PrintTreatment for MSA
Treating MSA is difficult because it is not responsive to levodopa therapy (the treatment of choice for Parkinson's disease). In some cases, levodopa may have some benefit early in the course of the disease, but the response is generally short-lived.
Other medications may be used to alleviate particular symptoms, such as the orthostatic hypotension or urinary incontinence in Shy-Drager syndrome.
Physical, occupational, and speech therapy have all proven helpful for maintaining mobility in the early stages of Parkinson's and they may be helpful in treating MSA as well.
Please contact the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for more information and resources on multiple system atrophy.
