While no cure has been found yet for ALS, treatments and support are available.
Treatment can provide survival benefits and supportive therapies can help relieve
symptoms.
Survival Benefits
RILUTEK is the only medicine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
for ALS. And there are benefits to starting RILUTEK treatment as soon as possible.
In medical studies, people who took RILUTEK lived an average of 2-3 months longer
than people who took a placebo (sugar pill). However, after 18 months of treatment,
there was no difference between those who took RILUTEK and those who took a placebo.
What this means is that, in clinical trials, RILUTEK offered a survival benefit early
in ALS treatment.
For those people who took RILUTEK, compared to those who took a sugar pill, there was
a longer time between starting treatment and the need for a tracheostomy. This
surgical procedure creates an opening in a patient’s windpipe to allow access to a
machine to help with breathing. People with ALS usually get this procedure as their
disease progresses.
RILUTEK tablets are white, film coated and capsule shaped. The recommended dose of
RILUTEK is 50 mg twice a day, taken at the same times every day. Some patients
may not notice an improvement in their condition while taking RILUTEK, however
clinical studies show that people who took RILUTEK survived longer and/or lived a
longer time before needing help with breathing than those who took a sugar pill.
To ensure that you are receiving the full benefit of treatment, take RILUTEK exactly
as your doctor tells you to. Remember, you should not stop taking any medication
without first talking to your doctor.
Click here to learn more about RILUTEK
Symptom Relief
There are treatments available that can help relieve ALS symptoms, such as:
Supportive Therapies
Supportive therapies are also used, and can help treat symptoms that are secondary to ALS
such as:
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Depression
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Difficulty sleeping
Talk to your doctor about treatments available to help relieve these symptoms.
Additional Support
ALS center support: An ALS center provides medical care and therapy for patients.
There are ALS centers all over the country. Each one is staffed by healthcare
professionals dedicated to treating people with ALS and supporting their caregivers.
ALS centers offer different healthcare services from a team of people who
are specially trained to meet the needs of ALS patients and their caregivers.
Services at ALS centers can include physical therapy, occupational therapy,
respiratory therapy, nursing, registered dietician services, psychology or
psychiatry, as well as speech and language pathology. Most ALS centers offer a
full range of these types of services, some offer only a few. So, it is best to
check with individual ALS centers to find out what is offered.
Click here to find
an ALS center near you.
Rehabilitation support: As muscles weaken, people with ALS may need
rehabilitation services. These services enhance independence and maintain safety.
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Physical therapy — to strengthen your muscles, keep your heart healthy, and fight fatigue
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Occupational therapy — to help you keep doing daily activities
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Speech therapy — to help you communicate because ALS affects the muscles you use to speak and swallow, and to help you learn to talk with communication devices
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Assistive devices — to help you move with devices such as braces, canes, walkers, and wheelchairs
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Nutritional support — to give you advice on foods that are nutritious and easy to swallow
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Emotional support — to help you with depression through medication and counseling
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Respiratory support — to help you breathe with an operation that creates an opening in your windpipe to allow access to a mechanical ventilator (Click here for a definition of tracheostomy)