Making the right medication choices with Dr Aaron Boster | S1E11

Navigating the range of medication choices for people with MS can feel like walking through a maze blindfolded. There are so many factors to consider – from effectiveness to side-effects – so we are fortunate to have Dr. Aaron Boster, an Ohio-based neurologist specializing in MS, as this episode’s guest to help demystify the sea of Disease Modifying Drugs that are presently available to manage the symptoms of MS.

 

Dr. Aaron Boster is an award-winning, widely published and Board-certified neurologist who currently serves as the Director of the Neuroscience Infusion Center at OhioHealth. Witnessing his uncle’s diagnosis with MS when he was 12, he and his family came to see a lack of coherence in the way MS was treated at the time. That experienced informed Dr. Boster’s drive to do things differently. At OhioHealth, he spearheads a revolutionary model in MS treatment and patient care drawing on interdisciplinary resources and putting patients and families first. Dr. Boster is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurology at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, and a former Assistant Professor of Neurology at The Ohio State University, where he also formerly headed the Neuroimmunology division. Dr. Boster received his MD from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He also manages a popular YouTube channel covering all aspects of MS.

 

Questions in this episode include:

 

• What are the levels that neurologists talk about when referring to medication?
• What does it mean to a patient if they are getting a level 1, 2 or 3 medication?
• Can you describe some of the most commonly prescribed disease modifying therapies that would help someone with MS make the right choice?
• Do you think that someone with MS should start with the mildest therapy first and then work up to a stronger therapy if symptoms progress, or use the strongest possible therapy at the outset?
• Do the most effective medications always have the most side-effects?

 

Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. The cascade of holidays is around the corner, and you’re probably already prepping your palate for some rich meals. On our next episode, join Geoff as he chats with Ashley Madden about OMS-friendly holiday cooking tips, just in time to ensure your holiday meals will be healthy and delicious!