Selma Blairs recent in-flight arrest has raised questions about the potential effects when a person with multiple sclerosis misses prescribed 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.
In court, Blairs attorney, Shawn Barnes, said that Blair had missed several doses of “a powerful medication that controls severe ,” according to multiple outlets, including AP.
SELMA BLAIR ACCUSED OF KICKING NURSE HOURS AFTER JFK PLANE ARREST
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.” He also suggested the altitude may have been a factor.
The incident was the result of a “” and not criminal misconduct, he claimed.
Blair was diagnosed with MS in 2018.
It is not known which medication she reportedly missed or whether her symptoms were directly related to multiple sclerosis. Fox News Digital reached out to Blair’s representatives requesting comment.
There are three primary for multiple sclerosis, according to Dr. Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist practicing in Jackson, Tennessee, at West Tennessee Healthcare.
“The first-line treatments we utilize try to prevent recurrent inflammatory attacks,” Murray, who has not treated Blair, told Fox News Digital.
These medications often involve IV infusions, but they can be in the form of pills or injections the patient gives themselves.
“These are oftentimes medications folks take for several years,” Murray said. “The hope of that is to keep the MS suppressed, to keep [the patient] from having MS 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.
Patients with multiple sclerosis often have other , Murray noted.
“For instance, patients with MS may have bladder difficulties, or theyll develop depression or neuropathic pain,” he said. “And so we prescribe medications that don’t treat the MS itself, but they deal with the symptoms related to MS.”
Dr. Yoshua Quinones, board-certified internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan, reiterated that there are different classes of MS 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.
Other medications are used to treat acute relapses or manage symptoms such as fatigue, walking difficulties, spasticity and bladder problems.
Disease-modifying therapies themselves fall into several categories, according to the doctor.
Immunomodulators help regulate the immune system, while anti-trafficking drugs prevent certain immune cells from reaching the . Cell-depleting therapies, which are generally considered highly effective treatments, target and remove specific immune cells.
