Managing MS after 70 is a very personal journey, and many people in the MyMSTeam community share their experiences with DMTs and whether they're still effective. It's a great question to explore with your neurologist too.
Here's what research tells us about DMTs in older adults with MS:
- DMTs can become less effective as you Show Full Answer
Managing MS after 70 is a very personal journey, and many people in the MyMSTeam community share their experiences with DMTs and whether they're still effective. It's a great question to explore with your neurologist too.
Here's what research tells us about DMTs in older adults with MS:
- DMTs can become less effective as you age, though clinical trials rarely include people over 55, making it hard to be certain
- Side effects from DMTs may increase with age
- Many older adults take multiple medications, which can lead to drug interactions and added costs
- Some studies suggest stopping DMTs may be safe for older people, particularly those with stable or inactive MS One important thing to keep in mind — even though relapses tend to become less frequent with age, recovering from a relapse also becomes harder. Even a single relapse after 70 can significantly increase the risk of worsened disability.
For people over 70 with stable secondary progressive MS (SPMS), research found an 88% chance of no disease recurrence in the 1–2 years after stopping a DMT. For those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), that dropped to just 41%.
The bottom line: always talk with your neurologist before making any changes to your DMT. It's a highly individual decision based on your MS type, stability, and overall health.
October 5
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