Minocycline May Offer New Hope

By Author: Rob Parker
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People who suffer from multiple sclerosis have a few different options when it comes to treatments and medications which can decrease the severity of symptoms and even lengthen the time between symptomatic outbreaks. Some treatments may even assist in eliminating certain symptoms of the condition altogether.

Those who research treatments for multiple sclerosis symptoms have recently begun to test the effects of the drug minocycline on people suffering from the condition. In this article we will take a look at what minocycline is and what hope it has to offer people suffering with multiple sclerosis.

Minocycline hydrochloride

As you might have already guessed, the sub title above indicates the full name of the minocycline treatment. This medicine is classified as an antibiotic, which means that its primary use is in fighting off different kinds of bacteria and bacterial infection. Minocycline is thought to be more effective than other antibiotics in the tetracycline family, largely due to the fact that the half life of the medicine is much longer than others. Thus, it can create serum levels within the body ...
... which can be up to four times greater than other similar antibiotics.

The use of minocycline

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, minocycline has traditionally been used to treat conditions which involve bacterial swelling, including minor conditions such as acne right up to serious plagues such as anthrax and cholera.

It is these same anti-inflammatory properties which have given rise to new hopes for the application of the antibiotic for researchers interested in treating symptoms of multiple sclerosis. As with many neurological diseases, it is swelling in areas of the brain that triggers episodes of MS symptom attack. The reaction of the antibiotic essentially stops certain types of cell death which would otherwise cause cell death and thus more severe symptoms.

Possible side effects

Minocycline is still in its infancy as far as a treatment for multiple sclerosis, but there is definitely reason to believe in its success. In fact, researchers believe that the drug may be useful in combating several other neurological diseases as well, including Parkinson's disease and even Alzheimer's.

As with any treatment, there are risks associated with the use of minocycline. Flu like symptoms including vomiting and headaches may arise. In addition, there is a low risk in some patients that minocycline may trigger an allergic reaction, and using any tetracycline past its due date will have toxic effects on the body.