Safety Advice for People Living with Multiple Sclerosis

People who have been involved with providing patient care know how important patient safety is. Preventing falls and medications errors in the hospital setting are of utmost importance. However, it is not just in medical facilities where this is important. Patients suffering from a chronic disease but who are living in the comfort of their own homes also have unique safety concerns. This is especially true for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Complications associated with MS can lead to an increased risk of falling as well as potential dangers with other daily activities. A study published in 2014 revealed that patients with MS are more likely to fall than patients without MS.

However, an MS diagnosis does not mean that you are going to lead an unsafe life. It just means that you may need to take some extra precautions that you did not have to take before your diagnosis.

A recent article provides some very useful safety tips for people with MS.

1. Prevent medication errors at home

Just as preventing medication errors in the hospital is extremely important for healthcare providers, preventing medication errors at home is important for MS patients. This really means being diligent about adhering to your medication schedule so that you do not miss medications or take the wrong one. MS can cause cognitive changes that affect memory. This can present a problem when it comes to remembering if they took a certain medication or not.

A neuropsychologist at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, Victoria Leavitt, described that only 64 percent of MS patients adhere to their medication schedule. Patients in this study explained that fatigue and forgetfulness were the culprits affecting their medication adherence.

2. Look out for false feelings of improvement

In addition, many people with chronic illnesses stop taking their medications. They might be feeling better and therefore think that they no longer need medication. This, however, is faulty logic. The reason that many of these patients are feeling better is because the medications they have been taking require some time to kick in, and are finally started working. When they stop them, their symptoms worsen.

Leavitt says that for people with relapsing-remitting MS, where the symptoms come and go, it is more common for them to stop taking their medications. Additionally, many medications require caution with initiation and stopping. Suddenly stopping a medication could result in unwanted and dangerous consequences. 

If you feel you should stop one of your medications for the sake of your health and wellbeing, be sure to speak with your healthcare team before making this decision. Suddenly stopping a medication could have disastrous effects. Your doctor will help you make this decision in a way that will be best for you.

Read on for more safety advice for people living with multiple sclerosis and their caretakers.