Changing your medications can be a challenging point in your MS treatment journey. These reasons are important to consider when consulting your doctor and healthcare team.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) medications that modify your disease are essential parts of your treatment, especially for people with relapse-remitting MS (RRMS).

This form of MS can lead to flare-ups that worsen symptoms and may lead to new lesions on your body. That’s why disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) may help slow disease progression and help prevent long-term disability.

But not all of these medications work the same for everyone. That’s why consulting your healthcare team is so important when considering a medication switch or if you’ve recently made a change.

Here are some strong reasons why talking with your doctor can be helpful at this point in your treatment journey with MS.

Not only do you need a prescription from your doctor, but the two of you also need an in-depth discussion about why you need to switch your MS medications.

In many situations, people ask their doctors about switching medications first. But in some cases, MRI testing might show new lesions that their doctor would want to address with new medications.

You might also want to switch because you think your current treatment isn’t working, or perhaps you’re starting to notice side effects.

Other reasons might include a higher burden in taking that DMT versus another type of medication that is equally or even less effective but may allow for a better quality of life.

Determining precisely why you need to switch medications also helps your doctor figure out which is the right type for you. There are various DMTs available, all with different strengths and specific usages.

Some research shows that DMTs are more effective in younger people with MS than older people with MS.

A 2021 study notes that people most often tend to switch MS medications due to the DMT’s results and less often because of risk management or the many other medications available.

Here are MS medications that you might want to discuss with your healthcare team.

Whether you’re about to switch medications or your doctor has recently switched your meds, you’ll want to discuss your symptoms with them during an in-depth health evaluation. They might assess the frequency and severity of:

  • fatigue
  • pain
  • weakness
  • bladder or bowel problems
  • cognitive changes
  • depression

Keeping a symptom diary can help your doctor better understand your symptoms during MS attacks. This is especially important when transitioning to new medications.

Find out more about the different MS symptoms you might experience.

You’ll need to visit your doctor to discuss the risks and side effects associated with MS medications. For example, you’ll likely experience short-term flu-like symptoms when taking any new DMT.

As your body becomes accustomed to the medication, these side effects are likely to improve. However, other side effects may stay, such as:

  • headaches
  • increased fatigue
  • gastrointestinal issues

Certain DMTs, especially more powerful infusions and injections, may even cause changes in your blood and liver cells.

Because medications with stronger disease-modifying agents can affect the way your blood and liver cells work, you’ll need to visit your doctor regularly to make sure your medications aren’t causing these effects.

Blood testing can also help detect high cholesterol, anemia, and other health issues that may arise.

In addition to blood tests, your doctor may also need to see you for occasional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. Increased gamma globulin levels could indicate MS progression.

You might have one of these blood or imaging tests done if you have MS.

The primary goal of RRMS treatment is to prevent the progression of the disease, so you’ll need to see your doctor for regular MRI scans.

These tests for MS look specifically at lesions (plaques) on your spinal cord and in your brain.

While a neurologist uses an MRI test for the initial diagnosis of MS, you’ll still need to follow up with additional tests to learn whether any new lesions have formed. These can indicate disease progression. Taking the test can also let your doctor see how and if your new DMT is working.

If you’ve received DMT injections or taken oral medications and these haven’t worked, your doctor might give you an infusion.

DMT injectable solutions are more powerful than other forms of DMTs. They’re only administered at a doctor’s office. Examples of DMT infusions include:

DMTs are the most talked-about medications for MS. However, many people benefit from taking other medications alongside their DMTs, such as:

  • steroids for severe symptoms caused by increased inflammation
  • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain, such as ibuprofen (Advil)
  • antidepressants for depression or anxiety
  • sleeping aids for insomnia

Whenever your doctor prescribes a new medication, you’ll likely need to see them again within weeks or a few months of starting the new treatment. This is to help ensure the medication works well for you.

While remission is often understood as recovery from a particular disease, it means something different with MS. With MS remission, MS hasn’t gone away — it just isn’t currently causing inflammation and subsequent symptoms.

Even if your MS is in a remission period, you’ll need to visit your doctor for your regularly scheduled appointments. During this time, you may also need to have MRIs or blood tests to detect signs that might otherwise go unnoticed that your MS might be progressing.

Remission doesn’t mean you don’t take action. Staying vigilant about your MS remains crucial at all stages of the disease.

While you’re working with a neurologist for MS treatment, you may also need to work with other types of specialists based on your specific needs and symptoms. Your doctor might refer you to specialists like:

  • an occupational therapist
  • a physical therapist
  • a speech therapist
  • a psychologist or psychiatrist
  • a dietitian

These other specialists may be helpful if you live with MS.

Your primary care doctor and other healthcare professionals are key parts of your journey with MS. That is especially true at times when you may need to switch your medications for whatever reason.

Your care team can help guide you through any changing symptoms and explain how different medications may work for you. They can also discuss other important topics about your condition, including blood work and getting other prescription medications or visiting a specialist with more focused expertise in certain medical areas.