Hi
85% of people diagnosed with MS have relapsing remitting MS. If you are diagnosed with RRMS, then you can get a disease modifying drug which is designed to reduce the number of relapses and reduce the severity of this relapses. If you want a DMD with as few side effects as possible, then you could go for one of the older DMDs like Copaxone, you inject subcutaneously (just under the skin) 3 times a week. It has few side effects but only has on average a relapse reduction rate of 30-35%. Or Plegridy, an injection once per fortnight, side effects being mild flu type feeling, but only for a day or two. An equal relapse reduction rate.
If you go for one of the more efficacious DMDs then you run into the risk of more side effects.
If you think you’ve had relapses that have given you symptoms which have improved over time, a diagnosis of MS is likely to be RRMS.
If that’s the case, then assuming you are diagnosed, at least if you opted for one of those two drugs, you’d be getting some protection from relapses but with little chance of bad side effects. It could keep you living your life well for longer. I would suggest that if you are drug averse because of potential side effects, then one of those drugs is the middle ground. There is absolutely no reason why you’d have any problem continuing your job whilst taking either of these drugs.
Obviously, there are other drugs that many people manage to take and continue their active working life whilst taking which have better relapse rates but run the risk of more side effects, such as Tecfidera. Actually, there’s probably no reason why you couldn’t continue your job whilst taking any of these first line drugs, it’s just a case of managing how you take them.
However, if you think that the MS type symptoms you’ve had have stayed with you and not remitted (or got better), then assuming you get a diagnosis of MS, it could be progressive from the start. Don’t forget that only about 15% of people get that diagnosis though. In such a case, you could decide that living in ignorance of any potential diagnosis is preferable at the present time. There’s no reason why you can’t change your mind no later after all.
But, assuming you do in fact have RRMS (given that you’ve said you have had relapses), actually you might have more to lose by not being diagnosed. If you live your life with RRMS and no DMDs then you run the risk of damaging relapses.
Sue