Increased Fatigue

[deb727]

I'm in my 3rd week of Tecfidera, and so far, so good. Almost. I've had minor stomach issues and a couple bouts of bad flushing, but my main concern is that my fatigue level has increased dramatically. At times I'm almost too tired to eat, which if you'd see me, you would know is highly unusual. Thank god for my boyfriend, he's been carrying the load for the past couple weeks. Has anyone else noticed an increase in their fatigue level, and has it improved? I'm flying half-way across the country in a couple weeks to visit some dear friends, and I don't want to be asleep for my whole visit!

[shalimar]

fatigue and muscle stiffness

Been on Tec for 4 weeks and the last week my legs are so stiff am really having trouble walking. Anyone else?

[Finch]

I had started a few months ago on the 120 dose and had some GI problems and had to stop. I restarted this week, closely following the food and medication regimen, and things are much better. But, I am totally exhausted. I get very sleepy after I take the pill, but now it lasts throughout the next day before I even take it. It's a bone-tired exhaustion (my bones actually hurt!) and it's getting hard to deal with and I haven't even moved up to the 240 dose.

Did anyone experience this and have it go away in time? Or find ways to deal with it?

[emily06]

still just first pill

What symptoms we might experience that would indicate that we have an allergy to this medicine and need to stop it. How much of these bad symptoms are okay?

[anney3]

fatigue

Our son's neuro wants him to start on this drug but we here so much about severe fatigue. When our son was on tysabri, he also had severe fatigue and we thought this would be a different outcome. Is everyone on this drug suffering from severe fatigue and GI problems

[anney3]

fatigue

Our son's neuro wants him to start on this drug but we here so much about severe fatigue. When our son was on tysabri, he also had severe fatigue and we thought this would be a different outcome. Is everyone on this drug suffering from severe fatigue and GI problems

[Toomnyhats]

For me, the fatigue (thankfully) only lasted a few weeks. It started w/pill #1 but by about week 3 it went away.

My GI issues have been relatively mild & quite managable with OTC products. The one time I got really sick I think it was a stomach flu that the Tec aggrevated.

As long as I eat a carb/protein/fat combo with the pill I'm OK. For me, that can be as little as a piece of toast w/peanut butter. I don't need a full meal, although I have heard others here say their system needs more food.

If you start this dmd, I recommend taking it for 2 mos or more before deciding to stop. S/E, for most, really do lessen over time. Titrate more slowly if needed. Your doc is the best guide for that.

Premedicate as needed. I purposefully didn't do any premedication (other than eating carb/protein/fat) before my 1st dose so I would know what my specific S/E were. For me, it turns out they were minimal & didn't need any OTC products.

[emily06]

duration on Tec

Somewhere on this board a couple of people stated that the Tec leaves the body within 24 hrs. I thought we wanted it to stay to help stop the progression of MS. And wouldn't that also mean each new day we take it we'd experience the same bad side effects we were having the day before. I'm on week 2 an the fatigue is awful and I was hoping over time (hopefully a very short time) this S/E would go away. I can't function out here on my own in this shape.
So does the Tec totally leave your body within a day?

[hope32]

Somewhere on this board a couple of people stated that the Tec leaves the body within 24 hrs. I thought we wanted it to stay to help stop the progression of MS. And wouldn't that also mean each new day we take it we'd experience the same bad side effects we were having the day before. I'm on week 2 an the fatigue is awful and I was hoping over time (hopefully a very short time) this S/E would go away. I can't function out here on my own in this shape.
So does the Tec totally leave your body within a day?

Well, if you're taking the pills about every 12 hrs as directed, it never really leaves your system. I think that's more a factor for if you go off Tec and wonder how long S/E's might linger.

For me, I'm up to 2 weeks now. I feel like my fatigue has increased some but not dramatically. I'm working on going to bed earlier to see if that helps. I do have some GI side effects and they've been rough a couple mornings but manageable overall. I do always premedicate with zantac and baby aspirin, and I just today moved up to the full 240mg 2x/day.

[JBWInColorado]

I just today moved up to the full 240mg 2x/day.

Yay!! You made it!
You're way ahead of me...

[Finch]

Checking in about my fatigue, which has gotten worse. I've been on 120 mg for two weeks straight now, and by the second week I felt like I was hit by a truck. Exhaustion, aching, sensation of weakness. I can't imagine going up to 240 mg if it will make things worse.

Has anyone had strong fatigue and found it went away? If so, how long did it take?

[emily06]

that's exactly "it." I feel like I have been hit by a truck. I've been trying to find the right words. I've been on Tec for 4 weeks - 120 mg for a week than the 240 mg. I'm just so exhausted and I thought my MS fatigue was bad before... I hope it gets better sticking with Tec but it sure doesn't look that way now. I even went to bed earlier last night hoping that would help. It didn't help at all. I haven't had the strength to take a shower/bath for the past 3 days. Yikes! I guess I'd better go work on that now. Recently I started putting my phone by the bath tub when I take a bath or wash my hair - just in case.

[emily06]

Opps, I knew something didn't sound right when I just wrote that last post. I haven't been on Tec for 4 weeks - i'ts only been 2!!! Today is the start of my 3rd week! So it just seems like I've been on it - struggled with it - for so much longer! Wow I checked my calendar just to make sure.

[MyLukas]

I started Tec in July for 1 month and I just could not take the extreme fatigue, so my Dr. said to restart 1 120 dose every other day, I have been doing that for almost 2 months now, and I am supposed to have worked up back to 2 120dose tec a day, but I cannot bring myself to go back to the full dose again I had so many GI issues as well as the worse fatigue so bad that all i wanted to do was lay around all day every day! I cannot even think about doing 2 240 dose pills a day, I feel I am in LIMBO now and don't know what im gonna do..................

[TimsGirl]

Copax to Tec-my energy level improved

I'm reading with interest how many of you feel more fatigued on Tec. My first couple days I felt lower energy but I have to say that since then, I have had more energy than while on Copaxone. My family really noticed, too. Everyone is different, but it made me wonder how much of my prior fatigue was due to MS vs. Copaxone.