Website for Alternative and Off-Label Treatments

Gema Ramos, RN, Care Services Coordinator, ALS United Greater Chicago

Did you see a new medication on the internet? Did you hear about a treatment for ALS on a social media site?  The information might be promising groundbreaking treatments or results. Certainly, one of the people to inquire about this medication would be your neurologist. Another great option that you may not be aware of is ALSUntangled®. This website was started in 2009 by the North American ALS Research Group (ALSRG) to help pALS and families make informed decisions about alternative and off-label treatments.

ALSUntangled® performs systematic reviews on alternative and off-label treatments. The review revolves around a Table of Evidence with 5 different categories: mechanistic plausibility, preclinical models, cases, trials, and risks. Grades are given in each category ranging from A (best) to F (worst), with U meaning no useful disclosable evidence was found in that category. The information is reviewed and crowd-sourced across an international team of more than 100 clinicians and scientists across 11 different countries.

Next time you hear about an alternative medication or treatment, go to alsuntangled.com to find out more information.