I must remind all of you reading this that I am not in any way a medical professional but simply share my opinion based on both my research and experience with Multiple Sclerosis.

For those who don’t know, I haven’t always been MS symptom free. I began my journey with MS denying the fact that I needed conventional medicine to live a healthy life. After using these drugs for quite some time now, I realize the amazing effects they have had on me and the help it has given me to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.

ABC drugs, as they are commonly known as, are claimed by many to be the most effective drugs on the market for treating MS. ABC stands for the three drugs: Avonex, Betaseron, and Copaxone. These are just three of the drugs on the market for MS, but are probably the most well known.  As many of us know, MS strikes everyone from a different angle and the same is true with these conventional medicines’ effects on MS patients. One person can see completely different benefits then the next person while another person can see very different side effects then the last two people. Drugs range from being injected daily to injected once every month. The doctor will have to work with the patient to determine the best plan of attack.

The specific benefits to using conventional medicine spread from minimal to life changing. These drugs are shown to reduce the frequency and severity of relapses. They also slow down the rate of disabling your body by lessening the lesion activity and growth in your body. These benefits are all shown in studies of patients that use the drugs as directed.

It is recommended that you don’t give up on conventional medicine if the first drug you use doesn’t work. Sometimes side effects can be terrible, but for many they have been known to lessen over time. For my personal story, I began with one of the ABC drugs before having dreadful side effects to then switch to another drug that I have used ever since with great success. I inject myself daily, but there is however a MS drug out there that may be taken orally, yet it may not be for everyone. Injectable drugs continue to be the most effective for most MS patients.

Be sure to do thorough research about each drug so you have a better understanding about what drug may work best for you and then talk to your MS specialist. It is important to be transparent with your doctor by honestly talking about your lifestyle, symptoms, and side effects so you can get the medicine the doctor thinks is best.

I go into much more detail about ABC drugs and many other conventional medicines for MS in my book, MS – Living Symptom Free.