If you could ask ONE question to an MS e... - My MSAA Community

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If you could ask ONE question to an MS expert on our My MSAA Community, which topic would best illustrate this?

johnMSAA profile imagejohnMSAAPartner103 Voters
29
Safety and efficacy of newly-approved treatments for MS
20
Cognitive therapy for MS
16
Different types of MS and their subtle differences
16
General body pain and MS
13
Dieting and MS
5
Insomnia's connection to MS
2
Chronic migraines and MS
2
Melatonin use for MS
13 Replies
tombouy46 profile image
tombouy46

Do you ever feel there's to many m.s. drugs on the market. You and your doc have way to many to choose from. I'll bet the majority of drugs do the same.

AmN1n0 profile image
AmN1n0 in reply to tombouy46

The only effect none have is a cure

itasara profile image
itasara in reply to tombouy46

Copaxone and maybe the new generic knock off are the only ones of all the others that has a different makeup and pathway than the others. And now Teva is fighting lawsuits and it has lost 4 now to keep new generics off the market b/c Teva is losing money. It is all about business and money and not the patient.

Good_enough profile image
Good_enough

More a question of efficacy . .. does the research back up the drug/s? They are so expensive that I become skeptical that the drug companies and doctors are pushing the usage with money making as a motive.

aquarius67 profile image
aquarius67 in reply to Good_enough

I feel the same way. I wonder if like the fda is making money on it. There are so many drug commercials

itasara profile image
itasara in reply to aquarius67

There is not enough in fact no competition as far as price of different MS drugs is concerned, so I don't know why they bother to advertise anyway. I don't see TV commercials I don't think but they are in MS magazines.

itasara profile image
itasara in reply to Good_enough

I imagine that some of the cost goes to those who cannot afford it, but no one asked me if that is why I want to pay so much, if indeed that is what some of the money goes to. Who decides on these retail prices? Why have they kept going up in cost?

itasara profile image
itasara in reply to itasara

Also they hire a lot of personnel, like nurses and they run programs like free dinners and then I don't know who pays for those specialty pharmacies but someone must contribute. When I first started on Copaxone there was no such thing as a specialty pharmacy. It is another middle level that must be paid. I'm sure it isn't easy to run such a big enterprise but it is still a lot of money that individuals have to pay for an insurance policy that comes with a risk because we may still get worse regardless of all the money spent on medication.

BubbaJohn profile image
BubbaJohn

I think the pharmacy drug companies should not be allowed to advertise their drugs. How many patients diagnose them self and go to their doctors and demand these drugs and then suffer the consequences of side effects which can lead to death. Drug prices have completely gone out of control. Copaxone when I started in November 2001 was 4,300.00. Now Copaxone is 7,800.00 and the drug has not changed. There is no justification for this kind of inflation except that it is greed.

itasara profile image
itasara in reply to BubbaJohn

In fact with Copaxone 3x/wk (as opposed to 20mg 7x/wk,) we get a lot less materials and the amount of total medication is 20mg less/week. But then it isn't about how much supplies we use as it is about something else.. not sure what.. maybe avoidance of competition? and on medicare I don't know that pricing differences is even allowed. It's just expensive.

Fancy1959 profile image
Fancy1959

JohnMSAA, it's Fancy1959. What a great poll you have designed. You have taken the questions that people asked to our various post and combined them all in this poll! As always thank you for your support and your guidance and your assistance in matters of importance!

johnMSAA profile image
johnMSAAPartner in reply to Fancy1959

Thanks! Thought this would be a good start for everyone, plus a good way to gauge some potential topics for our MS expert.

Great feedback so far for our AMA "Ask Me Anything"!

- John, MSAA

Chelb profile image
Chelb

Herbs? Why not herbs? Does anybody have any knowledge about or experience in treating MS Pt's with herbs?