We believe that most people with MS should be on one of the disease-modifying therapies that are approved by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which include Avonex® (beta interferon-1a), Betaseron® (beta interferon-1b), Copaxone® (glatirimer acetate), Rebif® (beta interferon-1a) and Tysabri® (natalizumab). For those who cannot use one of these medications for whatever reason, Western medicine offers other options. If you do choose an alternative medicine approach, we hope that you will work with your MS physician to integrate it with standard MS therapy. Your MS team can work with you to make sure the different components of your treatment plan work well together.

Because there are so many alternative therapies on the market for people with MS, we will focus here on the approaches that people ask us about the most. An excellent reference book by Allen C. Bowling, MD, PHD—Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis—offers a balanced view of the pros and cons of each treatment. You may also find the following web site helpful:

Many patients ask about low-dose naltrexone (LDN), currently a popular alternative medicine approach in MS. The National MS Society states that “there are very limited data from controlled clinical trials to support the use of naltrexone in multiple sclerosis”. Several research studies are in process. We recommend that people with MS wait for these results to become available before they use naltrexone. Some people with MS are also using bee venom. Unfortunately, a randomized trial found it to be ineffective.¹ The National MS Society further recommends against removal of amalgam dental fillings because studies have shown that it is not helpful.²

Beneficial approaches

So, what alternative and complementary therapies do we recommend? If you consider exercise an alternative therapy, we highly recommend it for people with MS. Numerous controlled studies have shown that aerobic exercise improves fitness, strength and quality of life for people with MS while decreasing fatigue. (See new mobility options for more details.)

For those looking for a low-risk dietary approach, there is some support for a low-fat diet containing omega-3 and omega-6 oils:

If you are using Tysabri®, however, we believe you should avoid fish oil supplements as there may be too much suppression of the immune system.

Everyone with MS should have routine blood tests done to check their levels of vitamin D and vitamin B12. Adequate intake of these nutrients is important for everyone but especially important for people with MS. Research studies are increasingly pointing to a link between low vitamin D levels and risk of developing MS.³

¹ Wesselius T. et al. A randomized crossover study of bee sting therapy for multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2005; 65: 1764-1768.

² Aminzadeh KK and Etminan M. Dental amalgam and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Public Health Dent. 2007; 67: 64-66.

³ Ramagopalan SV et al. Expression of the multiple sclerosis-associated MHC class II Allele HLA-DRB1*1501 is regulated by vitamin D. PLoS Genet. 2009; 5: e1000369. Epub 2009 Feb 6.