Ibudilast? Anyone familiar?

[Doxytoo]

I ran across this this morning and wondered if anyone knew more about this drug? My neuro is on the fence on whether I'm RRMS or SPMS with relapses.

pollen.com/allergy/news/737...

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A drug that has long been used in Japan for asthma may slow down brain shrinkage in people with progressive multiple sclerosis, a preliminary trial has found.

The study, published Aug. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine, tested an oral drug called ibudilast. It is not approved in the United States, but has been used for years in Japan as a treatment for asthma and for vertigo in stroke survivors.

Researchers found that the drug slowed brain shrinkage by 48 percent when compared with an inactive placebo among patients with progressive MS.

[greaterexp]

I haven't heard of it, so thanks for sharing!

I take 1200 mg per day of alpha lipoic acid to try to prevent brain atrophy, as well as for its other benefits in MS.

geronova.com/consumer-blog/...

multiplesclerosisnewstoday....

womenshealthletter.com/Heal...

I can't be positively sure, but I was steadily going downhill following a relapse which started in 8/16. Within about 1-1/2 months of starting the alpha lipoic acid, which I started about year ago or less, and later adding N-acetylcysteine (as recommended by my doctor), I began actually improving. I went from always using a cane or crutches to rarely using a cane now. I stress the point that I may have improved anyway, but it is rather an interesting coincidence about the timing of the improvement. Since the ALA and NAC are relatively cheap and readily available, I'll keep taking them.

It's always so encouraging to hear of treatments coming in the future for those of us with MS.

[Doxytoo in reply to greaterexp]

Yeah. It's particularly encouraging for the progressive types. I know I've got some mental stuff going on now with my MS so I'm always interested in things that can help there.

I know this was an unorthodox source for MS news, but when I got my pollen count alert and saw that, I thought it was worth passing on.