitable for the general neurologist or neurologist specialized in treating other disorders, to the current treatment of multiple sclerosis. We discuss the treatments for recovery from the symptoms of an acute attack and those which modify the natural course of the illness (reduce the frequency and severity of attacks and/or prevent their progression). The attacks are treated with corticosteroids or ACTH. Both treatments have been shown on clinical trials to cause rapid improvement of the acute symptoms of an attack. In the progressive forms, the usefulness of high doses of corticosteroids has not been shown. Nor is there evidence that long term corticosteroid treatment, either daily or monthly, is of use in reducing the number of attacks or progression of the disease, although serious side-effects have been seen. At the moment, the interferons are the most popular treatment for multiple sclerosis. They have been the first drugs to modify the course of the disorder. Finally, we describe some of the most generally used treatments and some under investigation, although they are not widely used since it is still not clear exactly how they affect the course of the disease.