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October 16, 2021 - A Big Deal For The MS Community

So I want to share something exciting with you all that is a big deal for the MS community. If my dear friends have friends that are Newly diagnosed, you could help them. 

So I was diagnosed last year with Multiple Sclerosis. I have so far tried 4 different MS medications.

#1 was Copaxone which is on the weak side of the totem pole. #2 was Tecfidera which made me so sick from the side effects. #3 was Vulmerity which is just a hair better than Tecfidera and which I technically failed since I relapsed on it. Vumerity was also denied by my insurance which is why I sought other treatment. Tecfidera and Vumerity are good treatments but not the best. I handled Vumerity better than Tecfidera but 1 month after taking that I was put on #4 Rituxan which is considered a highly effective effective MS drug. The big guy. One of the best.

Well a study was recently published that basically says that taking a highly effective drug modifying therapy (like Rituxan aka rituximab) slows disease progression by a lot! It's a really big deal because 15 years ago they were giving out the least effective medications and 25 years ago they didn't have meds that worked at all for MS.

I'm so excited about it and I know it's a bit early. Especially since I just got the Rituxan infusion but it definitely shows progress and that's what we need and want. See below for links.


Study of early highly effective DMTs

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2783261


https://youtu.be/xrBiQudO01A 


Rituximab therapy outperforms others

https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/news-posts/2021/10/13/ectrims2021-rituximab-first-line-rrms-therapy-outperforms-other-medications/?utm_source=MS&utm_campaign=917976a3f1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_US&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5fb7a3dae-917976a3f1-74251521

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