Ritalin for Fatigue?
 

I'm back! I'm sorry I haven't posted in several weeks, but I've been so under the weather--and overwhelmed by fatigue.

I went to a new doctor today and he wants to try me on Ritalin for the fatigue. Has anyone else tried it for MS fatigue, and how has it worked for you?

Some of the other options, such as Provigil, did nothing for me, so I'm hoping that this may help...

Welcome back Keely. :) I don't know anything about
Ritalin. Just wanted to say Hi and so sorry for your
attack of fatigue.

I hope the Ritalin works for you and stay with us..:hug:

Thanks Sally; I'll start posting again in the weight loss thread when I start losing weight again! I've been feeling so bad, I've totally blown my diet for the past couple of months, and I've been ashamed to document my backsliding over the last several weeks!

The new doctor today is hoping that the Ritalin will give me the "get up and go" that I need to start going back on my little daily walks, because they do give me some exercise and help me lose weight.

Ever since Christmas, fatigue and cog fog have just incapacitated me. Provigil doesn't work at all, and I tried other things as well over the years, so we're down to Ritalin or Adderall.

I'm trying to do some research and find out more about Ritalin; I didn't know that it was typically prescribed for MS, but my doctor assures me that it is and I've discovered today, in checking the Internet, that he's right!

My son (who is now an adult) has Asperger's Syndrome and was prescribed Ritalin for ADHD when he was about ten years old. He lost a considerable amount of weight - too much for a growing boy, became incredibly picky with food and had a lot of trouble sleeping (although a lot of that could be attributed to ADHD - but something to be aware of).

Having said that, if you don't have ADHD, the effects are probably quite different and I wish you well with it. I have hear of its use for MS before.

Good luck and let us know how you go.

Cheers

Lyn

Turns out I must be a little hyper (did raising twins fine, I'm the one who organized block parties), when I asked my GCP if she thought I was a little hyper she said "well,yes".

The Ritalin had an adverse (opposite) effect on me and made me more down and tired. My neurologist tried Adderall to be sure and same thing happened. I take Amantadine 2x a day and always say it takes me from dead to half-dead. But that's me. I think I've heard Ritalin helps some MSers, not others. Any meds seem to need trial and error experimentation.

Amantadine--yup, another one I've tried. Provigil and Amantadine had no effect on me...

I'm going to go ahead and try the Ritalin; he's starting me on a miniscule dose. I'll report back and let ya'll know if it works!

I considered Adderall for medrol type effects cause I get so much done & correct on medrol dose pack.

I studied Adderall, know somene that takes it, I changed my mind. No good. Body adjusts just like they say so dose goes up & up. Miss a dose, you're a veggie.

B12 1000mcgs, B100 after lunch, exercise. 2000 of B12 if I want the kick.

When I slacked off exercise last month, i'd almost fall asleep during the day. lol. I'm back to counting sheep er J Lenno.

edit -I vote NO. Keep it on the side, try B12 first.

A.D.D medications can give you a "let down" as it starts to wear off. A.D.D. medictions are a legal form of speed. Those who take Ritalin, Adderall and other A.D.D. medications and who have A.D.D do not get the "high" nor does it speed them up. The medications clears the cobwebs and allows the mind to calm so they can focus.

When used off label it can cause the opposite affect.

I cannot take any stimulant, they put me to sleep and increase my fatigue, I have even tried a non-stimulant A.D.D. medication with the same results. However, it is believed I do have A.D.D.

I take generic Adderall XR 10 mg once a day and I have for over eight or so months. It keeps me alert through the day and really combats the fatigue. At first I was very fidgety with it and had a hard time sleeping but after a few days my body adjusted and now it just keeps me alert enough for fairly normal function and energy.

Thanks to everyone for all the replies!

I've tried B12 and everything else under the sun; the intense fatigue has been a problem for years, and continues to worsen.

Part of the problem is that, in addition to MS, I also have Systemic Lupus and Crohn's disease, so having a triple whammy decreases my fatigue times three!

My doctor says that he has had a lot of success with Ritalin for his other MS patients, so I'm going to try it and see how it goes. I'll be on a very small dosage, so I'm not plunging into mega doses or anything like that!

I'll let ya'll know if it works for me or not!

small tip: keep it safely tucked away, out of sight, as the odd houseguest or teen can "find" it.

I changed my mind. If a stimulant can get you up, move around, break the weakness cycle due to the fatigue, go for it.
If it gets you going 100mph, go 100mph. The muscle & endurance you'll gain & keep (if you keep at it) is well worth it for sure.
Hoping to hear good news. If I could take something my body wouldn't adjust to with the thinking & performing speed medrol gives me, i'd take it till the day I die.

Good point about keeping it locked away, jprinz, but my DH and I are recluses down here in Key West; we live in an excruciatingly tiny place (like most people here!) and we don't entertain--and we never have guests!

We're too tired--and we also dearly love each other's company when he's not working, so I guess we're what you'd call loners! We don't like to share each other with other people.

We've been married ten years this week, and it's a "soul-mate" thing, so we're extremely happy this way--and lucky, too!

Thanks for your good wishes, Eddie! I haven't started it yet; I just couldn't drag my tired old bones to the pharmacy the last couple of days! There's the irony; I'm too tired to get to the pharmacy to get the prescription filled that will make me less tired!

Oh well--I'll definitely get it filled tomorrow and I'll let ya'll know! :winky:

I tried provigil and liked the energy it gave me but too many days in a row and I get vicious headaches. And it messes with my sleep.

I'm now trying Adderrall (regular release). I'm not a big fan. It gives me some energy but when it wears off I feel like I'm on a downer with general yucky blah feeling. Food does not seem interesting at all on Adderall! And I think it's giving me constipation.

Perhaps I should try time release Adderrall? Anyone tried both? Were the side effects different?

Wiz, how long did it take before the twitchiness/jumpiness calmed down?

I avoided any stimulant because I have high blood pressure though it is controlled with meds. My last neuro suggested Adderall XR in a low dose because I was complaining of lack of energy and fatigue and I had also gained over twenty pounds in two years. :eek:

So because of that, I agree to try it and I was surprised that it worked. It didn't curb my appetite either but helped me to get moving. I was fidgety and over stimulated at times for about two or three weeks and had to increase my blood pressure meds too. Now I don't know how I could function without it. My regular doctor said it's a tiny dose too at 10 mg once a day.

I did both of those too, not much help that I could notice. One thing I did notice though was it took some effort from my neuro and me to get the insurance company to approve the rx for provigil because of it's cost.

Some doctors may follow the path of least resistance in their choice of rx?

So basically Wiz, you just rode it out for 2-3 weeks and you feel like the twitchiness subsided? Were you afraid it wouldn't? Do you take it every day? I know some people who don't take it daily because they worry it will wear off over time or become addicted.

I hear ya on the weight gain problem. After *one* high dose of IV steroids last Oct (to allow me to delay Tysabri while I beat an infection) and then trying to switch to a new antidepressant called Vibryyd in Dec where I only lasted 3 weeks (and I think it was what I call a "fat" inducing AD)....I also seemed to have gained 20 lbs!!

It sucks when you can't zip your pants up anymore -- I'm forced to wear yoga pants all the time. :). I have a weird body where I can gain and lose large amounts of weight very quickly. ID rather just stay at the same weight consistently.

My plan is to cut out all sugar, alcohol, juice, and fried foods. That usually does the trick after awhile. But I think I need to go back to the gym!

I take it every day. I tried skipping one day a week but then I had one day of extreme tiredness and the next day was very tired too, trying to catch up from the fatigue. It hasn't lost its effectiveness with me so far. I'm not normal, but much less fatigued.

whatever i know Ritalin is generally prescribed for ADHD but i am not sure about the fatigue.

Hello shirley121 and welcome to NeuroTalk.

The majority of medications used to treat the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are used "off label."

In the case of trying to treat MS fatigue stimulants are the main choice and that includes A.D.H.D. medications.

So yes, Ritalin, Adderall, and other ADHD medications are prescribed for fatigue.

FWIW, Ritalin is not actually a form of "speed" or amphetamine. It is closely related, but is not actually an amphetamine. Adderall and some of the other ADHD meds are forms of amphetamine. However, both Ritalin and Adderall are controlled substances, so you have to pickup a written prescription from your doctor or pay to have it overnighted to you every month and have to hand carry it to the pharmacy every month. If you don't live close to your doctor, it can be a real drag having to do it every month.

I have taken Ritalin and Focalin for ADHD and find that they do calm and focus me, but they also tended to kind of take away the highs and lows in my emotional state. I just kind of feel like a robot going about my day. Obviously, as stated by others, the stimulants do affect folks like me with ADHD differently than they do others, but it is something to keep an eye on if you start taking it. The only reason I am not on them now is that I can't afford to have to see a psych doc every couple of months and pay out of pocket to "checkup" on my ADHD in order to get them to keep writing the scripts.

One other thing you can do to keep from developing tolerance and needing a higher and higher dose is take med "vacations". I used to take mine only on the weekdays when I really needed the focus for work. On weekends I would not take it and just kind of suffer through...albeit with alot of help from my wife.

Yes, and I noticed that my new doctor in Chicago had noted next to my Adderall on the chart that it is for ADHD. I hadn't really thought about that until you wrote this here. When I am there next time this month, I'll have then correct it in my record. Although, when I was a kid, I definitely had some symptoms of ADHD, but I haven't been officially diagnosed with it.

I take Ritalin for MS fatigue. I have been on it for at least. 6 months. It does help but then I have to take clonazapam to go to sleep. Sometimes I do not take it because I wake up around 10, 11 or even 12 and they warn that it will keep you up all night if you take it that late. Recently I have had really bad attacks of fatigue...it comes out of nowhere and I feel like I have to immediately go to sleep. I haven't taken the Ritalin regularly so that might be why. I hope this help and that you get to feeling more energized soon.

Yeah, having to get a written new script you hand walk in every time is a pain in the butt! I kept forgetting to ask the doc for it--finally got the script but the pharmacy had to order this past Monday--said it would be there Fri. But it never came in so I spent 2 hours trying to find a pharmacy that had it.

I wonder how different Ritalin feels compared to Adderall XR? Since I had a delay on the Adderrall and ran out I went back to Provigil. I forgot how much I love it but I just can't sleep on it. I swear it keeps me wide awake for 18 hours straight! Yikes. Finally got the Adderrall but when I went back on it I got a headache. :(

I need the uppers to function and the downers to sleep. Hate having to use all these drugs sometimes. :(