[jessie 5 years ago]

im no expert, but in terms of DMDs i think neurologists have to prescribe first before a GP can fill prescriptions. did ur neuro not offer any drug choices???

[cameron 5 years ago]

You need a neurologist’s prescription for the disease-modifying drugs which will be your main weapon against MS. However, if you’re in the middle of a relapse, the GP can prescribe steroids. If you’re not, it depends on what symptoms you currently have. Musculoskeletal problems which may have arisen if you have abnormal gait = anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs); bladder issues such as urgency = anti-cholergenic drugsm such as Ditropan. Some GPs will prescribe Baclofen for muscle spasm (although where I live that has to come through the neurologist); nerve pain = Amitriptyline (this is also an antidepressant,so by going on it you can kill two birds with one stone!). When I was first diagnosed I had terrible leg cramps at night and my GP gave me quinine. If nothing much is going on, I would imagine your GP will just tell you to wait and see the neuro. Hope this helps.

[DJDsouza 5 years ago]

You should be able to get Vitamin D levels checked at your GP and then they can prescribe higher strength tablets or something to help up your Vit D levels

[f3ng5hu1 5 years ago]

Thanks for the replys, i’ll look at getting my Vit ‘D’ levels checked and the Amitriptyline sounds good as I am currently on citalopram for anti-depression so the switch might be a good idea.

Jessie, my neurologist at the hospital didn’t mention any GP meds just that interferon may be a course of treatment to take at some point. I am due to be reviewed by the neurologist in due course so I will ask him about GP meds then.

[aardvark 5 years ago]

My MS clinical nurse was very pro me upping my vitamin D3 levels and recommended that I visited a specific website to purchase 5000 IU tablets. Now I can’t remember the specific URL, but the order was fulfilled by this company http://www.vitamind3world.com/ . Didn’t take very long to get here from the States, and I’m now dropping a “D” every day. Nice one. Sorted.

[f3ng5hu1 5 years ago]

Thank you for the advice 🙂

[bloomers1968 5 years ago]

Whats your rush for meds ? are you ill now ? whats going wrong ? To qualify for a DMD you need to have 2 relapses within a year (i think or it may be 2 years) The DMD’s arnt fun, you should lead your life as normal as long as possible.

[f3ng5hu1 5 years ago]

I am not in a rush for meds, nor do I enjoy the pain and fatigue I encounter without them. If there are meds that can genuinely help then I am interested.

[f3ng5hu1 5 years ago]

Especially anything that can help with the fatigue.

[bloomers1968 5 years ago]

I take amantadine for the fatigue, not the best but it helps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amantadine

[Becks 5 years ago]

i was on amantadine for years and have just switched to modafanil – my cognitive faitgued has been all but eliminated – my biggest problem now is my body trying to keep up with my head as i want to do a million things at once but i still have the physical fatigue (but not as bad as the fatgiue is without meds)

when my ms wasn’t so bad in the early years i replaced amantadine with better diet and controlled exercise so managed without any fatigue drugs for quite a while until symptoms deteriorated significantly

[cameron 5 years ago]

I think it’s worth saying that DMDs are protection against overall worsening but don’t treat symptoms as such. For those you need separate meds. To say about DMDs that you don’t ‘need them yet’ misses the point. They’re not perfect and don’t suit everyone but they are the best insurance against your MS worsening overall. My MS has been stable (but bothersome) for 9 years and I asked the consultant recently if I could volunteer for a drugs trial. He said definitely not. The reason- it would mean coming off the DMDs and he said ‘ we can’t risk you doing that’. He also said at my last appointment that the drugs were definitely working. Then there’s the NHS cuts. DMD cost per patient is c. £10,000 p.a. and my nasty suspicious mind wonders if neuros have been told to backpedal on recommending and prescribing them…..
As far as I can tell (talking to MS nurses and physios) the ‘game’ is to stabilise the MS through the DMDs NOW so that when really good new treatments come through in c.10 years, our nerves will still be able to respond.

[f3ng5hu1 5 years ago]

Thanks again for all the help and advice=)