b'Medicine & ResearchRX UpdateMedications are availableto address fatiDuePharmacists play key role in identifying regimens that mitigate symptomsBy Ellen Whipple, Pharm.D.About 95 percent of patients with multiple experiencing u-like symptoms, which cansclerosis experience fatigue, with 15-40 cause fatigue. Thrower went on to explainpercent of patients considering ittheir most that pharmacists can play a big role throughdebilitating symptom. According to Dr. Ben medicationreconciliationinidentifyingThrower, director of the MS Institute at the regimens that can aggravate fatigue. BecauseShepherd Center in Atlanta, the symptoms of patients have multiple doctors prescribingMS-related fatigue vary tremendously from dierent types of medications, patients shouldpatient to patient. He said, Some patients be encouraged to have only one pharmacy.are primarily bothered by fatigue during the Thiswillallowforacentralrepositoryofsummer months, whereas other patients suer medication orders.from MS-related fatigue almost all of the Because there are various causes of MS-time. Likewise, fatigue in some patients is related fatigue, it is not surprising that theredebilitating and in other patients only a slight arealsomanydiversetreatmentoptions.nuisance.Throwersaid,nooneproductworksforMS-related fatigue can be aggravated by every patient. Not surprising, many patientsmedicationsthatcausedrowsiness.In have to try multiple products before ndingaddition, symptomssuchasspasticity, one that is eective for them. The table belowdepression, and weakness can also worsen examinesthemostcommonlyprescribedand/or precipitate MS-related fatigue. In many products used to treat MS-related fatigue. Itcases, medications can minimize or eliminate is important to note that none of the productsthe symptoms of MS-related fatigue. In other areapprovedbytheU.S.FoodandDrugsituations, modifying medication regimens Administration as treatments of MS-relatedcanhelptomitigatethesymptoms.For fatigue. For this reason, insurance companiesexample, administration of the beta-interferon sometimes deny coverage for these medicationsproducts in the evening compared with the when physicians prescribe them to treat MS-morning, could be beneficial for patients related fatigue.msfocusmagazine.org 62'