How is MS treated when active?

• A. Antibiotics
• B. Steroids
• C. Antipsychotics
• D. Antihistamines

Answer: (B)

When MS is active, the goal is to dampen brain and spinal cord inflammation to shorten the relapse and speed recovery. High-dose corticosteroids are the treatment of choice for an acute MS flare. They reduce inflammatory edema around demyelinated areas and help symptoms improve more quickly. A common approach is intravenous methylprednisolone given daily for about 3–5 days, sometimes followed by a taper of oral steroids. These steroids don't change the long-term course of the disease; disease-modifying therapies are used to reduce relapses over time, but not to treat the immediate flare. If a relapse is severe and doesn't respond to steroids, plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) may be considered. The other options—antibiotics, antipsychotics, and antihistamines—do not treat the acute inflammatory episode of MS.