FATIGUE DRUGS

[Laura719]

Hi Again, I am really liking this Forum, I really need to go to sleep but cant stop reading and trying to help people with what I have learned.

This is my first day on I already posted one questions and listed myMS History. As I was reading I kindof got the way to do it:-) FIrst  I would like to say My Cognity is acting up so I am having a hard time finding the correct word to use so bare with me if a word does not make sense

So I have Major Fatigue, Last month my Doc gave me Amadine, it worked great for about two weeks then I went right back to Major Fatique issues. Wednesday Doc gave me a different drug to try. Nuvigil. I got samples of 250 mg and cut it in half. Took on Thursday Morning and I was so Spastic! I could not sit still, stop talking, I was just sooo well Crazy! Funny Crazy but Crazy all the same.  That night I had a masive headache, which I read the drug form and found out that is the most comen side effect. Could not go asleep that night finally feel asleep at 2:00 am and got up at 6:00 to go to work. I was very Hyper again right when I woke up. Took another hald of pill and went to work Half of the day I was Hyper then I crashed, guessing the 4 hours sleep overrode the pill. Which is why I should and will go to sleep after this!!!

Has anyone taking this medicine for Fatigue? If yes what side effects did you have and did it get better as your system got used to the medicine. I just dont know if I want to keep taking it if I am going to be crazy, cant sleep then crash every other day. I cant tell if it is working or not, right now I am going by my Cognitive and if it gets worse during the day or night which it usually does if I am having a real issue with Fatigue then I will assume the medicine is not working, Any suggestions!  It is getting so bad I just dont know how long I can continue to work and right now I cant get the steroids cause of my Tysabri Experiment we are doing, (read my other post for explantion about that!!!!)  I have to say right now I HATE that I have MS!!! No Drugs are working, why does my Body have to make this difficult for me, Why can't it just accept any MS Medicine and let me have a somewhat Normal Life again!!!

Sorry Tired and Really Fustrated!!
Going to bed, and sleep off the Pit Party, Night

[erin183]

Laura, YES! I have and DO take Nuvigil. The first time I tried it, the 150 mg dose, it was just too much. Headache and nausea each time. So I quit. But later on when fatigue got sooo much worse, I tried it again. My MS nurse told me to try half, so I only started on 75 mg which produced no negative side effects so I took that for a few weeks each day then moved  up to 150 mg. You are probably on too much! Ask your neuro for 150 mg. If you still have those headaches, cut it in half. It has been a lifesaver. I wish you the best!

[Deb61]

I haven't taken Nuvigil but its sister drug Provigil.  I had similar issues with Provigil when I first started it and thought I would hate it; however, after a week or two, I started to feel like a new person.  Of course, everyone is different.  This medicine, besides my DMD, made the greatest impact for me.  It helped with the cognitive stuff and fatigue.  

You may want to cut your pill again--into fourths instead of halves to begin with and go up to half a pill after you tolerate that.  Maybe you can take 1/4 in the morning and 1/4 before noon.  I wouldn't go past noon or you will have a hard time going to sleep (much like me after taking my Ritalin too late today).  I'd give it a good try, unless you think you will really hate it.  

BTW, welcome to the forum.  I absolutely love it.  There's lots of really smart, wonderful people here.  

Deb