Current Treatments
BETASERON® (interferon beta-1b) is indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis to reduce the frequency of clinical exacerbations. Patients with multiple sclerosis in whom efficacy has been demonstrated include patients who have experienced a first clinical episode and have MRI features consistent with multiple sclerosis

AVONEX® (Interferon beta-1a) is a 166 amino acid glycoprotein with a predicted molecular weight of approximately 22,500 daltons. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology using genetically engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary cells into which the human interferon beta gene has been introduced. The amino acid sequence of AVONEX® is identical to that of natural human interferon beta.

COPAXONE is the brand name for glatiramer acetate (formerly known as copolymer-1). Glatiramer acetate, the active ingredient of COPAXONE, consists of the acetate salts of synthetic polypeptides, containing four naturally occurring amino acids: L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, L-tyrosine, and L-lysine with an average molar fraction of 0.141, 0.427, 0.095, and 0.338, respectively. The average molecular weight of glatiramer acetate is 5,000 – 9,000 daltons. Glatiramer acetate is identified by specific antibodies.

Rebif® (interferon beta-1a) is a purified 166 amino acid glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 22,500 daltons. It is produced by recombinant DNA technology using genetically engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary cells into which the human interferon beta gene has been introduced. The amino acid sequence of Rebif® is identical to that of natural fibroblast derived human interferon beta. Natural interferon beta and interferon beta-1a (Rebif®) are glycosylated with each containing a single N-linked complex carbohydrate moiety.

Tysabri is a monoclonal antibody that affects the actions of the body's immune system. Monoclonal antibodies are made to target and destroy only certain cells in the body. This may help to protect healthy cells from damage. Tysabri is used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. 		Gilenya™ is a new class of medication called a phingosine 1-phosphate receptormodulator, which is thought to act by retaining certain white blood cells (lympohcytes) in the lymph nodes, thereby preventing those cells from crossing the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system (CNS). Preventing the entry of these cells into the CNS reduces inflammatory damage to nerve cells.

Early Symptoms
The most common early symptoms of MS include:
* Tingling * Numbness
* Loss of balance
* Weakness in one or more limbs
* Blurred or double vision

Less common symptoms of MS may include
* Slurred speech
* Sudden onset of paralysis
* Lack of coordination
* Cognitive difficulties
Listed above, the early symptoms. I tend to be a poster child for these. The symptoms that occur later on are too numerous just to list. There will be a link included that will get you to a site where these symptoms are listed and explained. Keep in mind that someone may have some of these or many of these, there is no way to tell.
Multiple sclerosis statistics show that approximately 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with this disease. The life expectancy for people with multiple sclerosis is nearly the same as for those without MS. Because of this, multiple sclerosis statistics place the annual cost of MS in the United States in the billions of dollars. MS is five times more prevalent in temperate climates -- such as those found in the northern United States, Canada, and Europe -- than in tropical regions. Furthermore, the age of 15 seems to be significant in terms of risk for developing the disease. Some studies indicate that a person moving from a high-risk (temperate) to a low-risk (tropical) area before the age of 15 tends to adopt the risk (in this case, low) of the new area and vice versa. Other studies suggest that people moving after age 15 maintain the risk of the area where they grew up.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

HUMOR THERAPY

“It is my belief, you cannot understand the most serious things in the world unless you understand the most amusing."
-Winston Churchill




For centuries, humor and laughter have been used in some form for medical purposes. In the thirteenth century, humor was used to distract patients during surgery. More recently, Norman Cousins popularized laughter therapy. In 1964, Cousins, who was editor of the Saturday Review, became ill with an unusual condition characterized by pain, fever, lethargy, and generalized weakness. Since he did not improve during his hospitalization, he left the hospital. To develop his own therapy, he reasoned that if negative emotions have negative effects on health, then positive emotions must positively impact health. As a result, he treated himself with laughter by reading humorous books and watching amusing movies and TV shows. He also treated himself with high doses of vitamin C. He slowly recovered and wrote of his experiences in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine and in a book, Anatomy of an Illness. In the last few years, humor therapy was brought to public attention by the movie Patch Adams. In this movie, Robin Williams portrays a real-life physician, Dr. Patch Adams, who believes humor and laughter have healing properties.
Humor therapy involves the use of humor to treat medical conditions. In hospitals, formal humor therapy may occur in specially designed rooms that have supplies such as humorous books and videos. “Laugh Mobiles” and “Comedy Carts,” which also contain amusing books and videos, have been used in some hospitals, and, in some settings, especially children’s hospitals, clowns are “prescribed” to amuse patients. Of course, informal variations of humor therapy may be part of daily life and may easily be done on one’s own.
In addition to its possible therapeutic effects, humor may also facilitate communication in health situations. Health professionals, friends, and family may use humor to aid in communicating to people with a disease, especially during stressful situations. Victor Borge once said, “Humor is the shortest distance between two people.”
Laughter and humor therapy have undergone limited formal scientific investigation. Nevertheless, there is a national organization known as the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, and one nursing journal, the Journal of Nursing Jocularity, is devoted to humor and health. There is actually a term for the study of humor physiology: “gelotology.” Some of the technical descriptions of laughter and smiling written by “gelotologists” are amusing in themselves:
· “Spontaneous laughter is produced by the coordinated contraction of 15 facial muscles in a stereotyped pattern and accompanied by altered breathing.”
· “Smiling involves a complex group of facial movements…the drawing back and slight lifting of the corners of the mouth, the raising of the upper lip, which partially uncovers the teeth, and the curving of the furrows betwixt the corners of the mouth and the nostrils.”
Generally, it is not claimed that humor or laughter cures disease. Rather, it is believed that this form of therapy may relieve various symptoms or help people cope with the effects of a disease. There are limited formal studies of humor in MS. One study of 20 people with MS found that maintaining a sense of humor was one of the most common strategies used to cope with the disease. There are no large published studies of humor therapy for treating MS or its symptoms.
An unusual form of laughter, “pathological laughter,” may occur in some people with MS and other neurologic diseases. With pathological laughter, people laugh especially easily or for no apparent reason. Pathological laughter occurs in a small subgroup of people with MS and generally in those with more severe and long-standing disease. Medications may be helpful in controlling this type of laughter.
Limited studies in other conditions suggest that humor therapy may have therapeutic value for MS-related symptoms. In the case of stress, which may occur in people with MS, humor may provide relief. Several studies indicate that stress-related compounds in the body decrease during times of laughter.
Humor may also alleviate pain, another MS symptom. Laughing is associated with the release of “endorphins,” chemicals that decrease pain. In a study of people with pain due to rheumatoid arthritis, humor was more common in people with higher levels of pain; the researchers concluded that more humor may be needed by those who experience more pain. Another study of pain in rheumatoid arthritis found that humor therapy decreased pain.
One study evaluated the effects of humor therapy in people with spinal cord injuries. This small study did not find any statistically significant benefit with this type of therapy.
Preliminary research indicates that laughter may alter immune system activity. Some of these effects may involve specific immune cells as well as chemicals that act on the immune system, some of which are known as cortisol, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma. Further research is needed in this area to determine if these immune system effects have any impact on the clinical course of immune diseases such as MS.
The exact mechanism by which humor may have health benefits is unclear but may involve some aspect of the mind-body connection. Many studies suggest that one’s mental state has an important influence on one’s health. For example, a recent long-term study at the Mayo Clinic evaluated the effects of optimism and pessimism on health in 839 patients. It was found that those who were pessimistic had a 19% increased risk of mortality. Humor may cultivate optimism and other positive emotions by allowing one to step back from serious or stressful situations and to view them with detachment and objectivity. In this way, humor may, sometimes in a moment, replace feelings of stress, fear, or anger with feelings of relaxation, lightheartedness, or hope.
Laughter and humor therapy carry little risk. One report noted isolated, anecdotal accounts of strokes or heart attacks occurring with laughter. In addition, excessive laughter may be harmful with recent abdominal or pelvic surgery, after rib or shoulder fractures, or with significant breathing conditions such as asthmatic attacks. Emotionally, humor may sometimes be used to hide true feelings. Humor therapy should not be used in lieu of conventional medicine.
In summary, humor and laughter are enjoyable and entertaining approaches to life that may also provide health benefits. Humor may decrease stress, relieve pain, and instill positive and hopeful feelings. All of these effects are of potential benefit to people with MS.
From: The Rocky Mountain MS Center
Posted by Steve at Tuesday, September 29, 2009

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

About Me

My photo
North Grafton, Massachusetts, United States
Well-educated, disabled at this point with Multiple Sclerosis. I am very glad that I was able to do the things that I have been able to do over the years. had to change the picture, this one's more realistic.