I am now taking the oral medication Gilenya (fingolimod). It was first synthesized in Japan in 1992 by chemical manipulation of a naturally occurring antibiotic, and finally approved by the FDA in 2010 as the world’s first oral MS drug.
I call it genial because compared to giving myself daily shots, it is just a daily pill I swallow. But “genial” by no means suggests benign. This drug is as toxic as everything else I have tried. Incidences of PML occurring in people taking Gilenya do happen.
This Method
Everyone’s immune system contains lymph nodes, which are tiny glands containing immune cells (AKA white blood cells) called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are usually helpful, but in MS they get confused and attack the central nervous system (CNS), and permanently damage the myelin sheath.
Gilenya activates sensors on your lymph nodes to restrain some white blood cells. That way, these blood cells aren’t released into the bloodstream, where they can attack. (Other lymphocytes are still circulating and available to do their job, watching out for intruders like viruses and bacteria.)
It also activates sensors on your heart, which can cause your heart rate to temporarily slow down. So it is recommended that all users be monitored by a medical professional for at least six hours after the first dose.
My Experience
I have been taking Gilenya since April 2012. This is from an earlier blog post:
…I packed my backpack with items to stave off the boredom of sitting around that long: two books I am currently reading (one fiction and one non-fiction), a book of sudoku puzzles [I’m addicted!], lip balm…
We also brought a cooler with yogurt, granola bars, and sandwiches. My husband brought a fingertip pulse oximeter so I could check my pulse regularly on my own.
In the end, the whole experience was pretty anti-climactic, which is probably the best-case scenario, really. I read one book the entire time, and they let us leave before the rush hour started.
It was a record heat in SF, which lent the whole outing a surreal feel, and now that I’m onto Day Five, it is like it never happened…
It’s now been 6 years and I have tolerated it fine, but it has not made any amazing difference, as I had secretly wished.
Things I’ve Learned
Gilenya might increase your risk of skin cancer. It can render a “live” vaccine inert while using it. And it can interact with a multitude of drugs, including vitamins, and herbal products.
It is rare but macular edema (a correctable eye condition causing swelling and blurry vision) may occur within the first 3-4 months of starting. It may be confused with an MS exacerbation, so check with your doctor, and consider annual ophthalmology appointments.
Finally, I have started to see reports about a “rebound relapse” phenomenon when users go off it. Obviously, once you go off, you should expect that the “door” of all lymph nodes is no longer being guarded so you most likely will resume MS where you left off.
But in about 25% of patients, there is an even more aggressive worsening of MS after stopping and these patients “do not return to the level of function that they had before or during treatment“. This worsening most often happens within 12 weeks of stopping. It is definitely something to consider before you start if you think you will want to go off it to get pregnant, for example.
RELATED STUFF
- Official Gilenya site
- Long-term Gilenya Use Safe, Effective in Real-world Czech Study | BioNews, Inc.
Links checked 09/25/2022