Clemastine fumarate, an over the counter antihistamine drug used to relieve symptoms of allergies can successfully repair the myelin in people with MS. Yes, it works!
Previous studies found that clemastine fumarate can stimulate differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in vitro, in animal models, and in human cells. Clemastine made the headlines last year, as well, when another study was published.
But now, this October 2017 study is the first randomised controlled trial to document efficacy of a remyelinating drug for the treatment of chronic demyelinating injury in MS.
Ok, so clemastine fumarate is effective. How about its safety ? According to this study, fatigue was reported, but otherwise no serious side effects. The dose used was 5.36 mg orally twice daily. What about the cost ? It is an old generation anti-histamine drug, therefore much cheaper than the current drugs for MS (which are immune-modulating and do not directly promote myelin repair, by the way).
I do expect more great news. While clemastine seems the best choice, several other drugs may help repair the myelin. I will review histamine as a brain neurotransmitter, histamine imbalances in MS, and why some anti-histamine drugs work, their pros and cons-in another article. Decreasing the inflammation and autoimmunity, optimizing the metabolism of sugar , the hormones and mitochondrial function would be very helpful for myelin repair long term, I think.
High percentage (41%) of MS patients have benign course, according to this new study. The authors suggest that a very stable ‘benign’ multiple sclerosis does exist, and was found in 41 % of the participants of the study, who were followed for 30 years.
A case of benign MS means that a person had MS for at least 15 years and had an EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Score) of 3 or less.
Although not everyone agrees with the concept of “benign MS”, I think the result of this study is encouraging. It shows better prognosis compared with what we typically see in the text books. We are talking here about three decades of little physical disabilities or cognitive impairments, and overall better health. Could these numbers change over the following decades ? Hard to tell. What would be very interesting to know if what type of treatment (conventional and/or CAM therapies) were more likely used by individuals who have benign MS.
Having in mind the impact of altered sugar metabolism in MS, I believe that anything that improves insulin sensitivity is very helpful for MS. This study shows that 12 weeks of high intense interval and strength training significantly improves insulin sensitivity (−24%), as well as resting heart rate and 2-h blood glucose concentrations.
Another study exploring the therapeutic potential of curcumin for MS
Cannabis for MS treatment- 3 new studies this month.
Dronabinol (the synthetic form of THC from cannabis) is a safe long-term treatment option for neuropathic pain (tingling and numbness) associated with MS, based on this 16-weeks placebo-controlled phase-III study followed by a 32-weeks open-label period.
Another study suggests that the best evidence(efficacy) for using medical cannabis includes chronic pain, neuropathic pain (tingling and numbness) and spasticity associated with MS.
A third study shows that a combination of THC/CBD spray is effective in improving overactive bladder symptoms in MS.
The brain-gut connection. Autoimmune activation in MS may happen in the intestine, following an interaction of bacterial components of the gut flora with auto-reactive T cells, according to this study.
Helminth therapy : In this study, treatment with Ova from the pig whipworm shows modest benefits for RRMS (positive changes in MRI lesions and immunological profile), and appears to be safe and well tolerated.
Do you receive treatment with Methylprednisolone? Consider improving your melatonin levels. According to this research paper, treatment with corticosteroids can cause melatonin deficiency, which would explain insomnia and other sleep problems associated with corticosteroid therapy.
