What drug treatments are available for MS and its symptoms?

Below is a table of drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis and its symptoms. It only lists drug therapies and does not deal with other forms of therapy - I shall address these in a later section.

The previous section lists the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

It is vital that you are prescribed and take any of these medications in consultation with a fully qualified medical practioner who is familiar with your case history. Many of these drugs have potentially serious side-effects especially in combination with other medications.

The list is by no means complete and new treatments are being researched and coming into use all the time. It should be emphasised that none of these drugs are a "cure" for either MS nor for any of its symptoms. The only medications available at the moment either slow down the course of the disease at best or are palliative on its symptoms.

Very often, the "manufacturer" links in the table take you through to the specific manufacturer's data on each treatment. [The table is still being built and many of the internal links will take you to a blank page - please bear with me as I complete this project.]
 
 

ABC Treatments
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Relapsing-Remitting MS, Secondary Progressive MS with relapses	Interferon Beta 1a	30 mcg intramuscular once per week self-injection	Avonex	Biogen
		44 mcg subcutaneous 3 times per week self-injection	Rebif	Ares-Serono
	Interferon Beta 1b	Subcutaneous self-injection once every two days	Betaseron	Berlex
			Betaferon	Schering
Relapsing-Remitting MS	Glatiramer Acetate	20mg subcutaneous daily self-injection	Copaxone	Teva-Marion
Chemotherapeutic Agents
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Secondary Progressive MS, Worsening Relapsing-Remitting MS	Mitoxantrone	Intravenous every 3 months for about 2 to 3 years	Novantrone	Immunex
Potential, unlicensed treatments for Secondary Progressive MS and Worsening Relapsing-Remitting MS	Azathioprine	Anti-cancer treatments - currently unlicensed for use with MS	Imuran	Glaxo-Smith-Kline
	Cyclophosphamide	Anti-cancer treatments - currently unlicensed for use with MS	Cytoxan, Neosar	Bristol-Myers Squibb
	Cyclosporine	Anti-cancer treatments - currently unlicensed for use with MS	Sandimmune	Novartis Pharma
	Methotrexate	Anti-cancer treatments - currently unlicensed for use with MS	generic	Mylan
	Cladribine	Anti-cancer treatments - currently unlicensed for use with MS	Leustatin
Corticosteroids & ACTH
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Acute relapses in Relapsing-Remitting MS and occasionally Secondary Progressive MS	MethylPrednisolone	Intravenous high doses tapered off	Depo-Medrol
			Solu-Medrol	Pharmacia
	Prednisone	Oral administration	Deltasone	Pharmacia
	Prednisolone	Intravenous administration	Delta-Cortef	Pharmacia
	Dexamethasone	Oral administration	Medrol	Pharmacia
			Decadron	Merck
	Adreno-corticotrophic Hormone (ACTH), Corticotropin	Use largely replaced by synthetic corticosteroids	Acthar	Roche, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer
Pain/Altered Sensation (Dysaesthesia)
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Neuropathic/neurogenic pain (pain that arises from nerve dysfunction and not as a result of injury e.g. Trigeminal Neuralgia)	Carbamazepine	Anti-convulsant	Tegretol, Epitol, Atretol, Carbatrol	Ciba
	Gabapentin	Anti-convulsant	Neurontin	Pfizer
	Topiramate	Anti-convulsant	Topamax	Ortho-McNeil
	Zonisamide	Anti-convulsant	Zonegran	Elan
	Phenytoin		Dilantin
	Desipramine		Norpramin
	Amitriptyline	Tricyclic antidepressant	Elavil	AstraZeneca
	Imipramine	Tricyclic antidepressant	Tofranil, Imavate, Janimine	Ciba Geigy
	Doxepin	Tricyclic antidepressant	Sinequan, Adapin, Triadapin, Zonalon
	Protriptyline	Tricyclic antidepressant	Vivactil
	Cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids	Illegal in many parts of the world	Marinol
Pain associated with poor circulation	Pentoxifylline		Trental
'flu-like symptoms associated with Beta Interferon injections	Ibprofen		Neurofen
			US versions
	Aspirin		generic
	Acetaminophen	Often formulated with alkaloid pain killers like codeine and hydrocodone	generic
Paroxysmal itching	Hydroxyzine		Atarax
Depression/Anxiety/Insomnia
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Depression without anxiety	Fluoxetine	SSRI	Prozac	Eli Lilly
Mild anxiety, panic attacks, people on multiple medications	Sertraline	SSRI	Zoloft	Pfizer
			Lustral	Pfizer
Moderate depression, anxiety, people for whom other antidepressants don't work	Venlafaxine	SSRI	Effexor XR	Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
Depression with mild anxiety	Citalopram	SSRI	Celexa	Forest Pharmaceuticals
Depression with mild anxiety	Parocetine	SSRI	Paxil, Seroxat	Glaxo-Smith-Kline
Depression also agoraphobia,  insomnia,  essential tremor, some pain syndromes	Trazodone	Similar to SSRIs - works by increasing the amount of serotonin	Desyrel,  Trialodine	Pharmacia
Depression	Amitriptyline	Tricyclic antidepressant	Elavil	AstraZeneca
Endogenous depression	Nortriptyline	Tricyclic antidepressant	Pamelor	Novartis
			Aventyl	Eli Lilly
Depression	Imipramine	Tricyclic antidepressant	Tofranil, Imavate, Janimine	Ciba Geigy
Depression particularly when accompanied by anxiety and insomnia	Dothiepin	Tricyclic antidepressant	Prothiaden	Knoll Pharmaceuticals
Depression of varying severity with coexisting anxiety	Lofepramine	Tricyclic antidepressant	Gamanil	Organon
Anxiety, neurosis, manic depression	Doxepin	Tricyclic antidepressant	Sinequan, Adapin, Triadapin, Zonalon
All types of depression, apathety, withdrawl	Protriptyline	Tricyclic antidepressant	Vivactil
Moderate to severe depression	Tranylcypromine	Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)	Parnate	Glaxo-Smith-Kline
Depression particularly when accompanied by social phobia	Moclobemide	Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)	Manerix, Aurorix	Roche
Withdrawn, depression-related fatigue, concentration and attention problems, depression-related sexual dysfunction	Bupropion	Aminoketone antidepressant	Wellbutrin SR	Glaxo-Smith-Kline
			Amfebutamone
Depression with significant anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, sexual dysfunction	Nefazodone	Phenylpiperazine antidepressant	Serzone	Bristol-Myers Squibb
Depression with insomnia, moderate to severe anxiety, sexual dysfunction	Mirtazapine	Piperazino-azepine antidepressant	Remeron	Organon
Insomnia	Zolpidem	Imidazopyridine	Ambien	Pharmacia
Anxiety - not indicated if primary complaint is depression	Alprazolam	Benzodiazepine - addictive	Xanax	Pharmacia & Upjohn
Insomnia, Anxiety	Temazepam	Benzodiazepine - addictive	Restoril	Novartis
Anxiety, Insomnia, muscle relaxant	Diazepam	Benzodiazepine - addictive	Valium	Roche
Anxiety	Buspirone	Azaspirodecanedione	BuSpar	Bristol-Myers Squibb
Fatigue
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Multiple sclerosis fatigue. Also dystonia and akathisia	Amantadine	Anti-viral	Symmetrel	Endo Pharmaceuticals
Fatigue	Pemoline	Central Nervous System stimulant	Cylert
	Modafinil		Provigil
Urinary Problems
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Urinary Frequency and Urgency	Oxybutynin		Ditropan XL
	Desmopressin, Vasopressin	Nasal spray	DDAVP
Urinary Urgency and Incontinence	Tolterodine		Detrol
	Carbamazepine	Anti-convulsant	Tegretol, Epitol, Atretol, Carbatrol	Ciba
	Imipramine		Tofranil
	Bethane		Urecholine
Urinary Hestitancy	Phenoxybenzamine		Dibenzyline
	Terazosin		Hytrin
Spastic Bladder	Propantheline	Anticholinergic agent	Pro-Banthine
	Oxybutynin	Anticholinergic agent	Ditropan
	Hyoscyamine	Anticholinergic agent	Urispas
			Cystopas
	Baclofen	Sceletal muscle relaxant	Lioresal
	Diazepam	Benzodiazepine - addictive	Vallium
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)	Methenamine		Hiprex
			Mandelamine
	Nitrofurantoin		Macrodantin
	Phenazopyridine		Pyridium
	Ciprofloxacin		Cipro
Bowel Problems
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Constipation	Bisacodyl	Stimulant laxative	Dulcolax
			Bisacolax
	Magnesium hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia)	Hyperosmotic laxative	generic
	Glycerin	Hyperosmotic laxative, suppository	Sani-Supp
	Psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid	Bulk-forming oral laxative	Metamucil
	Sodium phosphate		Fleet Enema
	Docusate	Stool Softener	Colace
		Suppository	Therevac Plus
Sexual Dysfunction
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Erectile dysfunction in men and women	Sildenafil		Viagra
Erectile dysfunction	Alprostadil	Suppository	Prostin VR
			MUSE
	Papaverine	Injection into penis
Spasticity/Clonus/Muscle Tics
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Spasticity	Diazepam	Benzodiazepine	Valium
	Clonazepam	Benzodiazepine	Klonopin
			Rivotril
	Baclofen	Sceletal muscle relaxant	Lioresal
	Dantrolene sodium	Sceletal muscle relaxant	Dantrium
	Tizanidine	Sceletal muscle relaxant	Zanaflex	Elan
			Sirdalud
	Clonidine	Antihypertensive	Catapres
	Botulinum Toxin	Kills Nerves	Botox, Neurobloc	, Elan
Tremor
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Postural tremor	Clonazepam		Klonopin
			Rivotril
	Gabapentin		Neurontin
		Beta blockers
	Primidone		Mysoline
	Botulinum toxin	Kills Nerves
	Acetazolamide		Diamox
Rest tremor	Levodopa­carbidopa		Sinemet
		anticholinergics
Tremor	Isoniazid		Laniazid
			Nydrazid
Vertigo, Nausea, Dizziness
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Vertigo, Nausea, Dizziness	Meclizine		Antivert
			Bonamine
	Dimenhydrinate		Dramamine
	Prochlorperazine		Compazine
	Scopolamine		Transderm
	Diphenhydramine		Benedryl
Anti-virals/Vaccinations
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Prevention of Relapses	'flu jabs	Now recommended for people with MS	N/A	N/A
	Acyclovir
Other Treatments/Experimental Medications
Condition/Symptom	Generic Name	Comments	Brand Name	Manufacturer
Relaspsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis and possibly Secondary Progressive MS	Natalizumab	Monoclonal antibody - blocks access for  lymphocytes to the  central nervous system	Antegren	Elan/Biogen
Relaspsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis and Secondary Progressive MS	Alemtuzumab	Monoclonal antibody - kills T Cells	Campath-1H	Schering/Millennium Pharmaceuticals/ILEX Oncology
	4-aminopyridine	Blockspotassium channels in neurons which may improve nerve transmission in MS	Fampridine	Elan/Accorda
	3,4 Diaminopyridine	Blocks potassium channels in neurons which may improve nerve transmission in MS
	Eliprodil	Might promote remyelination
	IV Immunoglobin	Reduces severity of viral infections	Gammagard, Gammar-IV, Gamimune N, Iveegam, Panglobulin, Sandoglobulin, Venoglobulin
		May reduce severity of relapses	AnergiX-MS	Anergen
Neuropathic pain	Pregabalin	Concerns raised over safety because of tumours in mice		Pfizer
Chronic pain	Ziconotide	Non-opioid, calcium channel blocker		Elan/Neurex