From the Guidelines
Common symptoms in the early stages of multiple sclerosis include fatigue, numbness or tingling in limbs, vision problems, muscle weakness, balance and coordination issues, and cognitive difficulties. These symptoms can vary widely between individuals depending on which areas of the central nervous system are affected 1. Some patients may also experience bladder dysfunction, sexual problems, or bowel issues, and pain, particularly in the form of muscle spasms or neuralgic pain, may occur 1. The symptoms often appear in episodes that last days to weeks before improving, which is characteristic of relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the disease 1. Early recognition of these symptoms is crucial as prompt diagnosis and treatment with disease-modifying therapies can help slow disease progression and reduce disability 1. The diagnosis of MS is based on the detection of lesions within the CNS that demonstrate dissemination in space and dissemination in time, and MRI should be done to support the clinical diagnosis and rule out other disorders 1. The 2010 McDonald criteria have substantially improved the diagnostic process in relapsing–remitting MS, but they exhibit a number of limitations in primary progressive MS 1. Advanced MRI techniques, such as proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, and magnetization transfer imaging, can provide information that might be useful for estimating the risk of MS, but their sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis and differential diagnosis remain to be determined 1. Key symptoms to look out for include:
- Fatigue
- Numbness or tingling in limbs
- Vision problems, such as blurred vision or double vision
- Muscle weakness
- Balance and coordination issues
- Cognitive difficulties, such as memory problems or trouble concentrating
- Bladder dysfunction
- Sexual problems
- Bowel issues
- Pain, particularly in the form of muscle spasms or neuralgic pain. It is essential to note that the specific symptoms experienced can vary widely between individuals, and early recognition is critical for prompt diagnosis and treatment 1.
From the Research
Common Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
The provided studies do not directly address the common symptoms that can occur in the early stages of multiple sclerosis. However, they discuss the treatment and management of the disease using interferons and other disease-modifying therapies.
Treatment and Management
- Interferon beta (IFNβ) is a disease-modifying therapy used to treat multiple sclerosis, reducing relapse rates and delaying the onset of disability 2.
- Four IFNβ drugs are currently approved to treat relapsing forms of MS: subcutaneous (SC) IFNβ-1b, SC IFNβ-1a, intramuscular IFNβ-1a, and SC peginterferon beta-1a 2.
- The efficacy and long-term safety profile of interferons make them an important first-line option for treatment 2.
- Interferons-beta and glatiramer acetate have similar clinical efficacy at 24 months, but interferons-beta may limit the increase in lesion burden as compared with glatiramer acetate 3, 4.
- Patient adherence to treatment is higher with intramuscular IFN β-1a, given once weekly, than with subcutaneous formulations requiring multiple injections per week 5.
Limitations
- The provided studies do not discuss the common symptoms of multiple sclerosis in detail.
- The studies focus on the treatment and management of the disease using interferons and other disease-modifying therapies.
- There is limited information on the early stages of multiple sclerosis and its symptoms in the provided studies.