Ritalin Anyone?

[Deb61]

Has anyone taken Ritalin for the MS fatigue and/or cognitive issues?  I've just been prescribed this drug in place of the Provigil that my insurance company won't cover.  

[PepperJelly]

Is there anyone that uses Ritalin for MS and find that helps with muscle fatigue and makes walking a bit less challenging?

[Tuanhua]

Ritalin is good.

[Tuanhua]

Ritalin helps me wrote 15 poem and each one took me 15 minutes.
Provigil doesn’t work on me.

[MikeMav]

In 2012, my doctor gave me 30 days of samples of Provigil for sleepiness and brain fog from sleep apnea which persisted despite my compliance with CPAP treatment.  It worked well but insurance would not cover it after the 30 days. I inherited some money and paid cash for one month  It was a little over $800. I was a 300 lbs. guy.  He gave me Adderall, gradually building up to  dose of 20 mg three times a day.  Eventually a different insurance wanted Adderall twice a day, not three times a day, so I ended up on 30 mg twice a day.  Adderall worked as well as Provigil.  The tablets are scored so the twice a day Rx was no problem, I broke the tablets and took them as most effective for me. Many days I only took 45 mg, because by the time I felt a need for the last 1/2 tablet, it was too late in the day to take more stimulant. This year I ended up with an insurance which covers generic Ritalin but not generic Adderall.  Experts say the equivalent dose would be double the dose of Adderall, but my doctor would only give me 20 mg three times a day.  That is the PDR maximum.It works, but at this dose is less effective than the Adderall.  If I could choose the dose, I would go with 80 or 100 mg a day.  Fortunately, I am not addiction prone with uncontrollable cravings.  I am able to make a month's prescription last a month and it is fairly helpful.

[maxthecat43]

I took it for one day.  My heart was racing so badly, that I decided it wasn't worth it.

[saltlover]

I have taken it 20 mg twice a day I focus much better and I've lost 12 pounds in 2.5 months. Good luck to you.

[Rick11871]

I was taking Provigil which is now called Nuvigil and that was working alright for me. I did actually take a dose of the Nuvigil about an hour ago and I am feeling much more alert. I am going to stop the Ritalin all togrther and just use the Nuvigil. I hope that everything works out for you.

[Deb61]

The Ritalin is not as good as the Provigil, but it helps a little bit with the fatigue.  I am going to see how it works when I start back in two weeks--that's the real test.  

My doctor wrote me a prescription to get the generic version of Provigil through a Canadian pharmacy.  I'm going to try that if I'm too fatigued at work.  I was discouraged the day of that post.  If could have bitten nails!  I will try really hard to hang in there at work before having to retire.  You just never know, though . . .

[Rick11871]

I have been dx with MS since June 97. My neuro wanted me to try Ritalin for my fatigue. It sounds strange but the Ritalin seems to actually make me more tired. They increased my dosage but it is still not doing anything for me. I don't know if anyone has had similar results. Take care.

[Forgetfullkaykay]

I'm late here but have tried it for fatigue - maybe should try again, only took it once or twice and didn't seem to affect me.  I am not dx with MS, but have fatigue and CNS symptoms from lupus.

[Deb61]

Thank you so much for the feedback.  I just dropped off my prescription to get it filled at the pharmacy.  I'm holding out a little bit of hope that the medicine will work.  I'm thouroughly discouraged about the Provigil not being covered by my insurance company because I feel halfway human on this medicine.  

I kind of feel like the character Charlie in Flowers for Algernon having seen the way I could be and having to slide backwards to the way things were before. For me, the cognitive disorder and fatigue is manageable with the Provigil.  Without the medicine, I'm like in a brain damaged stupor and feel very, very badly.  My doctor has fought the insurance company now for two months and cannot get it approved.  

Hopefully, there'll be more trials (if there's been any at all) of MS patients using Provigil to have this option available.  The Ritalin is my last stop before retiring on disability.  I don't know if my doctor trusts some of the Internet sites offering discounted generic Provigil enough for him to write a prescription.  I'm sure he is concerned about where I order the medicine from if I will be getting quality medicine or not.  

Deb-  a little flustered today.  

[TAVL]

I have been on Aderall since January. The biggest benefit for me was it helped my depression. When I mentioned this to my doctor he said it was once prescribed for depression.  

[risnerrose]

I also was prescribed Ritalin because my insurance would not cover Provigil.  I took it for a year, but it gradually became less effective.  I have now moved on to Adderall.  Unlike Provigil, the other two meds "kick in" much sooner.  I occasionally "schedule" a dose if I know I need evening energy (the kind of energy required to go to a movie with your family).  If I forget to take a dose, I am quickly reminded of how well they actually work.  I can't say I prefer the cheaper meds, but they do help me function better . . . physically and mentally.

Wishing you success,

Sherry

[Nancy T]

I don't have MS (so it appears), but I have quite a few similar symptoms, including dizziness and the related brain fog and fatigue.

Back in 2000, neuro prescribed Provigil, saying "we used to use Ritalin for this" but that Provigil is now favored because of fewer side effects. Provigil was very helpful for both fatigue and cognition, although I didn't like the late-afternoon "letdown" effect I got with it. It was rather unpleasant.

Later I switched to Ritalin and got great help from it, though it's short-acting. Indeed it has a slight "speed" effect--I found I was more willing to initiate conversations (which I didn't like to do when brain-fogged), I typed faster, I talked more... but not like I was "high." I just felt more cheerful, much more "with it" and could actually accomplish something during the day rather than sitting around in a stupor. Ritalin has a great "motivating" effect. Helped with fatigue too, though I found the Provigil was better for fatigue. Basically the Ritalin made me feel NORMAL, more like myself. I do not have ADD but I certainly have some of those tendencies... but my cognition problem was definitely related to the DIZZINESS.

For the past 7 years I've been taking Strattera for the "fog" and it works GREAT, FANTASTIC, with no side effects. It's ridiculously expensive, even more than Provigil, but fortunately my insurance covers all these drugs.

Give the Ritalin a try... it worked great for me. If it doesn't work for you, perhaps your neuro can talk the insurance company into Provigil?

[HVAC]

I tried it twice for MS and personally hated it. I just could not get used to it. But everyone is different. Other people love it. It all has to do with your personal chemistry.

Alex

[Sumanadevii]

I have an adult friend on this medicine.  She is not using it for MS.  My only warning is she complains of losing weight and getting a headache as she comes down from it

i hope it works for you.

[Ufrustrated2]

i know some folks in my MS support group that take it for the MS fatigue/fog and really like it.  i tried to get the VA neuro to Rx it, but a no go. don't even ask for provigil at the VA. i guess whoever makes provogil has priced it so ridiculous no on touches it.

VA gave me amantadine. didn't work for me the way i was hoping.

as i mentioned, others at the MS group really like the ritalin and provogil. i have yet to run into any MS'ers that found amantadine working well for their MS fatigue/fog

[supermum_ms]

Personally no but i've worked with quite a few kids and young adults who take it for various reasons.

Basically if your brain is racing so fast it can't follow (ADHD with or without the H part) long enough to function as well as you could, Ritalin can help to slow it down and give you longer concentration. It also slows down the hyperactive part of ADHD and provides some relief though not always.

Now the opposite affect is thought to happen in none affected individuals, so speeds up thought, energy etc one of the reasons Ritalin has value in the illegal drug world and club seen. It is sort of like speed but legal.

I'm not up to date on if it will help with concentration and provide energy, I suppose it feasably could but in my head its sort of trying to take the best of both worlds, i wouldn't be suprised if it gave you more energy but made your thoughts race a bit fast or the complete opposite. I do think it helps to know what to expect from all aspects, no suprises.

My youngest was on a similar type drug but instead of slowing him down it sped him up, though i do know that it has been life changing for a lot of people, in a good way that is. lol If you want to know all about Ritalin, the good the bad and the indifferent then google is your friend, there is just so much information available on this drug.

Cheers.........JJ