Smoldering MS May Warrant Unique Diagnosis, Treatment, and Research Strategies

[BettysMom]

Smoldering-associated worsening (SAW) of multiple sclerosis (MS) deserves a broader, more comprehensive approach to diagnosis, treatment, and research that goes beyond neurologists’ understanding of progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA), according to a recently published international consensus. However, an outside expert said that promulgating the “smoldering” concept may stoke patient and provider confusion.

medscape.com/viewarticle/sm...

[AquaZumbaFan]

Very interesting article.. it kind of makes me wonder if that applies to me

[Robsmom]

I attended a presentation on this subject last year and asked my neuro about it. He assured me that it didn't apply to me.

[whwiechm]

This patient is already confused about how a nerve disease can cause some of the myriad of symptoms associated with MS.

[Frances_B in reply to whwiechm]

Think of it like this - if rodents chew through the covering insulation on electrical wires in your house or car and those wires carry instructions to all the various bits of your house or car that do "stuff" like move other parts, or make sounds, or heat/cool things or turn lights on or off, then if you have wires with damaged insulation and the instructions are therefore corrupted the "stuff" that's meant to happen doesn't work properly. That's sort of how MS works - and because the instructions go along your nerves to parts of your body which do all sorts of different "stuff" the effects (i.e. symptoms) will be different depending on which nerves are affected.

[whwiechm in reply to Frances_B]

Yes, I understand that but why does a nerve disease cause weakness or temperature sensitivity? MS has so many and varied symptoms that it is hard to understand how all can be caused by damaged nerves. The human body is a marvelous and very intricate "mechanism" and it never ceases to amaze me what we can do when everything is working properly. With input of food and air, we are able to maintain 98.6 degrees ( or thereabout) and go through our regular daily routines

[CatsandCars in reply to whwiechm]

Weakness, or spasticity, is caused by garbled messages from the brain due to damaged myelin. Heat sensitivity happens because heat slows the nerve signals from the brain.

I agree with you; the body is a marvel!

[mrsmike9]

I was just told I have Smoldering MS. I need to learn more about it.

[Greentime in reply to mrsmike9]

How did they know it is Smoldering MS?

[mrsmike9 in reply to Greentime]

I'm not 100% sure. Probably because I haven't had much progression except a bit, little by little. My MRIs haven't changed in years. I'm having my annual MRI tomorrow and see the neuro again next week. I have a lot of questions.

[Tazmanian]

"Beyond neurologists understanding " what does that mean?

[BettysMom in reply to Tazmanian]

What are you referring to? The article does not say anything like that.

[Tazmanian in reply to BettysMom]

It starts in the 3rd line

[309Ygi in reply to Tazmanian]

Maybe a common neurologist. Beyond. Like a specialist specializing specialness lol I know this last neurologist could use more schooling. Didn’t know crap told me I didn’t have Ms tried to take my meds away. ( same hospital that called stage 4 mestatic cancer) after all surgery and meds.. it was MS .

[Greentime]

Good article. Thanks for posting.

[309Ygi]

what is it ? The smoldering what does that mean?