Hi Wobbly,
I only know this drug as an anti-viral used against like influenza or like respiratory infections. I believe this is the traditional use of the drug. I believe this is why MOST people take it. Is it used for like psuedo-parkinsonian type sysmptoms, maybe, I think that is what you said also right. Um I believe it can cause insomnia, dont know about giving for fatigue, why not Provigil?
missy
Yes , I use Amantadine twice a day . My neuro prescribed it to me because of my fatigue . I take 100 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night . It is my second month since I started and so far so good , no side effects .
I see the difference in my energy . I can do more during the day , but at night I hit my bed like a tone of bricks .
I cannot tell you if I am Dx , since I don't know .
I have been Dx , than the Dx was taken out .
Now my new neuro wants to put me on DMD .
I am waiting to see him for my MRI follow up .
So far I have been very patient , but my attitude is slowly changing , all together with my brain and spinal lesions .
I don't want to rumble about it on your thread .
It's going to be 3 years in October since they found my first 4 lesions .
Hope I have answered your question .
Please let me know .
Vanda
I am aware of amantadine being used to treat fatigue and I think some here have said that they have used it with success. I asked my neuro about it a while back; he was reluctant to prescribe it for me as he wanted to see first how well I could manage without it. This was back in Sept when I was just in the initial stages of a gradual return to work. I was very fatigued; and worried about my capacity to work full-time. I am finally working full-time again, with flexibility around my start and stop times and permission to make up any time from home. So with that flexibility I do manage to get through a 6 hour day at the office. I am usually depleted by the time I leave the office. If I had to work 5x8 hour days in the office, week after week, and I'm not sure I could do it without medication. I think the choice would be medication or part-time. As it is now, after work I don't much energy left for exercise, cooking, walking dogs. I cannot do as much as I could before, and need more sleep than I used to need. But I don't know if any of that is reason enough for me to try this drug. I would think those who have more severe fatigue, ie: can't even work part-time let alone full-time, are the best candidates.
How severe is your fatigue, ie: what are all the things you can no longer do, or do as often, b/c of your fatigue? Do you know if the cause has been pinpointed, meaning is it considered to be primary MS fatigue, or, secondary ie: a result of insomnia, etc?
Hi. I tried Amantadine many years ago for fatigue and it did nothing for me at all. In fact I found that a few shots of expresso did a better job than that med. So my Neuro put me on Modafinil - now that DID work - too well in fact. So now when I need a bit more energy I just take half in the morning and that gets me through the whole day. The problem, I think, that when you take meds to help you stay awake during the day, you are ignoring your body's desire to rest, because after I have taken Mod - the following day I am really really tired - so that day is a wipe out.
I only take it on a needs must basis, which isn't very often, I prefer to have my catnap instead.
Take care,
Debs