Whether You Are A Newly Diagnosed Patient Or A Loved One Of Someone With Multiple Sclerosis, This Book Offers Information And Comfort. Completely Revised And Updated, 100 Questions & Answers About Multiple Sclerosis, Second Edition Provides Authoritative, Practical Answers To The Most Common Questions Asked By Patients. Written By A Leading Specialist In The Treatment Of MS, This Easy-To-Read Book Is A Comprehensive Guide To Understanding Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, And Much More. Including Actual Commentary From Patients, 100 Questions & Answers About Multiple Sclerosis, Second Edition Is An Invaluable Resource For Anyone Coping With The Medical, Psychological, And Emotional Turmoil Of This Disease.
This book was much deeper and "text-bookier" than I need for understanding. In fact, I am still processing this book... wondering why there is such a slant about using steroids... is there an alterior motive? Is this really all fact? Is opinion talking over the fact? But this reading has given me more (educated?) questions to ask my neurologist.
It talks about the negative use of oral and IV steroids... which I have known and have experienced the side effects. However, this book also says that high dose steroids may result in serious muscle damage and that "IV steroids were shown to actually induce the death of brain nerve cells. Another treatment, ACTH - also called corticotrophin - (a treatment I had never heard of until this book), "has the opposite effect" and "have an anbolic (protein building) effect." BUT, "Many neurologists favor the use of steroids as being convenient, disregarding the lack of adequate controlled trials in MS." This book even states that "corticotrophin remains as the only FDA-approved treatment for attacks (relapses) of MS." Really? Then why haven't I heard of it? Why hasn't my doctor mentioned it? Lots of questions... still processing...
Excellent book for the newly diagnosed and their family. It is a very difficult time and this book answers a lot of questions. Anyone with MS that is newly diagnosed, you need to contact the Local MS Society...they are there to help you in any way they can!!!