Still CIS - it is good luck or Copaxone?

[littlelawbear]

Hi everyone.  Well, I have now gone almost seven months since my only attack ended (diagnosed CIS in July 2011) and I have had no new attacks or symptoms.  I started Copaxone very quickly after diagnosis and I had no previous MS symptoms before my initial attack.  

I feel very grateful for my good health so I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I have read in several journals and articles that the disease is very active in the first few months after a CIS.  I have also read that there is a pretty high risk of conversion to MS in the first six months.

According to my last MRI (November 2011)  I have 7-8 supratentorial white lesions and one lesion from C2 to the top of C4 on my spine.  My neuro thought that I would have had converted to CDMS by now.  She's surprised that I've done (and am doing) so well.  

Have I just been lucky so far or can I thank Copaxone?  If I should thank Copaxone, then I would like to STRONGLY ENCOURAGE any CIS people out there to get on a disease-modifying treatment quickly.  If it's just luck, then I'll thank the heavens for my birthday gift (my birthday is on Friday).

Thanks, everyone! .

[littlelawbear]

Hey there - thanks for your message.  I'm from Canada - Copaxone was approved for treatment of CIS in 2009 so it's still pretty recent over here.  I'm sorry to hear that you weren't able to get on a DMD upon diagnosis of CIS.  I hope everything is going well for you.  Thanks for the birthday wishes!  :)

[zoefromsussex]

Happy Birthday for Friday! Well, my opinion is that this is due to a mix of the copaxone & good old luck. I hope your good health continues. Do you live in America? The reason I ask is that I was diagnosed with CIS last Oct but here in the UK, dmd's are not routinely prescribed. Anyway, less than 4 months later I had a further episode meaning my diagnosis changed to RRMS. So, I guess its impossible to know for sure!

[kwarendorf]

Happy Birthday!

I'm not sure what CDMS is, but your case is why they revised the MacDonald Criteria. There is no reason to wait for CIS to morph into MS. Now the thinking is that the conversion can be prevented using DMDs.

Stay well!

Kyle

[sllowe]

Happy almost birthday!

This is excellent news. Not all MSers respond to all meds, I'm praying Copax is the "one" for you, and it indeed is the culprit in keeping you relapse free.

So nice of you come on here and tell us :) Hope you have continued success, and a wonderful birthday.

[DiannaKw]

That's wonderful. To answer you're question, it's impossible to know for sure. It was at least a few months, maybe up to a year between my initial attack (CIS) and my second flare, at which point I was diagnosed with MS. In that time though, I was not on a DMD. Perhaps if I had been, I'd still be missing the "Multiple" in Multiple Sclerosis!  

[JaneK1975]

Happy birthday!!! Whatever the reason for your good health, I'm stoked for you :D - Jane