Selma Blair’s recent in-flight arrest has raised questions about the potential effects when a person with multiple sclerosis misses prescribed medication.
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person → raise → medication
The actress, 54, was arraigned Monday on two counts of second-degree assault after allegedly attacking a police officer and nurse following an altercation with flight attendants aboard a Delta flight into New York City, the Associated Press reported.
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Press → arraign → City
In court, Blair’s attorney, Shawn Barnes, said that Blair had missed several doses of "a powerful medication that controls severe neurological symptoms," according to multiple outlets, including AP.
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that → say → AP
The attorney added that Blair hit her head during the flight, which departed from Los Angeles, and was in "a state of severe confusion and disorientation."
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which → add → confusion
He also suggested the altitude may have been a factor.
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altitude → suggest → ?
The incident was the result of a "medical emergency" and not criminal misconduct, he claimed.
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he → claim → emergency
Blair was diagnosed with MS in 2018.
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Blair → diagnose → 2018
It is not known which medication she reportedly missed or whether her symptoms were directly related to multiple sclerosis.
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symptoms → know → sclerosis
Fox News Digital reached out to Blair's representatives requesting comment.
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Digital → reach → comment
What to know about MS medications
There are three primary treatment approaches for multiple sclerosis, according to Dr. Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist practicing in Jackson, Tennessee, at West Tennessee Healthcare.
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know → know → Healthcare
"The first-line treatments we utilize try to prevent recurrent inflammatory attacks," Murray, who has not treated Blair, told Fox News Digital.
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who → utilize → Digital
These medications often involve IV infusions, but they can be in the form of pills or injections the patient gives themselves.
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patient → involve → themselves
"These are oftentimes medications folks take for several years," Murray said.
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Murray → take → years
"The hope of that is to keep the MS suppressed, to keep [the patient] from having MS attacks."
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hope → keep → attacks
When patients experience an MS relapse, doctors may prescribe high-dose steroids, either orally or intravenously, to reduce inflammation and help speed recovery, according to Cleveland Clinic.
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doctors → experience → Clinic
Patients with multiple sclerosis often have other health issues, Murray noted.
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Murray → have → issues
"If an MS medication dosage is missed, the patient runs the risk of having an MS relapse."
"For instance, patients with MS may have bladder difficulties, or they’ll develop depression or neuropathic pain," he said.
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he → miss → depression
"And so we prescribe medications that don't treat the MS itself, but they deal with the symptoms related to MS."
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they → prescribe → MS
Dr. Yoshua Quinones, board-certified internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan, reiterated that there are different classes of MS medications.
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Quinones → certify → medications
"Disease-modifying therapy reduces relapses, new MRI lesions and long-term disability accumulation," Quinones, who also did not treat Blair, told Fox News Digital.
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who → modify → Digital
Other medications are used to treat acute relapses or manage symptoms such as fatigue, walking difficulties, spasticity and bladder problems.
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medications → use → fatigue
Disease-modifying therapies themselves fall into several categories, according to the doctor.
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therapies → modify → doctor
Immunomodulators help regulate the immune system, while anti-trafficking drugs prevent certain immune cells from reaching the brain and spinal cord.
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drugs → help → brain
Cell-depleting therapies, which are generally considered highly effective treatments, target and remove specific immune cells.
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which → deplete → cells
Risks of skipping doses
It’s essential for patients to be compliant with their MS medications, according to Murray.
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patients → skip → Murray
"If an MS medication dosage is missed, the patient runs the risk of having an MS relapse, which can result in acute or new changes neurologically," he said.
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he → miss → changes
"There's a host of different symptoms that can occur."
Potential effects of a relapse may include balance difficulties, vision loss, dizziness, bowel or bladder dysfunction, or weakness, numbness or tingling on one side.
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effects → be → side
"If a patient with multiple sclerosis has missed their doses of medication and begins to develop new neurological deficits, they need to seek medical attention to see if they are in an active MS flare," Murray advised.
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Murray → miss → flare
"Recognizing that and being able to quickly get on high-dose steroids can reverse some of the symptoms the patient may be experiencing."
Although steroids can speed recovery from an MS relapse, they have not been shown to improve long-term outcomes, according to the MS Society.
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they → recognize → Society
Quinones agreed that skipping medications will reduce disease control.
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skipping → agree → control
"Poor compliance will increase the risk of relapse and MS-related hospitalizations," she said.
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she → increase → relapse
"For example, if you stop any anti-trafficking medication, it carries a high risk of rapid disease reactivation.
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it → stop → reactivation
Abrupt cessation of this class can even trigger a rebound worse than baseline.
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cessation → trigger → baseline
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Cell-depleting agents can act over months, so a single missed or delayed dose is less immediately impactful, Quinones added.
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Quinones → deplete → months
"A single dose of disease-modifying therapy is not catastrophic — however, if constantly missed, it can raise a relapse risk."
The risks of missing medication depend on the specific drug, how long treatment is interrupted and the patient's individual circumstances, according to doctors.
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treatment → modify → doctors
Fox News’ Tracy Wright contributed reporting.
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Wright → contribute → reporting
The Aporia
