The Importance of Sticking to Your MS Treatment (Even When You Feel Fine)

Depending on the form of your medications, it can be easy to forget to take your multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. When your MS symptoms aren’t flaring up, it may be tempting to stop taking it altogether. But if you do stop taking your medication, it may put you at risk for developing another attack of MS, and some relapses can cause permanent disabilities.

Most MS medications are preventative, meaning that they prevent new lesions from forming on the brain or the spinal cord and they help manage symptoms. That’s why it’s very important to continue taking your medications — even if you feel fine.

What are signs of an MS relapse?

When your MS symptoms are stable or you’re not experiencing an attack, you’re usually in a state of remission, which is a major treatment goal for MS. But if you’re not keeping up with your medication, you could be headed for a relapse.

Here are some of the most common signs that you are possibly entering into a relapse of MS:

• Vision problems, including loss of vision in one eye or double vision

• Weakness

• Numbness

• Loss of coordination

• Trouble walking 

When should you talk to your doctor about your MS medication?

Don’t stop taking your MS medication without talking to your doctor first. Be honest about what you’re experiencing and what your concerns are.

“It's important to be honest with your doctor about any concerns that you might be having about side effects or safety issues or lifestyle issues related to your medications, because you may not be aware of other options that exist,” says Asaff Harell, MD, Neurologist and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

If affordability is an issue, there are many resources that can help you pay for your MS medication, including foundation grants and patient assistance programs. 

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Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Alexandra Schwarz, MD

Alexandra Schwarz, MD, is a board-eligible sleep medicine physician and a board-certified family medicine physician. She is a member of both the AASM and the ABFM.

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