Is there an alternative to Nuvigil for fatigue?

[lovemy6monkeys]

I was given Nuvigil to help me with the fatigue that is causing me to have to nap pretty much every afternoon. The prescription is for 250 mg, but the neuro said I could probably take a half a pill and be fine. The first day I took it I was fine. The second day I was wide awake until 1 am, so the next day I took it at about 9 am. All of those days I only took a 1/2 dose. The third time I was having rapid heartbeat and hand tingling off and on throughout the day. I didn't take any of the medicine for a few days, but then I had a day where I just really had a lot to do and I wanted to try to make it through the day without napping. I decided to take a 1/4 dose in the morning. It seemed better, but I still had some mild rapid heartbeat throughout the day. I took a 1/4 dose this morning, and the rapid heartbeat and hand numbness is happening off and on. It isn't horrible, but it is enough where I've decided that the Nuvigil must not be the right medicine for me to use.

I am lucky that I am a stay-at-home-mom, so 9 times out of 10 I do have the ability to lay down for a nap if I need to. The difficulty is that I'm also a full-time college student (online state university) and the only time I get a solid block of quiet to work on school is in the afternoon when my youngest is in nap and my older kids are at school. By dinnertime my brain is fried and I can't concentrate on anything beyond textbook reading, so working on school after the kids are in bed isn't really an option.

Is there any other option for helping with afternoon fatigue? I usually have 2 cups of coffee in the morning, and another cup in the afternoon, but even that doesn't seem to be enough to keep me awake.
Thanks for the help!
~Jess

[Fibrochic38]

There is a website called GOODRX. It considerably lowers the cost of meds. I have no insurance. My provigil costs me $80. Nuvigil is about $93. It really is a lifesaver!!! There are MANY different meds on there. It will tell you what to do and all that. The app is freaken awesome. I could never afford the meds i'm on without it. Hope this helps! Be blessed...

[jamesgilltrader]

My brother gets it approved for MS by bcbs, but he has to go through a battle every year. His neurologist has to send in a particular paper and sometimes it takes as long as a couple months. What is your ins co? Not that it matters,but it might. He now gets 3x day 250mg. Maybe they change the diagnosis to narcolepsy or something. I will ask him and find out for you.

[MimiJoanne]

Is any help available to reduce costs of Nuvigil . I am medicare with Humana supplement and my cost would be in excess of $800. For 30 tablets.  I can not afford this or two other medications each would require me to pay between between $600. And $800. I have been trying to find help, going without for the past two months.  Any advice would be apreciated

[debgen]

I have been taking Amantadine for about 6 months now, it helps most days but if I have a very busy morning I always need an afternoon nap.

[figuerpa]

My doc prescribed me Provigil, it helped me alot and he said that if that didn't work there was ridilin (spelling) that we could try.

The provigil is awesome but you have to take it early in the morning or else you won't sleep at night.

Paula

[Guitar_grrrl]

Amantadine is a good alternative. So is Ritalin.   Provigil is, too, though like wildcat said, insurance may balk.  If you can get your doc to write "for shiftwork" on the prescription, insurance is more likely to pay for it, as that's an accepted use.

Mayo did a study a few years ago putting Amantadine up against Acetyl L-Carnitine, and the Acetyl L-Carnitine compared favorably.  According to my MSologist, it gives the mitochondria in our cells a little something more than glucose or sucrose to work with and give us more energy. I don't notice a big difference, but I take it anyway.

I do take 100 mg of Nuvigil at noon on days that I work a PM shift.  It doesn't make me any more alert or energetic, but it does help keep me from falling asleep at the wheel on my 1 1/2 hr drive home.

Bottom line - there are various drugs out there to combat fatigue.  What works for one may not work for another.  Keep trying until you find something that works for you.

[wildcat2x]

when I mentioned fatigue to my doctor he mentioned amantatine (don't know if this is spelled right), I haven't tried it yet and said I would think about it.

wildcat2x

[SarahL2491]

Provigil works for me but my insurance won't cover it, since they don't yet accept it for MS