The neuro I see locally is a big proponent of Copaxone, and had told me that he had seen research showing that it could help with remyelination. I haven't seen him in a while, and I don't know where he saw this research. When I mentioned this to the MS specialist at Mayo, he outright scoffed. Does anyone have any knowledge on this?

He must have a lot of stock in copaxone!!

Is this the same one who told you that you didn't have MS? LOL

Wouldn't it be great if there actually was a med that lead to remyelination? I know that there has been on going research to develop such a drug, but I don't think they are too close meeting that goal.

It sounds like you need another neuro, unless there's some new study that just came out. There have been some past studies showing this effect in mice who were given copaxone. I am not aware of any study demonstrating this effect in people.

I haven't seen anything on remyelation in humans either. Is your neuro getting paid by the Copaxone stockholders?

Maybe he is! For all I know. The copaxone believer is my local neuro, not the one from Mayo who told me I don't have MS. Sadly, he is the best MS neuro within a 3 hour drive. Which is why I went to Mayo - only to be blown off.

The internist from Mayo who saw me first had a videoconference with me today. He saw the MRI reports they did that show findings consistent with MS, and started trying to contact the neuro to find out WTH? He wanted to "confer" with him before our video appt, but the neuro is out of the office on bereavement and won't be back until next week. I'll be curious to see what he has to say.

As a Copaxone user for nearly 3 years, I try to follow the work that's being done, and I've never seen any mention of Copaxone as promoting remyelination.

Work is being done on myelin repair but I don't think there's any drug available at present that will fix the damaged myelin.

I have never heard of that, either. I was told that Copaxone "tricks" the cells into sticking onto it rather than myelin.

I'd love to see the research that backs up his theory...

I did a google search and found several scholarly articles where Copaxone, both alone and in combination with B12, appeared to aid in limited remyelination in mice.

There is currently a clinical trial being conducted to see if this also is applicable in MS patients.

*mindful that drug effects in mice with EAS does not always mirror that in humans with MS

PS- also wonder why your neuro thinks he can magically see into the future. In all seriousness, Coapxone has been used for a very long time and many people are happy on it - as are others on other medications.

The bigger question is: What do you want to do?

There is little to support copaxone leading to remyelination. However, the chemical structure, like all MS, treatments has similarities to the chemical structure of the myelin sheath. So it is not improbable that given the proper additives the body may repair itself. Hence the attempts of adding B12 to the mix and seeing if it will work.

Copaxone, like the other treatments, does (in theory) work by 'tricking' the disease to eat it rather than our brains. The medications are comprised of various portions of the myelin structure which doctors hope the disease will attach to more easily and attack. But it is not the current hope that those proteins will attach themselves to existing myelin sheaths and lead to repair.

I'm not sure how many of you remember back to chemistry class, but the largest hurdle to over come is the nature of ionic bonds, the myelin sheath is an ionic compound. Which is nice and strong until breached then it's a nightmare to put back together again always seeming to come up with extra parts.... And that one little extra atom that attached itself and refuses to move so you can put the right part in its place.... Grrrr stubborn atoms.

Still it isn't hopeless to think they'll ever come up with a solution, we're likely only an "oops!... I mean YEAH!" Away from it

LOL chemistry class...I hated it, yet got an A in honors chem.

The body is a miracle when you think of the electrical machinery that is at work to carry our minds around. Just when the wiring goes bad that things get tough...