Provigil looks promising for treatment of fatigue.A small preliminary clinical trial conducted last year at Ohio State University Ohio State University, main campus at Columbus; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1870, opened 1873 as Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, renamed 1878. There are also campuses at Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark. and at Kaiser Permanente, a San Diego HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, , suggested that a 200 mg dose of Provigil (modafinil) tablets may relieve fatigue symptoms in people with MS. Provigil was approved in 1998 by the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. to treat narcolepsy narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and recurring unwanted episodes of sleep ("sleep attacks"). People with narcolepsy may abruptly fall asleep at almost any time, including while talking, eating, or even walking. , a central nervous system disorder that causes excessive sleeping. It is not clear whether Cephalon, Provigil's manufacturer, will ask the FDA to approve the drug for treatment of MS. Side effects of Provigil include nervousness, nausea, dry mouth, headache, and diarrhea. The findings were presented at the annual conference of the American Academy of Neurology The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a professional society for neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1949 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the art and science of neurology, and thereby promote the best in San Diego, April 29-May 6. Sponsored by Cephalon, the study involved 72 people with MS, all of whom received a look-alike placebo at some point during the trial. Patients on active treatment reported significantly lower fatigue when they were on the drug than when they were taking the placebo. "Many people identified the placebo as the inactive pill and Provigil as the real drug," recounted Kottil Rammohan, MD, a neurologist at Ohio State University who was the lead investigator for the trial. "The main thing about the study is that it opens up the window to a whole new class of drugs." Approximately 80% of people with MS experience fatigue. For some individuals, it may be the most disabling symptom. People who are interested in taking Provigil should consult their physicians. |
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