I don't think scruff or anyone else was putting Tiades down. I think they were saying that some fatigue is to be expected with a large number of depressants, anxiety meds, etc. It was my first thought as well, not that anyone is putting anyone on, but from experience I know that sometimes eliminating one med can make all the difference.

Provigil was prescribed for me a week ago.
I do not think it provides any benifit for me. Instead of needing a nap at 4 pm, I can go til maybe 5 or 6 pm.
Still exasted all the time. I have been taking the 200mg.
That is the highest dose.
I think I'll try something else.

Several of the meds you are taking can cause fatigue. I've recently cut WAY down on sugar and I've been getting B6 & B12 injections. They help immensely with energy. In addition, I take a liquid multivitamin and at least one packet a day of Emer-Gen-C (cranberry flavored). Also, drinking lots of water will help as well a taking fiber if you find your digestion is "sluggish".

the "cut down on sugar" thing is a good idea too - I've read about the havoc sugar can wreak on your body by sending your insulin level all over the place. which one makes you tired? too much sugar in the blood or not enough? I know that alot of sugar at once can overstimulate the insulin production in your pancreas so that the insulin takes too much sugar out of your blood, so must be low sugar that makes you tired.

so diabetes must be when insulin is not working enough, and hypoglycemia is when it is working too much? oooo, I'm confusing myself now!

Tiades, if you have had your thyroid checked, I'm sure they have tested your blood sugar too. how about a white cell count or whatever they do for anemia?

oh- and I really did not mean to hurt your feelings. not sure why I did, but it wasn't deliberate. I would be the first to admit that I am ignorant of all the different meds people need to take simultaneously for whatever reason.

I have tried several benzo's and they all just knock me out, even small doses. clonazepam puts me to sleep all night but I can't get with it till 6pm the next night. temazepam really works the best for sleep, but I prefer 10mg valium for my nightly sleep aid, just the slow, pleasant drift-off and no next-day hangover. I am a nervous wreck alot and wish I could keep awake to benefit from benzo's during the day. what does xanax do? It seems to be the most desirable of all the benzo's.

I wonder if phentermine or one of the diet aids I read about on the board would help with energy? if you are a thin person, probably not a good idea though.

It's difficult when in pain, but exercise is the best way of increasing energy. When I used to train, if I did it too close to bedtime I would not sleep. If you can exercise in the morning, you will have energy most of the day.

Stimulant drugs are not the answer.

I am diabetic, and believe me, diabetes does make one very, very tired; bone tired at times. I would concur that exercize, if you can, is a good way to stablize insulin and feel more energetic (Keeping your weight normal is a good idea also.) In my case, this is do as I say and not as I do advice...LOL.

You can go up to 400mg/day of Provigil I think....

I have chronic anemia. Some of the symptoms besides fatigue is craving chewing on ice and unexplained bruising. Have your doc run a CBC to see what your iron level is. if it is below 30 ask him to put you on Foltron. My Iron level went from a 24 to s 45 in two months when I started taking it. If your insurance won't pay have your doc threaten to put you in the hospital and give you a blood transfusion, thats how we got my insurance to pay. I also take Bio 35 and sublinguil Vitiman B complex everyday. I currently am taking xanax, klonopin, valium, lyrica, lamictal and cymbalta for fibromyalgia, anxiety, and sleep disorder issues. If by chance you do have fibromyalgia cut out all artificial sweeteners. I have a dear friend up the street from me who is a massuse who works on me at least 3 times a week. It hurts so bad while he is working on me I want to cry but when he is done I feel 100% better and I actually am able to move around enough and have enough energy to clean my house and cook dinner. Anyway, those are just my experiences I hope they help. Good Luck.

I know people with diabetes who ask me if there is anything they can take for the tiredness. Unfortunately I have not found any substance indicated for this condition, and cannot find examples of where modafinil is used by diabetics, even off-label.

I'm definately eliminating the pill route for tx of my fatigue. I have been exercising a bit more and have dropped 12 lbs. I just read on those info thingies you get with meds that the fatigue is supposed to go away eventually. Even the Ambien clears your system in 5-6 hours. I guess I'll just keep moving more and think about those vitamin 12 supplements.

Exercise during the day will also help you sleep at night, which in turn helps the following day and so on. It also gives you the confidence to miss some pills out.

Have any of you heard of "mangosteen". It is in the liquid vitamins I take. It is supposed to be helpful for diabetics as it works to stabilize the blood sugar. Since I have been taking these vitamins, I don't seem to have the sugar binges that I use to have (prettty much on a daily basis). I'm not 100% off of sugar - I'm trying but it is so hard this time of year - but I would say I consume only about 25% of what I was a few months ago.

If anyone wants the name of the vitamins, let me know. I was in Costco yesterday and I noticed that they have a mangosteen supplement. I am going to check it out once I use up the ones I have (as the brand I'm using is a bit expensive).

I've tried mangosteen and it helped a bit.
Two things I find help with energy/stamina are Chlorella,I usually use the 'SUN' brand.It's high in natural B12 as well as it contains what is known as CGF(Chlorella Growth Factor) which has an effect similar to growth hormone.The other thing is Bee Pollen.It has to be fresh,good quality though.There is cheap,poor quality bee pollen that doesn't have the same effect.Taken daily with multi B vit etc,it can really make a big difference.
Some days with FM it doesn't matter what you take,you just can't move.I know exercise can help,but when you can NOT even move,just walking to the toilet feels like a marathon.

I've tried mangosteen, even seen it at costco. Man, these past few mornings I've felt like the tin man with no lube. Stiff and creaky!

Well, my vote for Provigil is in.
It did NOT work for me. I mean at all. I could take it and 2 hours later take a nap.
I know it does help people, but for some reason it did nothing for me (200mg).
Has anyone taken Ritalin?
Aren't there other meds for fatigue?
What's Adderall? Anyone tried it?

my aunt gives herself a b-12 shot every month and has been known to paint her whole house inside in 3 days. it gives her an enormous amount of energy

I started taking vitamin B complex. It has made a big difference in my energy level.

http://www.thegraffitisculptor.com

i order b12 injections from a place called 'graneville wellness' of the web.

i do b12 injections every friday morning, a low dose. but it helps get me trhu the weekends.

it cost about $20 for a six month supply of the b12 injections. you have to get your own needles and practice alot. try to get the shot in your fatty spots or buttocks.

when i ran amarathons, this helped get me thru the long haul of the race.
does it give you lots of energy. no. but it does help!

Has anyone mentioned adderall for more energy and weight loss. Off label prescribing.

Yes, I asked about this above.
Does it work? Is it similar to the Provigil? Or is it like the ADD - ritilin thing?

I think adderall would be a very bad choice if you truly have FM.Amphetamines may work ok for a day or two,but they will make things much worse in a reasonably short period.

As far as Provigil goes,it may help SOME people slightly.I personally found that it may help keep you awake but it doesn't give you energy like most FM sufferers are looking for.
I think vitamins/nutrients are the best thing other than exercise to help with energy when it comes to FM.

with the amount of rx'ed meds you already need to take, wouldn't it make sense to try the vitamin B12 (sub-lingual work nearly as well as the shots), or some other natural means before adding ritalin, adderal or even provigil? your poor body!

from your post above, sounds like that's what your plan is -good girl!

I have always wondered, why is it that men don't get fibro? seems to be a mystery disease. wonder if it has to do with female hormones or our different physical makeup somehow? seems if they could find the cause, they could find a cure!

I have not tried adderall but just about everything else. I find my most relief comes from exercise (walking) going to a chiropractor that uses pressure point massage before the adjustment and pain med.
I do not want to take more meds but i do have an energy and weight problem .
I had cancer and it kicked me into early menopause and severe fibro.
So if any one has tried the adderall could you please let me know because they are off label prescribing for weight loss but i do not know about fibro. i also feel proper nutrition is a big key but I love CANDY. I just went through a bunch of losses which i know stress contributes.

K

Men do get fibro Scruf,some researchers say that it may be that it is just that women are diagnosed more.Alot of men won't go to the doctor(until they really need to).
I know men get it all to well because I'm a male.Looks like I maybe the only one in this thread.One thing I can tell you about myself having fibro,is it has made me MUCH,MUCH more empathetic with what women deal with on all sorts of levels.
You have my greatest respect.How women manage to run a household and look after themselves is nothing short of incredible.

I was diagnosed with anemia August last year. It was not iron-deficiency anemia. I was so exhausted I could barely haul myself out of bed, I was very sick. The doctors were very worried. Many tests were performed as they worried about blood cancer. Bone marrow test and dr about scared me to death.

I quit taking hydro in July and began on Suboxone. By a couple of months later I had regained my energy and my life. Anemia tests showed what I expected. It was the hydro, my anemia was going back into normal levels. After being poked and prodded for months the cure was simple.

Just my experience, take what you like and leave the rest

JokerOwling, you brought up a good point as to why many women feel fatigued if they have FM or not. It's the leading "complaint" that doctors hear from females. Many work fulltime outside the house but are expected to do all the household chores, childcare, errands, etc, too. It's no wonder that females are tired. Try a 24/7 job for years on end and anyone would feel fatigued.

Yes but don't forget it still needs some effort for us men to operate that remote control, especially when one of the buttons is starting to wear out.

And the energy involved when the remote is lost! Hours can be spent pulling up sofa cushions and lifting furniture. The taxing of the muscles is beyond belief. So much that it is impossible to just manually push the TV's buttons.

Yes but for some reason, women get offended when you ask them to walk over to the TV to change channel because they've lost the remote control when tidying up, or failed to buy new batteries before the old ones ran out.

not fair. lost the remote when tidying up? did i interrupt you from "leave it to beaver" nephro? just haven't heard "think i'll tidy up now" since those days with "the beave" and donna reed -- she could be a mean tidy upper.

i lose the remote every time i use the remote. never fails --just like keys and i can't argue about the battery thing. i just swithch em as i always forget to buy them.

last but not least is that i believe it is a bad idea to take adderall or ritalin for energy as if you take too much it makes you tired. and it has addictive properties as well.

peace nephro!