If you have active relapsing-remitting MS, your doctor will first treat you with one of the disease-modifying drugs. They’re called disease-modifying drugs because they can actually slow down the progression of MS and prevent relapses to keep you active. These drugs work by suppressing the immune system so that it doesn’t attack the protective coating (myelin) surrounding the nerves.
Disease-modifying drugs that reduce the number of exacerbations include:
- interferon beta 1b (Betaseron, Extavia)
- glatiramer acetate (Copaxone)
Disease-modifying drugs that have been shown to reduce exacerbations and slow the progression of MS include:
- interferon beta-1a (Avonex, Rebif)
- peginterferon beta-1a (Plegridy)
- teriflunomide (Aubagio)
- fingolimod (Gilenya)
- mitoxantrone (Novantrone)
- dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera)
- natalizumab (Tysabri)
The interferon drugs and Copaxone are considered to be very safe. Most of the side effects that do occur stem from the injection itself, including redness, warmth, itching, or dimpling of the skin over the injection site. With the interferon drugs, it’s common to have flu-like symptoms — aches, fatigue, fever, and chills — but these should fade within a few months. The interferon drugs can also slightly increase your risk for real infections by lowering the number of white blood cells that help your immune system fight off illnesse
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