Hi Craig,
I wish I had a magic wand for you and everyone, but alas I don't.

Fatigue is a bummer. All those pain meds must give you a lot of severe fatigue, and morning drug hangover (as I call it). But you need your meds.

I tried a few drugs to stay awake. Provigil when working, got me home safe driving but still exhausted. It is not a cure.

Some use Ritalin, I think that is the ADHD drug used in children to calm them yet wakes those that don't have that problem.

Have you been tested for CCSVI? Only a ultrasound test by a trained IR, MD to find out. They find many diseases have blockages in the jugular veins and the brain cannot drain blood properly back down.

Best of luck my friend, I hope you find something to help you.:hug:

Hey..did you finish your book?


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I take Nuvigil 200 mg daily and it is time released. I take a lot of other meds and this seems to keep me going with caffeine added in the am.

:hug: thats all I have to say :hug:

I hope you had a good nights sleep..:hug:

Iron & Red Blood Count if low will do it to anyone. Anemic? You may know It's also a fact chips & fatty foods rob energy after you eat them.

Are you taking Requip or Mira....forgot the rest of the word...for Restless Leg?
How about cannabis to help you sleep? I try not to use it unless I really need it for painful spasms and the restless leg when the meds aren't working...it really tones down both. I make sure to do it later at night...the munchies are relentless!!

I too have apnea...98 episodes...the CPAP helps in that department, at least.

I wouldn't try Ambien for sleep if I were you...that stuff is dangerous...gave me the crazies with only one dose...how about Ativan?

I pray you get some relief, Craig...:hug::hug:

I take Trazodone for sleep, it really does the trick and calms me down. It makes me move slower in the AM though but it's essential for me. I only take 25 mg which is a tiny dose and it works wonders. I sleep very soundly. It is old and cheap and safe and my neuro uses it regularly for MS patients.

acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR)
 

A GOOD study with interesting results. I took Amantadine for many years but had to stop because it caused me to have VERY VIVID dreams. I started quoting people's opinions on current events who had been DEAD for many many years!!!

jackD


J Neurol Sci. 2004 Mar 15;218(1-2):103-8.

Comparison of the effects of acetyl L-carnitine and amantadine for the treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: results of a pilot, randomised, double-blind, crossover trial.

Tomassini V, Pozzilli C, Onesti E, Pasqualetti P, Marinelli F, Pisani A, Fieschi C.
SourceDepartment of Neurological Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza", viale dell' Università 30, Rome 00185, Italy.

Abstract
Treatment with acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR) has been shown to improve fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, but there have been no trials on the effect of ALCAR for treating fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS).

To compare the efficacy of ALCAR with that of amantadine, one of the drugs most widely used to treat MS-related fatigue, 36 MS patients presenting fatigue were enrolled in a randomised, double-blind, crossover study. Patients were treated for 3 months with either amantadine (100 mg twice daily) or ALCAR (1 g twice daily). After a 3-month washout period, they crossed over to the alternative treatment for 3 months.

Patients were rated at baseline and every 3 months according to the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the primary endpoint of the study. Secondary outcome variables were: Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Social Experience Checklist (SEC).

Six patients withdrew from the study because of adverse reactions (five on amantadine and one on ALCAR).

Statistical analysis showed significant effects of ALCAR compared with amantadine for the Fatigue Severity Scale (p = 0.039).

There were no significant effects for any of the secondary outcome variables.

The results of this study show that ALCAR is better tolerated and more effective than amantadine for the treatment of MS-related fatigue.

PMID: 14759641 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]