Hi I’m Danielle 24 and I have just been diagnosed with ms and just Want to talk about the many symptoms that I get and if anyone else gets loads of symptoms. I have 2 children and being tired all the time I’m finding it very difficult so finding things hard at the moment as suffer from fatigue every day where I need to sleep in the day is there any medications out there for fatigue? Danielle x
Hi Danielle, I don’t know about media for fatigue but I do know that the fatigue gets better. I was diagnosed 6 weeks ago and am 12 weeks into a relapse. At first I could sleep for 12 hours a night with 2hour naps morning and afternoon as well. And still be jiggered just doing the smallest thing. Now I am sleeping for an average 9 or 10 hours at night and very rarely have an afternoon snooze for half an hour if that. I find vitamin b12, vitamin d, zinc, omega 3, calcium and magnesium supplements have really helped make an improvement and I also take a berocca tablet as a drink for added energy and find that has a relatively immediate effect. Hope this helps Catherine
Hi Danielle - yes there is medication for fatigue. One called I think amatadine - not sure if this is the right name. Also modafanil - however I don’t think you can get this one anymore - bloody dictator NICE. Have you been offered a newly diagnosed MS course perhaps at your local hospital which will advise on fatigue management. Also the MS society does a booklet on fatigue Hope this helps Supportive hugs Min xx
Also, if you haven’t already been allocated a nurse ask for a referral to a specialist ms nurse. Mine has been invaluable in the last few weeks since diagnosis and comes to the house every week. She has also sourced me an occupational therapist to aid day to day living, a physio to build strength in my good bits, an incontinence nurse and will refer to a speech therapist if my swallowing gets any worse. She has been instrumental in getting my house adapted, getting a walker and has access to a rehab centre when I’m ready to go. She also liaises with my gp and neuro. Phew!! I cannot praise her enough…she has been the force behind all the help and advice I’ve needed and made the difference in my mind and body staying as positive and as well as possible.
Also, if you haven’t already been allocated a nurse ask for a referral to a specialist ms nurse. Mine has been invaluable in the last few weeks since diagnosis and comes to the house every week. She has also sourced me an occupational therapist to aid day to day living, a physio to build strength in my good bits, an incontinence nurse and will refer to a speech therapist if my swallowing gets any worse. She has been instrumental in getting my house adapted, getting a walker and has access to a rehab centre when I’m ready to go. She also liaises with my gp and neuro. Phew!! I cannot praise her enough…she has been the force behind all the help and advice I’ve needed and made the difference in my mind and body staying as positive and as well as possible.
Hi Danielle and welcome to the site
As Min has already said, there are two main meds for fatigue: amantadine and modafinil. Unfortunately neither of them work for everyone, but if you are struggling then they are worth a try. It’s also worth reading the booklets on here and on the MS Trust website for some tips about how to cope better. One thing that sounds counterproductive, but really can help, is exercise.
Fatigue has always been my worst problem, and it is doubly hard if you’ve got young children so you are going to need advice and support. Learning to prioritise as well as asking for and accepting help can be tough, but essential. Taking plenty of breaks BEFORE you get tired and pacing yourself are key tricks too. There is more advice along these lines in the booklets.
I hope things get easier for you soon.
Karen x
Hiya, yeah I think my problem is as soon as I start to feel better I start doing all the things I used to do and then have a couple of days feeling awful and absolutely shattered! It’s going to take me a long time to get used to feeling like this 
and I was a very independent person as a single mum of 2 and my own business it’s really thrown me so I have a lot of time crying saying I don’t want ms!! I have got a ms nurse but I’ve been home from hosp where I was diagnosed a month ago and she’s been once! She’s useless I’m not happy as I was left for all this time knowing nothing! I am seeing the doc st the hosp next week so I will ask him about medication as I have muscle spasms at night which keep me awake and then pain all day and asleep as much as poss while kids are at school. I just hope it gets easier as I’m finding looking after my kids a struggle and getting them to and from school. Thankyou for your messages it’s nice talking to somebody who is going through the same stuff as me x
Hi Danielle Don’t be a stranger - there are loads of people on here who will happily lend an ear and hopefully give helpful advice. Just take everything a little at a time and lean on your friends and family for support. I hope things become easier for you as time goes on, Teresa xx
Hi Danielle
Your situation is a bit similar to me, I have (4) children and up until last year 3 of them went to a school further a way from my house (because it was a better school) but when my driving became a cause for concern I had to change their school back to one over the road. It is literaly over the road and the school have been good to me in letting me drop them at the office, instead of standing in the yard. This enables me to reserve my energy by not having to chase them around and line them up. I also have osteoarthritis and need a knee replacement.
My 3 boys are special needs, (autistic/ADHD), and a real handful, have you asked your council about help with independant living, maybe able to get a mother’s help, using the payments, (you get the help due to your disability). They could help you dress them and take them/pick them up, if walking/fatigue is bad. I can’t have this at the moment, as still awaiting definate dx, but my boys had a couple of hours indepentant living time and I know this type of assistance is available. I have big problems with my fingers, they don’t seem to bend very well and I really struggle to dress the younger two, especially my daughter with her tights and shirt buttons. I normally just about manage to dress and get them across the road to school before crashing at home through fatigue.
A referral to an occupational therapist, could help with ways to cope with the children as well, ie grant for down stairs wet room (to help bathe childrne) or stair lift etc. I hope this helps, it can be really stressful when you feel ill and trying to cope with kids as well. I hope your fatigue improves soon. Jo