The 26-year-old Nadine with her multiple sclerosis deals

Actually, Nadine Spuhler*, 26, wanted to go, after work, just shopping, and then with her boyfriend a cozy evening – but then everything changed. "I suddenly felt my right side of the body," says the young woman. "And I managed to scrape the money for my purchases from the wallet."

In the course of the Evening, it was not better, on the contrary: "I could no longer stand or walk, my friend had to drive me to the emergency room of the nearest hospital." From there, it went with blue lights to the University hospital of Basel, where they had for more detailed investigations.

You referred to multiple sclerosis as a "disease with a thousand faces".

In November of 2016, the diagnosis was clear: multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the Central nervous system, i.e. brain and spinal cord that mainly affects young adults. Trigger inflammation of the Marrow of the nerve sheath fibers. These injuries or lesions do not cause messages properly to the muscles, organs, or other parts of the body to brain or Vice versa can be transferred.

The symptoms can be, depending on where the changes occur, is very different, and range from Vision and sense of disorders of muscle paralysis to bladder problems. They referred to MS as a "disease with a thousand faces".

Early diagnosis is important

The power, as in the case of Nadine Spuhler, the diagnosis is difficult, especially as the diverse symptoms often occur also in other diseases. In addition, the symptoms in all disease can form stages or even a one-time event.

"the certainty of the diagnosis, type of various neurological Tests and an MRI, which is the Central nervous system of the image represents", explains Jens Kuhle, a neurologist and Director of the MS center at the University hospital Basel. Further diagnostic procedures such as the study of the brain-marrow fluid, cerebrospinal fluid back.

"Many MS patients lead years after the outbreak of the disease yet live a normal life."Jens Kuhle, neurologist

"early diagnosis is important because drug therapy can affect, in most cases, the disease course favorably or even bring it to a halt," says the expert. But when a visit to the doctor is essential? "If neurological disturbances such as visual disturbances, numbness of extremities, weakness when walking, and within 24 hours to disappear, you should contact the family doctor or neurologist. These refer the patient to a specialized center."

fear before the wheelchair

For Nadine Spuhler, the diagnosis was a shock. How long you would be able to still practice their profession as a physiotherapist? Could you have children? "I thought my life soon, inevitably, in a wheelchair, spend." In fact, this idea has persisted, however: "This is definitely not the case", says Jens Kuhle. "There are very many people with MS, in which the now available drugs work very well and the disease is relatively mild run – many MS patients are years and decades after the outbreak of the disease yet fully able to walk and lead a normal life."

to Cure MS is not. However, while 25 years ago, few therapies existed possibilities, there are now around 15 drugs for the treatment of the relapsing disease. In the meantime, the first drug was approved for people who are affected by primary progressive MS, short PPM,. For this Form of MS in which the neurological deficits and physical disability increase slowly and gradually – that is, without relapses, there were no specific drugs. With Ocrelizumab Affected is now also a drug with proven effect is available.

How does it work? Multiple sclerosis is one disease of the so-called auto-immune. The body's defense mechanisms aimed in place against body-foreign substances, mistakenly against its own tissues. In MS, certain cells penetrate into the brain and spinal cord and destroy nerve tissues. This can lead to the previously described symptoms.

According to recent research, plays a specific group of immune cells, B-cells, an important role. New drugs for MS are able to attack cells. So-called monoclonal antibodies, like Ocrelizumab can intervene in this way, targeted in the disease process. "Do you recognize the B-cells in the blood and destroy this", explains Jens Kuhle. "The number of lesions can be reduced, so damage to the brain, and the progression of the disease is slowing."

So I can forget about the disease temporarily."Nadine Spuhler*, Concerned,

a Few weeks after their first heavy thrust Nadine Spuhler suffered two more. First, the doctor tablets rubbing her, starting in March 2018, you got the newly approved monoclonal antibody. These are administered by Infusion, with an interval of six months. In the case of Nadine Spuhler they are sustainable, since the beginning of the therapy you had to suffer no discomfort, in connection with MS.

"I'd have to swallow daily tablet, would be the disease constantly present. But I can forget at times," she says. This is also because with her since the beginning of the therapy no side effects such as upper respiratory tract infections have had an impact. She says: "That gives me confidence."

* Name changed by the editors

(the Swiss family)

Created: 31.01.2019, 20:16 Uhr