Starting MS treatment early can stop or slow the progression of the disease before it causes serious disability or worsening symptoms. Your doctor can help determine which treatment is right for you.
Many people may find it challenging to decide when to begin treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). Faced with few symptoms and the prospect of side effects from medication, many people choose to delay medical intervention.
However, MS is a lifelong condition. Starting treatment early can have a positive impact by potentially slowing the progression of the disease.
Discuss the condition with your doctor to arrive at the best plan for your short- and long-term well-being.
Your nerves are vital for all body parts to communicate with the brain. These nerves are protected by a fatty substance called
MS is characterized in part by your immune system’s attack on myelin. The nerves are vulnerable to damage as the myelin degrades.
Scarring, or lesions, can appear on the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. Over time, communication between the brain and the body breaks down.
About 85% of people with MS have relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). These individuals experience attacks of MS symptoms followed by a period of remission.
Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) can reduce the severity and frequency of attacks by acting on the body’s immune system. In turn, these medications reduce the amount of neurological damage from MS.
DMTs can reduce your risk of developing secondary progressive MS (SPMS). But even if you start treatment later, DMTs may still benefit active SPMS.
Several years after diagnosis, RRMS can turn into SPMS, which doesn’t have periods of remission.
DMTs were previously thought to be ineffective for SPMS. But
Additionally, one 2023 study found that of 580 people treated, those who were treated with a DMT within 6 months of their first episode of MS had a:
- 45% lower risk of developing moderate disability compared with those treated after 16 months
- 60% lower risk of developing SPMS compared with those treated after 16 months
Side effects of DMTs
Although potentially effective, DMTs come with side effects and risks. These can range from relatively mild flu-like symptoms and irritation at the injection site to a greater risk of cancer.
It’s important to discuss these risks with your doctor to fully understand and weigh your options.
Left untreated, MS causes substantial disability in 80 to 90% of people after 20 to 25 years of the disease.
Diagnosis typically occurs between 20 and 50, so it’s important to consider treating the disease and stopping its activity as early as possible to improve your quality of life and long-term health.
No medication can repair the damage already caused by MS, which is why you may want to seek treatment early on. You have the best chance of delaying or avoiding worsening MS symptoms or disabilities the earlier you start.
Starting treatment early generally provides the best chance of slowing the progression of MS, but starting later can still be beneficial.
Early treatment reduces the inflammation and damage to the nerve cells that cause your disease to worsen.
Early treatment with DMTs specifically and other therapies for symptom management may also reduce pain and help you better manage your condition.
Speak with your doctor to learn more about the benefits of early treatment.