Fatigue meds??

[19447BW]

I was taking Provigil, but my insurance co-pays went up and I really can't afford it every month.
Now I take Dexedrine (an amphetamine). I don't necessarily like taking this drug, but it is only $10 a month.
I wanted to ask what everyone else takes? I know that some take Amantadine (usually for Parkinson's)
I have an appointment next week and would like to go in with a few ideas...
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Brooke

[andeolus]

What specifically don't you like about Dexedrine? You may find that other fatigue meds are similar or possibly worse. I started on Nuvigil for awhile. It only ever helped a little, it was expensive, and required authorization each time I filled it. It also made me sick, nausea and occasional diarrhea. I told my neurologist and I was prescribed Amantadine to supplement the Nuvigil.

That ended up giving me really blurry vision so I had to stop. After doing some research, I wanted to try Ritalin. I again spoke with my neuro and she wasn't comfortable with Ritalin so had me try Adderall XR. The difference was incredible. It helps get me through my day. I still crash now and again and need a nap, but for the most part it works well. But there are some downsides...

First, it's pricey. On my drug plan it's $25 a month. Your mileage may vary depending on your coverage so before you talk with your doctor, look up your costs ahead of time for any drug that my be suggested to you. Second, it keeps me focused. A little *too* focused. If I don't have something to keep me occupied, I will get restless. I have to be engaged almost all of the time or else I become listless. Third, it's schedule II so there's the whole jumping through hoops. But I'm sure you're already familiar with that side of it with the Dexedrine.

Despite what I mentioned above, I will say I am very pleased with the results of Adderall. Before I was taking it, I would drag myself to work and just be exhausted all day. I'd miss a lot of work because there would be days I'd wake up and have to go immediately back to sleep because I just couldn't function. I'd then spend the majority of the day sleeping only getting up to eat, wash up, and then go back to sleep.

Good luck to you. I have always said the fatigue has been my most crippling symptom and now I feel like I have a fighting chance.

[Justsayyes]

I am new to ritalin, switching from provigil because I felt I was getting more headaches on provigil. It is definitely less expensive. I have to see the neuro every 3 months while on this, and must pick up my prescription at the office to refill. I guess because it is a medication that is often abused.

Amantadine worked fine for me, it was a more subtle boost of energy that lasted 4 hours. It caused me some severe constipation, but that could be just my unlucky side effect. It is an anti-viral medication and that seemed to keep me from getting any viruses while I was on it.

[christysms]

hi my name is christy and i have been recently diagnosed with ms. (april 2011). i was extremely fatigued so my neuro gave me nuvigil it worked great! then i had to get prior auth. it was expensive. i have tried ritlin and it worked but then i wouldnt sleep at night even though i took it early in the day. i have also tried provigil when i was out of nuvigil. i did not like it at all. however with that being said i have thought about talking to my neuro about upping my dose of nuvigil because it doesnt seem to work as good anymore.

~christy's ms~

[LindaT5761]

adderall

My neuro has just prescribed adderall for the fatigue i complained about. I have not yet filled the RX, plan to do so today. I think this thread has already answered some of my questions about this med. I was afraid there'd be a price to pay in crashing later.

My pattern has been I can only do 1 thing a day that involves leaving the house. After I get home, i'm worn out & pretty much useless for the rest of the day. Even if I don't leave the house, I can only do a few things before I'm too tired. So maybe this med will help me get more done.

[andeolus]

My neuro has just prescribed adderall for the fatigue i complained about. I have not yet filled the RX, plan to do so today. I think this thread has already answered some of my questions about this med. I was afraid there'd be a price to pay in crashing later.

My pattern has been I can only do 1 thing a day that involves leaving the house. After I get home, i'm worn out & pretty much useless for the rest of the day. Even if I don't leave the house, I can only do a few things before I'm too tired. So maybe this med will help me get more done.

I can't say enough good things about Adderall. I was very reticent about taking it as well. I hadn't done any research on it like I had with the Ritalin, and once I did I was concerned about the side effects. At the time I felt like they were much worse than the Ritalin. However, after missing yet another day to fatigue, I decided to take the plunge and give a go.

The first time I took it I did notice a bit of heart racing, but this stopped on my third dose. The XR tabs usually keep me going until about 2 in the afternoon; after that I start to tire out a bit. Nothing major, but it is enough that I can't keep going at the same pace I was earlier in the day. My neurologist has suggested that I take one when I wake up and one before noon but I think this is overkill. By two, my day is almost over, and I don't want to over medicate. There is still a risk of dependency so I want to avoid that at all costs.

[Sequoia]

Some of our members have successfully treated their fatigue with a combination of two OTC supplements, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L-Carnitine.

This combo is recommended by Dr. Eliott Frohman, a highly respected MS neurologist, and by Dr. Andy Weil.

Here's a recent thread on the subject:

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=100794

[LindaT5761]

Another adderall worry

My fear is I'll still be clumsy, uncoordinated, unable to balance, with difficulty walking but on top of all that I'll be on speed. I'll have more drive to do stuff without more ability to do it. How frustrating is this?

My neuro has just prescribed adderall for the fatigue i complained about. I have not yet filled the RX, plan to do so today. I think this thread has already answered some of my questions about this med. I was afraid there'd be a price to pay in crashing later.

My pattern has been I can only do 1 thing a day that involves leaving the house. After I get home, i'm worn out & pretty much useless for the rest of the day. Even if I don't leave the house, I can only do a few things before I'm too tired. So maybe this med will help me get more done.

[19447BW]

The main reason I want to get off the dexedrine is the fact that I have to go in to the doctor every month & pick up the rx, no refills, no calling in the rx etc. Also, the pharmacy is (more often than not) out of it!
Sounds like things all work differently for everyone - which makes sense. It does make my heart race at times, and my BP goes up, but there are days that I seriously can NOT stay awake!
My neuro is not a MS specialist - I had to transfer to him because my doctor lost his license (long story) so he isn't really up on the meds...
I changed my appt to today. I'll let you guys know what I find out - thank you so much for all advice!!

[Shashi]

I am a big fan of acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid. They have done wonders with that bone-weary, battery-draining fatigue that I dealt with for years. I took several different things for fatigue (amantadine, Focalin, and Provigil) and none of them worked very well. One of them just hypered me up, one of them didn't do much at all, and Provigil gave me severe chest pain.

I've been taking ALA and ALC for almost two years now. The thing I like best is that I don't get the "hypered" up feeling that I got with prescription meds, plus, these are natural substances that our bodies need anyway, so I'm not doping myself on something unnatural. In addition, studies have shown that they may be beneficial in treating MS, so great benefits all around.

Here's another post about these two supplements that I just recently posted. Check it out!

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthr...ghlight=acetyl

[Bob698]

Brooke; Not trying to be a pain, but please check with your Doc before you go the OTC route.
Some Docs don't believe in OTC meds but the big issue is accidentally taking an OTC that conflicts with one of your conventional prescriptions.
We're human beings and if a little works then a lot will work better, right?
BTW, Justsayyes nailled it with Amantadine. Very subtle and cheap (although you'll need a prescription). I also had the constipation issue but found drinking more water was very helpful.

[Scooter24]

Brooke- have you contacted Provigil to see if they have copay assistance for it? never hurts to ask. I have gotten it with all the drugs I have taken prior to going to the VA. My mother gets 2 of hers for free.

[Spydre]

I am new to ritalin, switching from provigil because I felt I was getting more headaches on provigil. It is definitely less expensive. I have to see the neuro every 3 months while on this, and must pick up my prescription at the office to refill. I guess because it is a medication that is often abused.

Amantadine worked fine for me, it was a more subtle boost of energy that lasted 4 hours. It caused me some severe constipation, but that could be just my unlucky side effect. It is an anti-viral medication and that seemed to keep me from getting any viruses while I was on it.

Yeah, because it's schedule II, has to be a written prescription every time, filled within 7 days of the prescription being dated, etc. I've been jumping through those hoops for 9 years as both my kids have ADHD. Although I generally have the psychiatrist's office mail them to me, since he's about a 30 - 45 minute drive from here.

[techie]

Have you had Vit D checked?

Having a low one can make you extra tired.
techie

[kikiblue]

I take adderal. It helps with the fatigue and I am able to stay focused at work. I have taken provigil but I crashed prety bad by the end of the day. No problems with the adderal.