What Is Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) and How Is RRMS Treated?

Posted on November 1, 2018

Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is the most common type of MS: 80 percent to 85 percent of people with MS are diagnosed with this type. Women are two to three times more likely to have RRMS than men. Most people with RRMS are diagnosed in their 20s or 30s. RRMS tends to cause more brain lesions than spinal cord lesions, resulting in increased cognitive and visual symptoms.

RRMS has a clear pattern of relapses (also called flare-ups or exacerbations) and intermittent periods of remission. During relapses, MS disease activity flares, causing new or more intense symptoms such as difficulty walking, brain fog, changes in eyesight, dizziness, or slurring of words. New lesions may appear. During periods of remission, people with RRMS may recover fully or partially, and symptoms may lessen, disappear, or remain the same. The disease does not appear to progress during remission. As remission becomes more rare, people with RRMS may eventually transition to secondary progressive MS.

The cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown. MS can be treated, but there is no cure. Symptoms vary among people with MS, but motor and cognitive problems are among the most common. Most people with MS eventually develop some degree of disability. MS is very rarely fatal, and on average, people with MS have similar life spans as people without MS.

Several disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) are indicated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat relapsing forms of MS. People diagnosed with RRMS should talk to their doctor about beginning (or changing) long-term maintenance treatment with a DMT to help reduce the frequency and severity of flares, and potentially delay MS disease progression.

Learn more about treatments indicated for RRMS:

Infused RRMS Treatments (through an IV at a clinic)

Lemtrada (Alemtuzumab)

Ocrevus (Ocrelizumab)

Tysabri (Natalizumab)

Novantrone (Mitoxantrone hydrochloride)

Oral RRMS Treatments (taken orally at home)

Aubagio (Teriflunomide)

Gilenya (Fingolimod)

Tecfidera (Dimethyl fumarate)

Injected RRMS Treatments (injected into the muscle at a clinic or home)

Avonex (Interferon beta 1a)