Safety/Effectiveness of Adding Monthly Dexamethasone to Weekly Avonex for MS

Inclusion Criteria: * male and female patients between the ages of 18-55 years inclusive * have provided informed consent to be screened for the study * have been diagnoses as having MS * meet the McDonald diagnostic criteria for RRMS or CHAMPS criteria for CIS * have an EDSS score of 0.0-3.5 * have had no immunomodulator or cytoxic agents and have had no steroids or other immunosuppressants within 30 days prior to Baseline Visit * must have had a brain MRI scan demonstrating lesions consistent with MS on T2-weighted or FLAIR images * subjects must be willing and able to participate in all aspects of the study, including use of study medications as prescribed, and screening and follow-up clinical and MRI assessments Exclusion Criteria: * type I of type II diabetes * uncontrolled hypertension (systolic \>160 or diastolic \>100 despite medication therapy) * history of suicidal ideation * history of psychosis * history of alcoholism or other substance abuse * clinically significant coronary artery disease * history of hepatic failure and chronic renal failure * history of cancer other than basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin * pregnancy or unwillingness to use adequate precautions to prevent pregnancy during the duration of this study * nursing mothers * history of stroke, dementia, seizure disorder, peripheral neuropathy, Parkinsonism, myasthenia, myelopathy or other primary degenerative disease of the central or peripheral nervous system * history of peptic ulcer disease * history of intolerance to corticosteroids or allergy to albumin * history of osteoporosis * history of Lupus, Sjogrens syndrome, Lyme disease or syphilis * abnormal laboratory results indicative of significant hepatic, renal, hematopoetic, or coagulation dysfunction * the entity of any disease entity, which in the opinion of the investigators would potentially prevent the patient from successfully completing 2 years participation in this trial or confound the observations made during this trial * prior use of Avonex, Betaseron, Rebif, mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, azothioprine, methotrexate, cladribine, cyclosporin, CellCept, IVIG, natalizumab, anti T-cell or anti B-cell antibodies, plasmapheresis or other systemic immunosuppressant or cancer chemotherapeutic agents * unwillingness or inability to comply with all the requirements of the protocol * known diagnosis of osteoporosis