Multiple Sclerosis Specialist

What is multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) disease that can lead to loss of function and disability. It's an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system targets the myelin sheath that protects your nerve fibers as though the cells within the sheath were an invading organism.

As a result, communication problems arise between your central nervous system and the rest of your body. Over time, the nerve damage may affect your ability to walk as well as many other everyday activities.

Multiple sclerosis is incurable, but Houston Neurological Institute offers advanced treatments to minimize the effects of this condition on your daily life.

What are the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Each patient's experience of multiple sclerosis differs, depending on the types of nerves involved and the severity of the damage. However, common symptoms you might experience include:

• Numbness or weakness
• Lhermitte’s sign (electric-shock sensations when moving your neck)
• Tremor
• Lack of coordination
• Unsteady gait
• Partial or complete loss of vision
• Pain during eye movement
• Prolonged double vision or blurred vision
• Slurred speech
• Chronic fatigue
• Dizziness
• Tingling sensations
• Pain
• Problems with sexual function
• Bowel and bladder dysfunction

Most people have relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. That means you experience times when new symptoms develop or your symptoms worsen (relapses), followed by periods of remission, a cycle that continues long-term.

Around half of the patients with relapsing-remitting MS develop secondary-progressive MS 10 to 20 years after the disease begins, where symptoms increasingly get worse and affect their ability to walk. Some people have primary-progressive MS, where they don't experience the cycle of relapse and remission.

How is multiple sclerosis treated?

At Houston Neurological Institute, the goal is to correctly diagnose MS, prevent relapses, and address problematic symptoms to improve your quality of life. The practice has an on-site infusion center where patients with symptoms requiring urgent attention can receive treatment within 24 hours without having to stay in the hospital.

IV infusions are treatments where your medication goes directly into your blood through a needle in your arm. The drug they use to treat multiple sclerosis is natalizumab (TYSABRI®), a disease-modifying drug for active relapsing-remitting MS.

Your IV TYSABRI therapy takes place once every four weeks at Houston Neurological Institute. TYSABRI helps to lower the number of relapses and their severity, with research showing the drug successfully reduces relapses by about 70%.

How is multiple sclerosis treatment administered?

Houston Neurological Institute is an authorized TOUCH® program member. You can only get TYSABRI from approved TOUCH providers, due to the risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

The nurses who deliver treatments at the on-site infusion center have undergone specialized training so they can monitor your treatment and answer any questions you have.

To find out how TYSABRI IV infusions could help control your multiple sclerosis, call Houston Neurological Institute today or book an appointment online.