Wow, that is a real all or nothing kind of thing...I don't have an all or nothing kind of answer, but I do believe that at this point, I am leaning towards stopping the Rebif and going the direction of seeing what diet, exercise and working on the effects that depression has on my body can do for me, without the drug.

I have always been a "no meds" person, and it was a major decision for me to start Rebif. I had so many tests done, metals, heavy metals, mercury specific, levels of good and bad fatty acids, thyroid, circulatory, along with all the standard tests to exclude all other auto=immunes...and the answer was MS. So I went on the drug because my focus was to stall it, make it stop in its tracks. Of course, I discovered that while new lesions may not form, that does not mean that MS will not progress, and it does not mean that accumulation will not get me.

My history traces MS back to at least 1998, but I was not dxd until 2005, so it was not a matter of "catching it early." But all my dramatic, huge flares were before taking Rebif. But since taking it, it has just been a gradual worsening and settling in of things...my baseline is totally different now, and when I talk to my docs about it just being a sign of aging, 47 and 53 are different, right?, they say no, I have to acceot that much of it is MS. I guess they are right, most people are not peeing on themselves at this age.

So I am at the poiint where I am not sure that the Rebif is what I want right now. I am not sure that it is actually helping with the "progresssion." If I can progress without geting new lesions, well, I haven't seen a picture of anything but the brain since 2007, but still, I think lesions are not my major battle right now, and I am not sure that this powerful drug is the best for my system right now.

Having said all that, I guess the thing is that I am becoming more convinced right now that it is more harmful to what I am working with, my bodily functions, than helpful. Don't know if it will kill me, but I don't think it is "life giving." Additionally, I have not been willing to take any other drugs, well, a muscle relaxant well absolutely needed, but otherwise, I am not convinced of what any interaction will really be, everything is bad on the kidneys or liver, so I have not even tried any of the suggested things for symptoms.

That's a tough one. first off I am not taking any drugs for MSas of yet. I will learn that option on the 21st.
I personally believe that the illnesses we have are a result of the everychanging environment that we live in. The medications we recieve are are the result of a disease we produced in the first place.

Anew drug or synthetic or pesticide etc...is produced. This causes a change in the environment forcing us to adapt to that change. Now it also can cause mutations of cells and genes etc causing the illness. Now a neew set of drugs are produced. This means new chemicals and the production and disposal of the product. This is turn leads to another environmental change, a new disease, and thus a new drug. One vicious circle.

In other words the more we fix things that we origimnally caused the more we cause other things to happen.

That being said. If it makes me feel better and no effective option is available then give me the drugs. My being pain is not going to break that circle.

definitly kill us first .think of all the meds we take for just some of the symptoms of ms to get by day to day .you may not because every ones ms is differnt but i know i take at least 10 pills a day everyday .just think of all those chemicals sitting in my liver with end of taking them in sight and thats not including the shots everyday and the yearly high dose steroids i get by iv .and i feel ive honestly have been steadily progressing .im considering stoping everything just my opinion

I think that the conventional meds will only improve, not kill us, but I do not think they will cure us in my lifetime and probably not the next.

So I don't think either will happen, just my opinion.

All of the drugs are hurting our bodies and yes they are slowly killing us in some shape or form in my opinion.. It could be our brain, liver, kidneys,heart, ect... All of these scripts have a negative affect on our bodies. Some are so minor that it could take a 100yrs but most are more major then that. . Do you ever really read the side effects or research what effects alot of these drugs have on or livers over time?

Unfortunatelt all MSers need some kind of drug during there lifetime. Alot of MSers are in so much pain they need the pain management. Some are so depressed and they need the anti depressants. I get it and understand it because I have MS.

Im sorry but I do not think that we will see a cure in our lifetime and the reason why is because there is way too much money to be made in the treatment and there is zero money to be made in a cure.,

Also IN MY OPINION I think that ALOT of doctors over medicate so many of us. I see post from so many newbies and even vetrans about should I try this drug? Or how about that one? Ooo this one sounds good? But when you bring up vitamins and supplements or alternative treatments they just dont seem interested, and I think alot of that is so many people have put so much faith in the medical community. They are just recently diagnosed and scared and just dont understand but hopefully they will at some point.

Educate yourself on every option out there. Im not saying dont listen to your doctor but remember they are only people and they are not god. You have to help yourself first...

Ok sorry I totally ranted and Im sorry if I offended anyone. I was just speaking from the heart... xoxox

thanks to all for your pinions. and i stand corrected on my black and whiteness. it is a character defect of mine. I am so much relieved now that i no longer inject anything to mess up my immune system. while i was on the crabs i felt as if i had no life. i wouldnt go anywhere in fear of the colds flus etc, and the swine flu epidemic had me scared off too.i am not a doctor and dont mean to diss them. yet i know my body better than any one can. i feel better and that in itself has probably made me better. i have learned from trial and error how huge nutrition and diet are for us. i have damage from the one severe attack i had in 2007 at age 51. i am on nutrition,diet and have just started the ldn from my neuro. even he has said how well i am doing. he knows my trainer at the gym and he knows my acupuncturist/ND. Its probably a mixture of it all,and now that i have reread my entry i see how black and white it really is. This is such an individual treatment for each of us. i am so grateful and relieved that i am doing well today. thanks again to all respondents. :)

Great thoughts. I just wrote a rant about not feeling well and actually never feeling well and I don't know how much of these feelings to attribute to Copaxone or MS. My depression is at an all time high, actually epic proportions and my physical symptoms seem to be manifesting at an accelerated rate. I would love to try a new modality such as ND but my insurance does not pay and financially it is not feasible at this point for me to start with this. Like Nikki I have always been a no meds person and now I even take just Copaxone and Xanax but KNOW I am in desperate need of an antidepressant. I have been tried on a few but the 1 that worked for me in the past was non-generic Prozac and my old neuro would not write the letter needed to allow me to have it. Heck I would even pay full price for it but my insurer would not give it to me without his consent. Since no one really knows for sure how these DMD's work or if they even work at all and it is not all a placebo effect or just the natural progression of the disease - I think putting toxic substances in my body may be doing more harm than good, but again not sure. I have no real neuro at this time (mine fired me) and I am afraid to stop the Copaxone without a "safety net" (like he was there for me during my 8 years with this monster - no call backs and 5 minutes once per year "exam") but mentally I can't seem to get to that place to take over this disease on my own. I guess I don't want to fail yet again at something. But I do believe the time is nearing where I will take that step - stop the Copaxone, hope for the best and hell what is the worst that can happen? So in answer to the question: Yes I truly do feel that the drugs will kill us before the disease process. I doubt very strongly whether we will see a cure for this disease in the next decade or 2 (no telethons for us yet) So I guess like everyone else I have some decisions to make and make them I shall - for me it is just a matter of time. Honestly, I think the only thing that keeps on the boundary of being sane is Xanax and that I choose NOT to give up but Copaxone - well the jury is still out and leaning a lot toward pitching it, at least for the near term. Thanks for your post as I know, like myself, many people are asking this same question but so afraid (like me) of the answer. Continue to do well Melaniemic and I look forward to reading about your forward progress!