Vitamins that seem of particular interest to people with MS include vitamin D, the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hormone, or chemical messenger, in the body.
Discuss Energy-Boosting Medication With Your Doctor
Modafinil (Provigil) is a wakefulness-promoting medication that works for some people with MS. The antiviral medication amantadine (Symmetrel) can also be helpful. Dalfampridine (Ampyra) is a drug approved to help with walking in people with MS.
In 2015 scientists demonstrated a clear link between low vitamin D and MS. They found that people who naturally had lower levels of vitamin D (because of their genetics) were more likely to develop MS. Researchers in Oxford have also discovered that vitamin D could affect the way a gene linked to MS behaves.
One study noted young people with MS who took a calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium supplement had a reduced number of relapses. The study authors theorized that magnesium could play a role in the growth and stability of myelin.
Primary fatigue is caused by MS damage in the brain and spinal cord. And lots of processes might be involved. One idea from researchers is that passing messages around nerve damage takes extra energy. Secondary fatigue is caused by living with MS symptoms like pain, or disturbed sleep.
The most commonly proposed primary mechanisms of fatigue in MS involve the immune system or sequelae from central nervous system damage. Specific causes are thought to include proinflammatory cytokines, endocrine influences, axonal loss, and altered patterns of cerebral activation.
For instance, MS symptoms such as depression, being in pain or by having sleep disturbed by spasms or needing to go to the toilet more often can all make fatigue worse. Fatigue may also occur as a side effect of various medications or be the result of inactivity, stress, poor diet or an infection.
Fatigue in MS is not just an ordinary tiredness, like you might get at the end of a hard day's work. People describe it as an overwhelming sense of tiredness with no obvious cause. You may wake up feeling as tired as you did when you went to sleep.
Getting enough essential vitamins can help people with MS feel their best. One study found that multivitamins may improve inflammation and fatigue in some people living with MS.
It isn't completely clear how supplements may affect MS, but they are thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect, a restorative effect on myelin, or both. The three with the most scientific support for this use are biotin, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.
You need vitamin B12 to help maintain your nerves' myelin sheath. If you are deficient in vitamin B12 you can get symptoms that are similar to some of the symptoms of MS, such as fatigue, weakness, numbness or tingling and problems with memory.
It can be acute (lasting a month or less) or chronic (lasting from 1 to 6 months or longer). Fatigue can prevent you from functioning normally and affects your quality of life. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 80% of people with MS have fatigue.
There is no cure for MS fatigue. It is usually unpredictable and can worsen or improve for a time.
If you noticed that the physical ability is worsening over the past 6 months or year, inform your healthcare provider. Also, report changes in cognition such as short-term memory loss, multitasking problems and word-finding difficulties.
Causes of sleep disturbances in MS
Increased napping during the day due to fatigue. Reduced physical activity due to fatigue and MS-related disability. Emotional changes including stress, anxiety or depression. Other MS symptoms including restless legs, pain, urinary or bowel symptoms, and temperature dysregulation.
Being Tired. Fatigue is more persistent, constant and lingering compared to feeling tired. Feeling fatigue usually interrupts your day-to-day activities and isn't always relieved by sleeping more. “Sometimes the differences between fatigue and being tired can be difficult for people to differentiate.
The most important thing: Don't overdo it. No doubt you've heard the sayings "no pain, no gain" or "feel the burn," but that isn't good advice when you have MS. Doing too much can strain your muscles, increase pain, and put too much stress on your body and your mind.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) triggers that worsen symptoms or cause a relapse can include stress, heart disease and smoking. While some are easier to avoid than others, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and overall health and wellness can have outsized benefits for MS patients.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, an anti-inflammatory diet should include foods like tomatoes, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, and fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges. There's some evidence that consuming these foods could be beneficial for MS.
Research shows that a healthy diet, exercise, not smoking, ongoing preventive care and management of other medical conditions not only contribute to overall health but can also impact a person's MS progression and lifespan.