Constant Fatigue and Bowel Problems

Hi to all’ I have constant Fatigue what can you take for this it is horrible Every day just want to sleep constantly and also horrible diorhhea that lasts all day for a few days I’ve been to hosp and they are Endoscopy and gastroscopy 20th of August not look forward to either Of them. What can I have for fatigue. Hope someone can advise me. Dolphin_500.

hi dolphin

to help with fatigue.

you just have to manage it as best you can.

plan in rest for before doing anything/going anywhere.

amantadine is usually prescribed but it did nothing for me.

Provigil and Modafinil sound better but may be hard to get prescribed.

you can buy them from ukmeds.co.uk.

good luck with the procedures in August.

Hi Carole58 I am going to the doctors Monday so will ask for a prescription for fatigue. Thank you. Dolphin_500.

Hi Dolphin,

The MS Society and the MS Trust both produce excellent free guides either as a download or a booklet, full of practical tips on the management of fatigue. Carole mentions the drug Modafinil (Provigil is its other name) but I don’t think it is actively prescribed for use in MS patients anymore.

Personally, I’d be a bit wary of buying it direct from the web, since you never know what you are going to get, even if the site is an apparently trustworthy one. If all else fails, you could ask for a private prescription, but I am not sure how much this sort of thing costs.

The most popular and far more easily available drug for fatigue in MS is Amantadine, which some people swear by, though it doesn’t necessarily work for everyone; its typically used in tandem with self help strategies,like those suggested by the MS Society and MS Trust.

I hope your hospital investigations go smoothly. I’ve had a colonoscopy, and it wasn’t at all bad. It was very gentle and not in any way painful - in fact, because of a bit of light sedation, I was barely aware that it was happening, even though I was awake all the away through.

All the Best,

Nia x

Hello Dolphin

The MS Trust have useful information about fatigue, see https://www.mstrust.org.uk/a-z/fatigue

Basically fatigue management is all about doing things a little at a time. So you do one small task, then rest. Drugs can be useful, but as said above, Modafinil/Provigil is a great drug for fatigue but almost impossible to get prescribed now. You can have Amantadine prescribed for you, but it’s likely that your GP won’t do it, it has to come initially from a neurologist. The reason is that Amantadine may be quite often prescribed for MS fatigue, but it’s not actually licensed for MS. It’s prescribed ‘off label’, which is why a GP is less likely to prescribe it. (They’ll keep issuing prescriptions once a neurologist has started you on it.)

Best of luck with the endoscopy and gastroscopy (are they different?). I’ve had a colonoscopy and like Nia, it wasn’t too bad. The worst part was the bowel preparation. If you’re offered sedation, take it. You’re still awake and reasonably alert, but it’s all a bit foggy and distant from you.

Sue