Living With Multiple Sclerosis
- The son of legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne, Jack, 40, explains his journey to being diagnosed with relapsing‑remitting multiple sclerosis followed an 18‑month period of progressive neurologic symptoms, including prolonged limb numbness, abnormal temperature sensations, and acute vision loss in one eye.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an “immune‑mediated condition,” meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, explains Dr. Lauren Krupp, a neurologist at NYU Langone.
- Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) is the most common form of MS in the U.S., according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It’s marked by sudden flare-ups, new symptoms, or worsening of symptoms and cognitive function. The condition will then go into remission for some time before reemerging with no known warning signs.
- Although MS does not have a cure, common tools such as wheelchairs, canes, leg braces, and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) may improve the quality of life for people living with the disease.
- A study in American Family Physician found that DMTs “have been shown to slow disease progression and disability; options include injectable agents, infusions, and oral medications targeting different sites in the inflammatory pathway.”
He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease of the brain and central nervous system that can cause numbness or tingling in the limbs, fatigue, coordination problems, blurry vision, and an unsteady gait.
He brushed it off at first, assuming he’d pinched a nerve. But when his vision suddenly began to deteriorate, he knew something was seriously wrong.
“Eighteen months later, I went blind in my right eye,” Osbourne said.
An eye doctor urged him to get an MRI, worried his symptoms pointed to something more serious. At the ER, doctors initially wondered whether he’d had a stroke or an aneurysm.
“At that point, I started freaking out because I had a three‑week‑old baby,” Osbourne said.
After further testing, the real cause became clear when he was officially diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
MS occurs when the immune system attacks the protective sheath around nerve fibers in the spinal cord, disrupting communication between the brain and the rest of the body.
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Once that protective barrier is damaged, the body struggles to relay signals to the arms, legs, and other areas needed for normal function.
Osbourne considers himself fortunate in the spectrum of MS experiences.
“I don’t have an aggressive form of it. I have relapsing‑remitting, and I haven’t had a flare‑up,” he said.
Helping Patients Living With Multiple Sclerosis
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- Newly Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis? Understanding Your Treatment Options
Better Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an “immune‑mediated condition,” meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, explains Dr. Lauren Krupp, a neurologist at NYU Langone.
“We’re not exactly sure why that happens,” she tells SurvivorNet, “but it probably has to do with exposure to a virus at some point. In the effort to fight off that virus, the immune system turns against itself and specifically targets a coating of the nerves called myelin.”
Myelin protects nerve fibers in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. When it’s damaged, communication between the brain and the rest of the body becomes disrupted.
Since MS can affect different areas of the brain or spinal cord, Dr. Krupp notes, “the symptoms can vary in location.”
Common symptoms include:
- Numbness or tingling in the face
- Numbness or weakness in the arms or legs
- Vertigo or a spinning sensation
- Blurred or lost vision
- Poor coordination
Symptoms may appear on one side of the body or, when the spinal cord is involved, on both. Numbness can spread and may be accompanied by muscle weakness.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes MS as “an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system” that can range from relatively mild to significantly disabling, depending on how severely communication between the brain and body is affected. Researchers widely consider it an autoimmune disease.
There is currently no cure for MS, but many people manage the condition with medications, steroid treatments, or, in some cases, chemotherapy‑based therapies designed to calm the immune system and slow disease activity.
Learning to Live With MS
Common tools M.S. patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces, and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).
A study in American Family Physician found that DMTs “have been shown to slow disease progression and disability; options include injectable agents, infusions, and oral medications targeting different sites in the inflammatory pathway.”
Research published in Frontiers in Neurology last year says autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) (also called bone marrow transplantation, with autologous meaning a patient’s own cells) used for multiple sclerosis therapy helps “reset the immune system.” Several studies and clinical trials using AHSCT have shown promise.
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“In a meta-analysis of published studies using AHSCT for M.S. treatment, the pooled estimated transplant-related mortality was 2.1%, the two-year disease progression rate was 17.1%, the five-year progression rate of 23.3%, and a pooled 83% of patients had no evidence of disease activity at two years. Patients who had the most benefit and the least mortality rate were patients with relapsing-remitting M.S. (RRMS).”
Additional research published by NEJM Journal Watch says that AHSCT helps MS patients reduce relapses better than other forms of MS treatment.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society outlines the different types of multiple sclerosis:
- Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is when an individual experiences a single neurological episode lasting 24 hours or less. CIS is what M.S. is diagnosed as until there is a second episode.
- Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): The most common M.S. among the million people battling the disease in the U.S., RRMS is marked by sudden flare-ups, new symptoms, or worsening of symptoms and cognitive function. The condition will then go into remission for some time before reemerging with no known warning signs.
- Primary progressive M.S. (PPMS): These individuals have no flare-ups or remission, just a steady decline with progressively worse symptoms and an increasing loss of cognitive and body functions.
- Secondary progressive M.S. (SPMS): This is an almost transitional form of M.S. that progresses from RRMS to PPMS.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are diagnosed with MS or are concerned you have the chronic disease due to symptoms you’re experiencing, consider asking your doctor the following questions.
- Although there’s no cure for MS, which treatment option do you recommend to manage my symptoms?
- Are there any potential side effects of MS treatment?
- What if the treatment to manage symptoms doesn’t work?
- Will exercise or therapy help my symptoms?
- Are there any MS support groups you recommend to help me cope?
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