Multiple Sclerosis - Energy Needs

I am a pretty high energy person (or at least I used to be before the multiple sclerosis) and I have found these two things to be exceptionally helpful in fighting the fatigue that just started hitting me over the last several months. I thought maybe I was just tired but fatigue is more than being just tired and it is very common in multiple sclerosis patients. It is the feeling of exhaustion before you even get out of bed in the morning. It is the lack of desire to even move. It is awful. Here are some things have make fatigue (and therefore, the multiple sclerosis) so much more bearable:

B12 – I take either sublingual B12 or liquid as I believe it acts quickly. Mo told me about this and then I found out that it is commonly used in the world of multiple sclerosis.

Provigil – Some people find that this drug gives them energy but I find that it clears my head and helps me be sharper. My doctor prescribed this for me when I told her I regularly experience brain fog. One of my support group co-leaders believes in its anti-fatigue properties. I take one quarter of a pill on the occasional day that I feel foggy and I know that I need to be sharp all day. I rarely use it (although it is beneficial) because I only want to take the medicine that I absolutely have to like disease-modifying drugs and…

4AP or 4 amino pyridine – this is a compounded drug that acts like a wonder pill for me. I don’t always take B12, but I can’t wait to wake up and take my 4AP. I take it three times a day and am anxious and ready when it is time to take again. The downside of this drug is that some insurance companies may not cover it because (as I understand it) it is not a manufactured drug but rather a substance occurring naturally. However, I would likely pay a lot of money and sacrifice other things to take this compound. When I asked my doctor about the side effects of 4AP, she indicated that I may experience better mobility. How about that!

4AP is the most effective thing I found to help deal with some of the effects of multiple sclerosis.