In terms of MS therapies out there--instead of Copaxone, interferons, LDN, Tysabri, and Estriol, how about Minocycline? I've been doing a lot of research about this tetracycline antibiotic today. It's cheap, appears to have anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties and is in clinical trials right now for MS. Just google Minocycline and Multiple Sclerosis and a lot will come up. Here is one of many:

http://msj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/short/13/4/517

I've been on it for acne for a year now. I have had no progression. Granted I am also on Tysabri but now the neuro thinks it might not be safe to be on Minocycline and Tysabri together. So I have to go off the Minocycline. I can't tolerate any other MS drugs and if for some reason Tysabri no longer works I will go back to the Minocycline on full dose until the new pills come out. It is very very easy to tolerate.

Natalie,
It seems to be studied as a drug to be used as Combination therapy along with one of the DMD's

Minocycline FAQ October 2007

What is Minocycline?

Minocycline is used to treat bacterial infections including acne; pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections; and infections of skin, genital, and urinary systems.

Minocycline is in a class of medications called tetracycline antibiotics. It works by preventing the growth and spread of bacteria. It comes in pill format.

Recent studies have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory properties, a key factor for MS researchers to look closely at the drug.


http://www.mssociety.ca/en/releases/nr_20071025_faq.htm

A much smaller initial study used minocycline on its own and showed a significant effect, albeit delayed by a few months. Now they are combining with copaxone but there is strong suggestion it might also help as a monotherapy. You have to dig for all the specifics. A biotech company has distiller down the important parts of the drug for a future clinical study with MS.

Natalie,

You should check out the boards on www.thisisms.com - they have an entire forum on the use of antibiotics as tx for MS - http://www.thisisms.com/forum-28.html.

Why does your doctor now believe it isn't safe with the Ty?

~Keri

I was on minocyline for about a year for acne. At one point I went to my dentist because I had a bunch of gray spots on my gums. He told me it was from the minocycline and that I was lucky it hadn't spread to my teeth, yuck! It's permanent. I still have gray gums 10 years later.

If I really believed it would do great things for MS, I'd live with no teeth .

I just wanted to let people in on this not so pretty side effect. It seems like every med gives me problems though, so take this with a grain of salt. I guess it's a minor thing compared to some of the alternatives.

I've never, ever heard of this one. What were the gray spots exactly, or was that 'named'?

I took Minocycline before for acne as well, but it made me ill (reaction) so I stopped taking it.

My MS Specialist (one of the top in the country) suggested minocycline during my last two annuals. The first time I reminded her that I am apparently allergic to the Tetracycline family of drugs, and the second time I decided to give it a try.

The allergic reaction I had previously was quite rare, and it caused my large joints to sieze up. That wasn't a "big" threat, even if it happened, and would have just meant I obviously had to stop if it happened again. What I had found out though, after researching minocycline for MS, was that a number of people (with MS) have responded that way to the drug at first. Apparently it's got something to do with the way it tries to clear out the toxins (that's not exactly it, but something like that).

I started in Feb, about the time my daughter was going through so much. It was hard to tell if it was helping or hurting me, because my body was extremely stressed at the time. I didn't have the joint pain though.

I went off when it didn't seem to be making things better anyway, which was after about a month.

Since then I have been plagued with boils/cysts on various parts of my body. Every two weeks another one pops up. Of course that is what this is normally rx'd for, so I went back on when the first two cysts popped up. It caused them to die down, but I still have the lumps under the skin. This time when I went off, another one popped up, and I'm letting it run it's course because at least it will go away for good when it drains.

So, I don't know what I thnk about this drug for MS at this point. It seemed to make sense, given that I tend to get lots of infections which stir up my MS . . . but it doesn't seem to be helping that too much either. I've never had back-to-back cysts like this (usually once a year), so I think my body has become "dependant" on it in some way ....

I'll probably try it again though, once this cyst goes away . . .

Cherie

They aren't technically spots but areas of discoloration that would have spread to my teeth had I not stopped taking it. The dentist told me that long term use of various antibiotics can cause this type of thing. When he looked at my gums the first thing he asked was if I was on an antibiotic.

On a side note, my son went on it for his back acne or as we call it "bacne" and broke out in hives. He can't take it either.

tetracycline products have long been known to damage healthy gum tissue. it doesnt destroy it, but leeches into it, and causes it to change color. From tan to grey and even dark grey. it cannot be bleached, or repaired once it happens. its something to be on the lookout for with children when they take those products as their teeth are still active and growing, and will suck it up quick.

A waitress in a local diner has tetracycline stained teeth. She said she never wants to smile, and always feels self conscious. It happend when she was 25