My mom has heart disease and congestive heart failure...The doctor had her start taking provigil 100 mg to see?

if she could get more pep...at first it seemed to help but now she is really weak again..weaker than before ..Should she get off of it..(He said she could even up it to 200 mg. last Fri..but haven't seen any difference..Please advise...THANK YOU

I take Provigil to treat Narcolepsy (200 mg in the am, and 100 at noon gets me thru the work day).

Although I've never heard of using it for Congestive Heart Failure...

Anyhoo, maybe your mom's doc needs to test her for other possible causes of fatigue: Sleep Apnea, diabetes, various vitamin deficiencies, etc. (example: Anemia can cause fatigue -- it's an iron deficiency).

Also, your mom should DEFINITELY seek a second (and possibly a third) opinion. Doctors are not miracle workers. Successfully treating any medical condition requires the patient to take an active role in their healthcare. So this means you and your mom cannot sit back passively while the doctors try to unravel the mysteries of her condition. She needs to educate herself as much as possible (with your help?) about her symptoms and provide her docs with as many "clues" as possible so they can try to solve her "mystery". (I highly suggest keeping a journal to record ALL changes in the way she feels and when. This may provide the doc with critical details she may have deemed insignificant but may hold the answer to her mystery!)

And **REMEMBER**: The doctor only knows what you tell him/her. Write everything down in a journal so you don't forget any details and she should take this journal with her to her appointments).

There are MANY excellent resources online for researching various conditions (stick with the scholarly resources only; avoid personal home pages and blogs!!). Also, research and contact organizations specific to her condition such as the American Heart Association(www.americanheart.org).

...GOOD LUCK!! I wish you and your mom the very best!!

I totally disagree with emmabug. Your mothers doctor has her on provigil because that's what the pharmaceutical company that buys him the nicest gifts told him to give her. my wife has worked in the medical field for the past 30 years and I know lots of doctors, some good and some bad. But one thing almost all have in common is their hands are tied by the AMA which is in the pocket of the pharmaceutical companies. The web is loaded with info that has been kept from the public. Example: I'll bet you have never heard of "ozone therapy" It has helped many people for many ailments. for your mothers sake, go to yahoo or google and search "ozone therapy for heart disease" The only problem is, there are only a few states that have the nerve to buck the AMA and allow ozone clinics. So while there are over 7000 clinics in Germany, there are less than less than 100 in the US. WHY? because treatment are under $50, and if allowed the medical profession and pill pushers would see their incomes plummet.

It was first used in 1856, has never been linked to any adverse effects but yet in most states the AMA can revoke a doctors license if caught using it, while at the same time allowing the pharmaceutical companies to push drugs that are killing people everyday.

LOOK IT UP.

It takes a while for medicine to work. That provigil is used to treat narcolepsy and is suppose to promote wakefulness. Is your mother also getting some diuretics or something to help with the congestive heart failure? Maybe you should contact her doctor or get a second opinion.

It will take time for the drug to increase in her system but if worried she should go back to the doctor

this is something you guys should discuss with a doctor...not people on here.