This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I asked the doctor for adderall. He was against it, he stated that people build up a tolerance to it very easily. Therefore he gave me provigil. I dont know whether it comes in different doses or not but I got the 200mg doses. They are not doing me any good. I can take one then go to bed! I am looking for that evening "get me motivated" energy because I work 3pm-3am. Generally I get my "body fatigue" really bad between 6pm-9pm. Does anyone have any other suggestions? BTW, the provigil is expensive on co-pays to, at $50.00. SWo if it aint workin, I am not gonna get anymore!

I wish I could help on that one Bubba. However, I have heard many people say that the effects of that drug vary greatly person to person.

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http://myhopefuljourneyintoactualmsreco ... ogspot.com

Bubba,

Give the Provigal a month to work. If it does not get better then go back and ask for something else.

I was on it for 4 months with not much success. I am not on Adderal and it helps. If I build up a tolerance then I will deal with that when it comes.

Good luck!

Cat

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Holly - Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd

9/3/09 Stanford - Dr Dake - Stent in R-J to unblock Arachnoid Cyst in Sigmoid Sinus. Stent in narrowed L-J. Balloon in narrowing where R & L Jugulars meet.

Cat freak said

Did you mean ON adderall??

Adderall is a schedule drug so it is a bit of a pain for the doctor to prescribe.

I did not get good resuts from provigil at all. I felt anxious and jittery not healthy energy.

I would take the doses you got and then report back. Thus it will be clear, for the docs records, that you did a trial of the 'standard" drug and failed. That helps them out when they go to a schedule drug because they can make the case you tried the other and it did not work.

That makes sense! I will keep trying... Thanks!

Mrhodes40 said:




I meant to say NOW on Adderall.

I felt the same way, not a healthy energy with provigil. I like the adderall much better.

Cat

_________________
Holly - Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd

9/3/09 Stanford - Dr Dake - Stent in R-J to unblock Arachnoid Cyst in Sigmoid Sinus. Stent in narrowed L-J. Balloon in narrowing where R & L Jugulars meet.

will they let you take 400mg? that's what i used to take of it when i was super fatigued. now all i need is the 200. ask, see if you can up it

Since it is so expensive, The Dr gave me two sample paks to try. After figuring out that 200mg wasnt working, I took 400mg. That seemed to help. But, it wore off in about 5-7 hours. so I took 400 in the mornin and 400 in the evening on the days I worked. Needless to say, I ran out of them pretty quick as there were only 14 total. None the less, the two doses of 400mg seemed to help a little. I go back in july, so I will talk to the dr about it then.

The Provigil with my deductible of $3000 not paid at the 1st of the year I was paying $358 a month for 4 months until I got the deductieble met with my 1st Tysabri treatment. That was $1432 for provigal and it was not work it. I was also paying $300 a month for my Effexor XR, which keeps my migraines at bay. The rest of my meds are cheap and now since I finally met the freakin' $3000 deduct my meds cost me $00.00, woohoo

Cat

_________________
Holly - Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd

9/3/09 Stanford - Dr Dake - Stent in R-J to unblock Arachnoid Cyst in Sigmoid Sinus. Stent in narrowed L-J. Balloon in narrowing where R & L Jugulars meet.

I have problems with body fatigue, also. I was given provigil for this a few years ago and tried it for a few months before giving up on it. At most, I was taking 200mg twice a day. It never helped me with the body fatigue problem. Since then, I have learned to use it at a lower dose for "mental fatigue", the so called "cog-fog". When this is a problem for me, I take 50mg once or twice a day.

For body fatigue, two things have helped me. First, I take 1gm of acetyl l-carnitine (ALCAR) three times a day, on an empty stomach about an hour before meals. Second, I take 4.5mg low dose naltrexone (LDN) daily before going to sleep. I used to routinely take 4-6 aspirin at one time to reduce the sensation of body fatigue when it reached a high level in the afternoons. I no longer do this as I haven't needed to since starting the ALCAR and LDN combo. I still experience body fatigue, but it is much milder now.

I'm a 53yo male.

--Tracy

I asked for the LDN but my doctor told me that it was not available in the states. I like what I read about it.

With all due respect, your doctor is wrong.

LDN needs to be compounded, I get mine compounded from a local pharmacy here in Santa Cruz, CA. But, there are pharmacies all over the country that can do this. One of the most popular as I understand it is Skip's Pharmacy in Florida:

http://www.skipspharmacy.com/

Naltrexone has been FDA approved in this country for years, at the 50mg dosage for conditions other than MS. To read more about it, go to:

http://www.lowdosenaltrexone.org

--Tracy



--Tracy

I've been on modafinil (Provigil generic) for a bit over a year. It was prescribed 100 mg a day and since my generic drug plan didn't cover it I obtained it through a Canadian pharmacy. Brand name costs me out of pocket $150 for 15 100-mg pills and the modafinil (Modapro-100) is about $90 for a three-month supply. Of course, the Canadian pharmacy gets it from somewhere else in the world. My internist mentioned China has gotten into the fake drug business and told me a few stories that made me try brand name Provigil again, at great expense.

I have always taken less than the prescribed dose - cutting up a pill of 100 mg to last me two days, not easy. At first it gave me a boost energy wise, but lately even brand name Provigil hasn't helped. Don't know if I've burned out on the drug or whether trying to increase the dose might help.

I'll be honest and say I'm no stranger to having used illegal drugs but many, many years ago. The Provigil effect for me I'd say was like the bad side of amphetamines. I have kept the dose low because of that - don't like feeling like I've had 50 cups of coffee and anxiety instead of what I want, a boost up in mood and energy.

Also had tried cocaine in the past - could never afford anything like that now but wonder what it would do. If it helped, geesh that would be one more problem to deal with though...drug addiction.

My internist gave me Prozac and prescribed Halcion. The pharmacy made an error and gave me Xanax, which I benefit from. Prozac was really like digesting a rock and gave it up. I went to refill Xanax and the pharmacy filled it as doctor ordered, Halcion. With generics the pills often have different makers so I didn't notice the drug was different. Although Halcion and Xanax are in the same family of drugs, one pill of the Halcion just about ended in suicide. I know now how people can be compelled to take their own life. Never had anything like that happen before and pray never again. The Xanax semi gives me a feeling that things are "ok" but not good for fatigue - I take it at night hoping it helps me sleep longer.

If it weren't for xanax, I would NEVER go to sleep. 1mg at bedtime and it's lights out for me. My neuro put me on prozac as well. He thought my mind was preoccupied with the words MS. Well, The prozac helped calm my mind about my situation as far as the MS goes. I reckon he knew what he was doin. I took it for two months, and havent had any since. But the xanax, that is my life saver!

Geesh, Bubba, I was rereading your original post - those are some CRAZY work hours you have! Quasi-graveyard. I used to work midnight until 6 am for years but your hours cut into the meat of the day and what normally would be best hours of sleep for most.