Multiple Sclerosis

In the Spotlight | More Topics |

from Julie Stachowiak, Ph.D. I hope you are all doing well. As for me, I feel like I am engaged in a battle with the medicine that is supposed to be helping me. I have forgotten a dose of Provigil this week and run out of Copaxone before receiving my shipment. I am noticing every side effect, being angry that these meds are not "magic bullets" that fix everything that ails me, and just feeling "snarky" about the situation as a whole. All of these things have led to less-than-perfect adherence this week. Adherence to a treatment means taking it as prescribed - not missing a dose, not taking doses too close together, taking the full dose, and other things that gets just the right amount of medicine in your body to give it the best chance of working. Why is it sometimes easier to be adherent than others? I know that some weeks go by where I never miss an injection (despite potential obstacles), I always give it at the right time of day, and the injection site reactions don't bother me as much. Other weeks (like this one), I find myself cleaning out the refrigerator looking for a stray syringe that has to be there because I didn't order refills in time, I feel extra itchy from my injection sites, and I feel a little sorry for myself that a former "needlephobe" has to endure a daily stick. I find that those are the weeks that my injection schedule varies and sometimes I even have to get out of bed and give myself an injection because I simply forgot to do it at my usual time. Read the first article below to see what I found out about why sometimes the treatments are just part of life, and other times they seem like unnecessary self-inflicted pain and annoyance. Take care of yourselves, stay cool and try to find something positive about each day (I'm going to get right on that myself).

In the Spotlight

Role of Beliefs in Adherence to MS Treatment There are many things that can interfere with being 100% adherent, such as forgetting to take your medicine, relying on someone else to give you an injection or not refilling your prescription in time and running out of medicine (as I write this, I am fretting because I think I miscounted my Copaxone syringes and will run out one day before my next shipment arrives). While I often blame cognitive impairment for missing shot time, it turns out that our emotions and beliefs play a big role in adherence to disease-modifying medications for MS. Research shows that if you believe in the treatment, trust your doctor and have hope for the future, you are much more likely to stay on your meds. My plan today is to get an attitude adjustment and think about how "lucky" I am to have treatment that was not available just 15 years ago. Then I guess I'll call my neurologist's office to see if he has a spare Copaxone syringe that I can use... after I check in the vegetable crisper. Read the full article Adherence Tips for Multiple Sclerosis Treatments More Topics Balance Dogs for MS Talking About Your MS MS Hug MS and Pregnancy Provigil for MS Fatigue Symptoms of MS Diagnosis of MS Get Ready for Infusions I would like to add one of my own theories to the ideas about adherence covered in the article above. I think that if we feel like we are in control of a situation, it sometimes makes discomfort a little easier to bear. One thing that most of us with MS have to deal is getting stuck with needles. While giving yourself injections can be very challenging, at least you are in control of the situation and can try different things to make the injections go more smoothly. Infusions, however, pose a different problem. You are pretty much at the mercy of the person inserting the needle, and your infusion experience largely depends on their expertise, length of time doing this job, exhaustion level at the time and whether they had a fight with their mother on the phone right before seeing you. However, the "quality" of your veins, thickness and color of your skin and other physical things about you also play a role in how easy the needle will go in. I have compiled a short list of tips from readers on things that they do to ensure that their veins are at their best before an infusion, whether it is for Solu-Medrol, Tysabri, Novantrone, gadolinium or anything else going in intravenously. These tips also help blood draws go more smoothly. Read the full article Prepare Your Veins (and Your Mind) for Infusions Make MRIs Better, Too... Multiple sclerosis brings more fun than just getting stuck with needles. I used to dread the two-hour MRI scans that we all have to deal with as members of the MS club. While I don't exactly love them now, I have figured out some things that at least eliminate some of the indignity and discomfort. Read the full article Tips to Optimize Your MRI Experience