How is MS treated when active?

How is MS treated when active?

• A. Antibiotics
• B. Steroids
• C. Antipsychotics
• D. Antihistamines

Answer: (B)

When MS is active, the goal is to dampen brain and spinal cord inflammation to shorten the relapse and speed recovery. High-dose corticosteroids are the treatment of choice for an acute MS flare. They reduce inflammatory edema around demyelinated areas and help symptoms improve more quickly. A common approach is intravenous methylprednisolone given daily for about 3–5 days, sometimes followed by a taper of oral steroids. These steroids don't change the long-term course of the disease; disease-modifying therapies are used to reduce relapses over time, but not to treat the immediate flare. If a relapse is severe and doesn't respond to steroids, plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) may be considered. The other options—antibiotics, antipsychotics, and antihistamines—do not treat the acute inflammatory episode of MS.

When MS is active, the goal is to dampen brain and spinal cord inflammation to shorten the relapse and speed recovery. High-dose corticosteroids are the treatment of choice for an acute MS flare. They reduce inflammatory edema around demyelinated areas and help symptoms improve more quickly. A common approach is intravenous methylprednisolone given daily for about 3–5 days, sometimes followed by a taper of oral steroids. These steroids don't change the long-term course of the disease; disease-modifying therapies are used to reduce relapses over time, but not to treat the immediate flare. If a relapse is severe and doesn't respond to steroids, plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) may be considered. The other options—antibiotics, antipsychotics, and antihistamines—do not treat the acute inflammatory episode of MS.