b'Symptom ManagementMS Takes a TeamWhy should you be concerned about accessbe separated from a previous relapse by at to specialists as a person with multiple sclerosis?least 30 days. Not every relapse is treated, and Because of the unique nature, a good treatmentoften, the symptoms will pass on their own. plan must address four key areas: disease Steroids: The most common method of management, relapse management, symptomtreating a relapse is to administer brief management, and general health. Of thesecoursesofintravenous,high-dose four, the rst twodisease management andcorticosteroids. This treatment is designed relapse managementare generally handledto shorten the duration of acute attacks by your neurologist. However, symptomand decrease swelling and inammation management and general health managementin lesions. Steroids do not alter disease willoftenrequireseeingotherspecialists.progression or relapse rate. Lets look at each of the four areas individually. Adrenocorticotropic hormone: ACTH was Disease ManagementFDA-approved specically for treating MS Although there is no cure currently for MS,relapses in 1978. ACTH is recommended for there are disease-modifying treatments thatpeople who have not responded positively decreasethenumberofattacks,slowtheto or cannot tolerate corticosteroids, and worsening of the disease, and decrease thethose whose veins cannot handle infusions. number of lesions on the brain. Early treat- Itisadministeredbyintramuscular ment, beginning at the time of diagnosis, isinjection for a few weeks. essential to minimize the damage MS maySymptom Managementcause.New symptoms may be frightening, will Today, a wide variety of DMTs are available,vary from person to person, and can adversely with different dosing and delivery methods:affect your quality of life. With appropriate injections, infusions, and oral medications.planning and symptom management, a lot can With nearly two dozen treatments available forbe done to alleviate fear, minimize negative people with relapsing forms of MS (and oneeffects, and maintain a good quality of life.approved for both relapsing and progressiveGood symptom management can include MS),ndingthemosteffectivetreatmentmedical, rehabilitative, psychological, and lifestyle may involve trial and error, as it can be difficultapproaches to treatment. The approach will to predict the individual response to a particulardepend on the type of symptom, its severity, medication. Your MS neurologist will discussand several other factors, such as your physical the available options and help you weigh theability and support system. Some symptoms potential benets and risks of each. mightbetreated withacombinationof Relapse Management approaches. For example, treating chronic An MS relapse, also called an exacerbation,fatiguemightinvolvetakingmedication, is a sudden onset of new symptoms or alearningenergyconservationtechniques worsening of old symptoms that were previouslythrough occupational therapy, and making stable. To be considered a relapse, the newlifestyle changes to introduce healthier sleep symptoms must last for at least 24 hours andhabits.msfocusmagazine.org 10'