10 Tips on Managing MS Fatigue

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1. 

   jeannekc

   <p>My tip for handling fatigue? Follow the Wahls Protocol Diet! I've been on it 6 months now and my fatigue has been slowly melting away the longer I stick with it. (Note: I am in no way associated with this doctor or publisher, just someone who has tried it and is having terrific results).</p>

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   1. 

      lcmilller28

      <p>What is that diet that you are referring to. I would love to hear about it.</p>

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2. 

   catswalkjpgr

   <p>Provigil aka Modafinil. It doesn't last long, but it's good when it's active. I take two a day.</p>

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3. 

   9um3nr

   <p>I play doubles tennis at a pretty competitive level. The problem is, I never know how I'm going to feel when I get on the court. I often feel a sort of "brain fog" while I'm trying to play, mixed in with bouts of light-headedness, fatigue, and blurred vision. Other times, I feel normal. It's definitely a challenge....</p>

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4. 

   janeen

   <p>Hello, <br> I would like to know if the FDA is going to allow Provigil for MS patients again. The only way to get it is to do the sleep study and be diagnosed with a sleeping disorder. MS patients have been using this for years and all of a sudden the FDA said no study has been done. WHEN!!!</p>

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   1. 

      kmrock66

      <p>JR, I had not heard anything about the FDA not letting MS patients have access to Provigil. I have been on Provigil/modafinil for quite some time. My neurologist prescribes it. I also in the past have been a Nuvigil which seemed like a better drug for me but it was very expensive even with insurance and a discount card. Sometimes the reason that you cannot get it is that either a therapy is not coded correctly or the scrip is not worded correctly. My daughter has oral dysphagia. When we were first going to speech/feeding therapy that's how it was coded. When it was coded finally as oral dysphagia, suddenly it was covered. As if they don't make it difficult enough for us :-/</p>

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   2. 

      kathy123

      <p>I know your feeling My insurance paid for it for the 1st year then they would not approve it for MS my Dr. Put me on a generic for provigil 200 mg 2x's a day also Ritalin insurance paid for Ritalin 1 year then said its not for MS so now I'm on adderal 1x's a day along with provigil 2 x's a day it gets me thru part of the day but i still get fatigued</p>

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5. 

   petiej

   <p>10 minutes of exercise??!! OMG! I have a friend's Total Gym shoved up under my bar and had been using it almost daily. Little by little, I was on it less and less, until it's sitting there getting dusted on the rare occasion. <br> I have a pair of <a href='http://2-2.5lb' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer nofollow'>2-2.5lb</a> hand weights sitting right in front of me under the coffee table but I think they may have been picked up sometime in the last three months. There's no way there was 10 minutes involved in any capacity! <br> It's very frustrating to truly not have the energy to do any sort of meaningful exercise, and when I decide to go for it, any effort I've made is fruitless. I have nothing to show for it but worse fatigue. I can't get at it long enough to create a Habit. A do what I'm able Daily Habit. I desperately need stamina but the only way to get it is to Do! <br> When I take a shower I do feel as if I'm fighting to get thru an Aerobic boot camp bcuz that's what it feels like. I can't even get that done every day. Getting out and dried and dressed is a whole other event. <br> I take Adderall XL which helps to a point but it isn't like taking a sleeping pill that's going to keep you asleep. Is a drug like that Supposed to keep you going all day? I still have get from the bed to the couch days and I take it every day. Oh the frustrations...</p>

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   1. 

      Stacy Reich

      <p><inline-mention username="petiej" user-id="4060746"/> I feel the same. Showering, drying my hair and getting dressed uses too much energy and then leaves me with little for anything else. I have taken every medication mentioned in all the above comments including yours. None of them work on me anymore. I recently started debating if I should continue taking them anymore. I am adding all these chemicals daily and still lack energy. I wake up in the morning everyday with an energy shortage. I am getting very discouraged by this. I do not feel good about myself if I am unproductive. It is a dilemma I need to solve.</p>

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   2. 

      kelseymidgett Admin

      <p><inline-mention username="Stacy Reich" user-id="4126690"/> - I&#39;m sorry to hear you&#39;re struggling with such fatigue. Many other community members are frustrated by the same challenge - please know you&#39;re not alone! Have you discussed any additional options with your healthcare providers? A few of our advocates have also written articles on the topic that you may find helpful:<br/>https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/conserving-energy-fight-fatigue<br/>https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/overdrafting-energy-bank<br/>https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/perking-up-with-provigil<br/><br/>https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/life-hacks-afternoon-energy-slump<br/><br/>Wishing you the best! - Kelsey, <a href='http://MultipleSclerosis.net' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer nofollow'>MultipleSclerosis.net</a> team member</p>

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