RealTalk MS

You've just had your appointment with your neurologist or MS Specialist and you're on your way home, feeling like you weren't heard. Maybe there wasn't sufficient time. Or it might feel like your opinion simply isn't valued. Your frustration could even be the result of language issues and cultural barriers that make communication difficult. Whatever the reason, it doesn't have to be this way. Dr....

If you remember your Economics 101 class, the introduction of generic and biosimilar drugs should cause prices to drop. Yet, when it comes to MS disease-modifying therapies that isn't always the case.  MS Navigator Robin LaRue joins me this week to discuss how to manage the sometimes crazy costs of MS prescription medications. We're also sharing results from a study that show there is absolutely n...

This is the week that a lot of us make resolutions for the coming year. And I'm hoping that after you hear my conversation with Dr. Claire Riley, many of you will resolve to become donors to the National Multiple Sclerosis Brain Bank. Resolving to donate brain and tissue to the National MS Brain Bank is a new year's resolution that goes far beyond the standard eat better and exercise more promises...

This week, I'm revisiting the proposal from the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS that recommended adopting a new framework that leverages what scientists are continuing to learn about MS and redefines how we talk about MS, how we research MS, how we diagnose MS, and how we treat MS. This proposed framework holds the promise of taking MS care to the next level. This new fra...

The holiday season provides me with an opportunity to indulge in what's become a RealTalk MS tradition. I reserve the last two episodes of the year to revisit the most compelling,and important conversations that I've had over the past year. This week, I'm revisiting the conversations I had at the Pathways To Cures Global Summit that took place in New York last May.  The National MS Society brought...

This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and is only intended for a U.S. audience. EMD Serono is the healthcare business of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the United States and Canada. In this special episode of RealTalk MS, we're exploring what the invisible symptoms of MS are, and how to best empower people living with MS to talk about them with their healthcare team....

Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis, affecting more than half of the people living with MS. While cognitive issues like changes in memory, difficulty maintaining attention, slower information processing speed and executive function may not be among the most disabling symptoms of MS, they may be among the most disconcerting symptoms. Whether it's your short-term memory,...

A growing number of people living with MS are turning to cannabis for symptom management. But which MS symptoms have responded to being treated with cannabis? Where should someone buy medical cannabis? And is using medical cannabis even legal? Dr. Michelle Cameron returns to the podcast to discuss the risks and benefits of using cannabis for symptom management. Dr. Cameron is a neurologist and phy...

Chris Holland had a successful career working as a paralegal when he was diagnosed with MS in 2004. And, while everyone reacts differently to being diagnosed with MS, no one could have predicted what happened next, as Chris lost everything battling demons he never imagined he would ever face.  But it would be a mistake betting against Chris Holland's resilience. Bouncing back, Chris decided to pur...

According to the CDC, 36 million falls are reported each year, resulting in 3 million adults being transported to the Emergency Room and 32,000 adults dying from their falls. Studies have shown that, in any six-month period, more than 50% of the people living with MS fall at least once, and 30% fall multiple times. As falls at home are common, occupational therapist Tracy Carrasco joins me to shar...

MS is misdiagnosed too often, which leaves some people who  don't have MS receiving expensive disease-modifying therapy that they don't need, while leaving other people who do have MS still not receiving treatment with a disease-modifying therapy that will slow disability progression and preserve their quality of life longer. My guest, Dr. Andrew Solomon, is the lead author of a paper published by...

More than 70,000 U.S. veterans are living with MS. That's why the only federal funding specifically earmarked for MS research comes from the U.S. Department of Defense. It's why the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has established the Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence. And it's why, in 2019, the National MS Society established a strategic partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans...

Rachel Horne is a journalist who was diagnosed with MS in 2009. Since then, Rachel has developed a first-hand understanding of the knowledge gaps that remain when it comes to understanding the impact of MS on women's health and the impact of women's health issues on MS.  As Rachel reviewed MS research, she also observed that when it came to acknowledging outstanding MS research, it was rare that a...

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2023 combined ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting in Milan was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Robert Motl.  Dr. Motl...

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2023 combined ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting in Milan was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Daniel Ontaneda.  Dr....

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2023 combined ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting in Milan was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Annette Langer-Gould. ...

With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2023 combined ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting in Milan was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Anthony Feinstein.  Dr...

This week, we're sharing more from the 2023 joint ECTRIMS ( European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis ) and ACTRIMS ( Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis ) annual meeting. What if we could identify MS before anyone experienced any of the typical clinical symptoms? Would treating that person with a high-efficacy disease-modifying therapy pre...

With about 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2023 combined ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting in Milan was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Jiwon Oh.  Dr. Oh is a neu...

Last week, more than 9,000 MS research scientists and clinicians from more than 110 countries traveled to Milan to attend the largest MS research conference in the world, the 2023 joint ECTRIMS ( European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis ) and ACTRIMS ( Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis ) annual meeting. In keeping with a RealTalk MS trad...

We've been using the same MS clinical course descriptors (relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, and primary progressive) for almost three decades. As research has provided so much additional information and insight, is it time to update the way we describe, diagnose, and treat MS? The International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis has established a working group to...

In this episode of RealTalk MS, we're talking about what you should be talking about with your neurologist or MS Specialist. Shared decision-making is a key component of patient-centered health care. It's a process in which clinicians and patients work together to make evidence-based decisions on tests, treatments, and care plans that balance risks and expected outcomes with patient preferences an...

RealTalk MS is now 6 years old! We've covered a lot of ground in more than 300 episodes over the past 6 years. And I'm marking our 6-year anniversary by highlighting the most impactful conversations we've had in each of the past 6 years. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://re...

It's not unusual to see sex and intimacy become unintended and unnecessary collateral damage in the day-to-day-challenges of living with MS. But it doesn't have to be that way. Madelyn Esposito, LPC, NCC, CST, joins me to discuss some of the common sexual problems faced by people living with MS, ways to maintain intimacy in your relationships, and tips for maintaining a healthy sex life. Kristine...

Just a couple of weeks ago, the FDA approved the first biosimilar medication for treating MS. As generics and now, biosimilars, become more available, it seems like the right time for us to get clear on the similarities and differences between generics, biosimilars, and the name-brand drugs that they mimic.  Dr. Jiwon Oh joins me to explain everything you need to know to be an informed medical con...