Multiple Sclerosis Forums (Page 3)

I have to inform everyone I can about this issue. My doctor wants me to take Ampyra and she handed me the Ampyra Patient Support Services Center Prescription & Service Request Form to read and sign. In Step two the Read and Sign Patient Authorization section there are five reasons for the release and collection or medical data and they are: (1) to establish my eligibility for benefits; (2) to communicate with my health care providers and me about my medical care; (3) to facilitate the provision of products, supplies or services by a third party including, but not limited to, specialty pharmacies; (4) to register me in any applicable product registration program required for my treatment; and (5) to evaluate the effectiveness of AMPYRA's education programs. This all sound innocen...

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can anyone advise whether the Insomnia side effect wears off? ## I haven't taken it myself, so I can't speak form personal experience, however, in theory the side effects of prescription medications should reach their peak at around 4 to 6 weeks of use, when the medications reaches its full effectiveness in the body. After that they should start to taper off in severity, as your body gets used to the medication. Learn more Ampyra details here. How long have you been taking it? Have you talked to your doctor about it? ## I sure hope so... I take mine 7am and 7pm. u might want to do 6am and 6pm. When I was started with amitriptyline for headaches, sleep is not an issue at all. Maybe too much at times. take care.... ## I've been taking Ampyra for MS for a year and have experien...

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I FIRST STARTED AMPYRA ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. I NOTICED RESULTS AFTER 10 DAYS. THE OVERALL STRENGTH TO MY LEFT SIDE WAS FANTASTIC, I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE MIRACLE I HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR. NOW IT SEEMS THAT INITIAL SURGE IS NOT THERE. MY LEGS DO FEEL STRONGER, BUT MY WALKING IS NOT ALL THAT GREAT. I LIVE IN THE M/WEST WERE WE HAVE HAD A HOT/HUMID SUMMER. SOME SAY HEAT IS A NEGATIVE FORCE TOWARD MS MEDS. DOES ANYONE SHARE MY FEELINGS....I WILL CONTINUE AMPYRA AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. ## There have been mixed reports regarding the use of this new medication. There are many posts on our site about it, here are some links: And for more information on the medication: Is there anything I can help you with? ## I HAVE BEEN ON AMPYRA FOR THREE MONTHS. IT IS GREAT FOR ME. THERE HAS BEEN A HEAT WAVE HERE ...

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Hello, I am an MS patient with walking difficulty,my doctor has put me on ampraya,the first week i took ampraya i felt very good but follwing weeks i am feeling as before i started to take the medecine,please let me know whether i am doing anything wrong ## If ur not having any side effects, continue to take Ampyra. I have been on for almost 15 months now. I do have ups and downs, but definitely will continue to take it. I do not think ur doing anything wrong. Just be patient and keep us posted. take care.... ## Yes, while you may feel some benefit from these types of medications immediately, it does take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks, for them to reach their full effectiveness level in the body. If you've been on it longer than that and it still doesn't seem to be helping, or is c...

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Hi everyone. I was hopeful that Ampyra would help my walking, which has been challenged these past months (though I have had MS for 15 years). I took Ampyra as directed for 5 1/2 weeks and then my right side of my face palsied (or as my neuro. called it a "hemi-facial spasm"). I also suffered from double vision and no improvment w/ walking (if it was not worse?) I stopped taking Ampyra when all this happened, and thankfully the exaserbation passed in half the time it usually takes (3 weeks). I did report this to the FDA (I'll post where after I put this post up b/c I have to look in my email.) Anyway, I wish you all luck w/ Ampyra, just wanted you to be aware of my experiences. ## The follow-up email to make a voluntary report to the FDA is: [email protected] best to you! #...

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On ampyra 2 days. Severe dizziness / light headedness. Does this get better with continued treatment? Ambien for insomnia? Advisable to take with ampyra? Strange, but think I feel very slight difference already! Is that even possible? Thank you in advance for any input. ## Ampyra contains the active ingredient Dalfampridine, it is mainly used to help treat MS symptoms. That said, yes, those are normal side effects, along with: nausea and drowsiness. They should wear off as your body adjusts to the medication, if they do not or they get worse, you should speak with your doctor immediately. Yes, it is possible, some people do respond to medications very fast. There was a recent post with a lot of people talking about their experience with this, you can read it here: Do you have any other ...

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I am 55 yrs.old now. In the 2003, while I was taking my morning meal I suffered a bout of severe head ache which started growing in intensity that I started rolling on the floor. I was taken to the hospital and was advised MRI. As per the report I was diagnosed as having Multiple Sclerosis and life took spin for the worse when I was informed how dangerous the disease was. Everything became different I was made conscious that I am no more a normal person and that I should give up job of senior accountant as that would aggravate my problem leading to early death. I was prescribed various medicines. The shock at the sudden turn of events led to other problems and I was admitted to hospital for Angina and i was taking Losar H clopidegerol and Metropol. Fortunately, a neuro-physician advised...

I am 42, I have MS, Cronin's, and RA. I have beeen on percecet 7.5/325 for 4 years, rebif shots, depokote,nuerontin, metoprolol, xanaz, ambiene, now I am in pain rate it on a daily as 9 on the scale. When I run out of pain medicine my life stops till i get more, I need help, i've been life flighted , I stepped down from my 70k job , i couldn't preform my duties. I am in college again, but without my pain meds I cant do crap. Please give me some other remedies I can go to my doctor and figure out . I have 5 kids, my new born died a couple of weeks ago of a birth defect that i think was from my depokote. HHHHEEELLLPPPP??? ## Very sorry about what you are going through. What type of doctor are you seeing? With such medical problems, you may be better off if you are seeing speci...

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Been treated for the PTSD since 1996, many different meds and therapy, M.S. since 1998, have done the big 3 meds, copaxone, rebif, avonex, on none now, back surgery in 2000 from car wreck, I have a G.P. a pain doc, and a shrink. I got shingles on 2/28. I am on 150mgs Wellbruton, Fentayl 50mg. patch, 1600 mgs. neurotin, 15mgs methodone. Did the valtrex, steroids. Tryed Lyrica, swelling of ankles, super depression. Today G.P. gave me a script for Amitriptyline. I was on Elavil at one point, did no good for depression, does anyone think that this will help with the nerve pain from the shingles. I feel these guys are using me for a test subject. Should the G.P. be giving me mood elevators when I have a shrink that I see weekly? The only thing that seems to be helping is the methadone, that ...

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new walking Treatment for MS. ## Hi! i AM AN MS PATIENT FROM POLAND (UE). I CAN'T BUY AMPYRA FROM THE US BUT I'LL BE INTERESTED TO COOPERATE WITH AN AMERICAN TO BUY IT FOR ME, I MAY FINANCE SOME FOR HIM... my email: [email protected] ## Ampyra is a very new medication, just recently approved by thee FDA, it contains the active ingredient Dalframpridine. It is most commonly used to help treat MS symptoms. That said, yes, headaches are a common side effect, which should wear off as your body adjusts to the medication. If they don't or become severe, you should speak to your doctor. Other side effects may include: nausea, insomnia, dizziness and back pain. Read more here: As with any medication, it is successfully helping some people and not others. There are several other po...

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I am amazed to see the comments here in regard to ampyra...I was fraught with disappointment when i realized my expectations were way too high. I have been on ampyra for 4 months... similarly as others i saw an an improvement right away, as did my bf,,,,needless to say we were so excited....then 2/3 weeks later i started feeling nausea during day & evening... dizziness as well... my balance was already affected my ms...now became worse....I was weaker than usual......take gabapentin (antispasciity) and helps me sleep....now i insomnia ...I hate ampyra i was so excited to start this...i have had negative effects of all 3. copaxen ribif avonex......now this...the only one that i liked was steroids (solumedrol) when i had a relapse...: ) i have a weak left leg gait and balance problems...

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The first month of Ampyra 10mg was promising. Since then there's been quite a drop in effectiveness. At my next doctors appointment, I'm going to inquire about a possible doseage increase. For those that have had success, what doseage has had the best results? I do have faith that this will/can work, just looking for a possible better approach. ## SO far, Ampyra has seemed to be about a 50-50 medication, going by the other posts on here about it. There have been people that got great results from it and about the same number of people that didn't. There are even others like you, who seemed to do great, for awhile, then it kind of tapered off. Here are the links to some of the other conversations on it: And for information on the medication itself: I do wish you the best of l...

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I have MS for over twenty years. I must say I have been blessed I have been very active and mobile for most of those years, I took avonex for ten years. The first five or six were very good I stayed very active, just had few flu like symptoms at first. The next five or so years things changed gradually started going down. The medication wasn't doing me any good anymore. I went for a year or so doing nothing and I wasn't better but I wasn't that much worse. I was so excited to hear bout amprya. Just like everyone else my expectations were high. I have taken Ampyra for about 3 months. First month and a half notice some good change in my energy and coordination, although I had insomnia, when I did sleep had horrible, bizarre dreams. I was dealing with that, but now I am having ...

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I have been taking this medicine for about two and a half weeks now and actually had a relapse in my right leg and my right side. I have noticed a huge difference in my relexes and in my walking but I have this hardened feeling in my stomach kind of like numbness and I am also having a sharp pinching. Has anyone had this? ## Ampyra contains the active ingredient Dalfampridine and from what I can tell from other posts on here, it seems to be getting mixed results. Some people are having very good luck with it, while others have had to stop taking it, due to problems with side effects or a lack of efficacy. It takes about 4 to 6 weeks, before it will reach its full effectiveness in your body and you can really know how it's working for you. My suggestion would be to discuss these issu...

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10th day with Ampyra. Day 8 was great!!! I was actually walking normal.... amazing. Day 9, I'm back to the stiffness and off balance, walking with a limp. Talk about depressing!!! Is this normal? I want is back!!! ## Ampyra contains the active ingredient Dalfampridine, it is used to treat MS symptoms. That said, it does take a month or so for most medications to reach their full effectiveness. On the other hand, the medication may just not work for you, as they do not all work for everyone. How long has your doctor ask you to try it? Side effects to this drug can include: nausea, dizziness, headache and drowsiness. Read more: ## Hi Diane, How are you doing now with Ampyra? I started on January 2011. I still experience the dragging of my legs on and off among other things. take care.

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I have MS diagnosed for over 34 years and was originally diagnosed with relapse and remitting. the last 10 years i have moved into chronic proggressive category. (i am 58 and still walk for short distances with a cane). I have been taking Ampyra for M.S. Symptoms for 1 month. I have taken 10 mg. 2x's/day as close to 12 hours apart as possible. I noticed improvement in speed of walking 2 days after I began taking it. but, I have also experienced much difficulty getting to sleep and staying sleep. I also take baclofen for spasticity. What is the best way to handle the insomnia? I have been taking 5 mg. Of benedryl, but it makes me foggy. ## I have had long term insomnia for many years before taking Ampyra. The solution after many tries to get it right was one valium and one remeron be...

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My biggest problem is fatigue. Is anyone taking another medication. Ex: Ritalin ? ## I take Ritalin when I have that walking through the mud feeling, particulary when weather is hot/humid. It's a HUGE help. I just take 1/2 dose (5 mg) most days, but sometimes have to take another in afternoon. Easy med...no side effects, but be careful you don't take too much cuz it'll make you jittery. Since Ive been on Amprya, i haven't taken ritalin, but do recommend it. Good luck ## I am doing great on Ritilan for fatigue. I used to take Provigil, but Ritilan is cheap and effective for me.

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I have been on Ampyra for 3 months. After a few weeks I could walk faster, stopped dragging my left foot, didn't use my cane at all. But after about 2 months, I find my strength lagging...I'm back to dragging my foot...not as bad as before...my balance isn't as good...not sure what to think. Do I need a stronger dose? ## That could be the issue, have you spoken to your doctor about it, yet? There have been quite a few similar comments about this new medication, regarding it working for a brief period and then its effectiveness falling off. Here are the links to a few other threads about it: ## Does anyone experience neuropathic pain with their MS and if so, does the Ampyra help it?

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I been on amp since may 25th 2010. It took about 2 weeks to work. So needless to say, I thought it wasn't for me. However, when it kicked in I was almost running. I felt whole again. It lasted for about 10 minutes, then quickly back to the usual pain in the butt (ms). Whenever I drink coffee, I seem to get an extra boost in my walking, both in the length of time I can walk and my stability and energy. So, I guess the amp with dunkin donuts iced is a good combo for me. In this last week, though, I feel like the amp is no longer working. But I do know that one of the side effects of amp is an ms relapse. So I am wondering if this is what is happening to me. So now I am just waiting to see if the amp kicks in again. ## Did you notice your legs numb or minimal vibrations.? ## I have bee...

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Can I take Ibuprofen for the head-Acheson Ampyra? Or before my Rebif shots? ## Yes, I am on Ampyra as well as Rebif. Advil, Tylenol or whatever type of pain reliever for your headaches is fine for both as well as will help will any fever, aches and chills that you may have with Rebif injections. I am a RRMSer for 4 years. On Ampyra for almost 2 months and the jury is still out on the benefits. I think the 100+ degree heat has possibly taken away any benefit that I may have gotten from it. The heat zaps me!!! My headaches with Ampyra lasted about 3weeks then went away. Good luck and God Bless. ## Thanks Alice. I haven't even finished my first week so I need to certainly give it time. God Bless you and thank you! ## I am on Ampyra and Copaxone . I was on Rebif before and yes you can t...

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