Fingolimod and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 29, 2015

For Multiple Sclerosis "I took Gilenya 3 years ago for about a year and had no major side effects and only had 1 additional lesion on my brain post-treatment. My husband changed jobs, and it took about another year to jump through all of the hoops to restart the Gilenya. I restarted the Gilenya last summer. Immediately, I started having trouble with more severe headaches, losing hearing, anxiety, until my neuro took me off it. I wish it had worked."

• Ama...
• December 26, 2020

For Multiple Sclerosis "I was diagnosed with RRMS in April 2020 at the age of 49. My neurologist started me on Gilenya, and it has worked wonders for me. Most of my life, I was tired easily and slept a lot, and now that I’m on Gilenya, I have more energy than I ever can remember having. I was devastated when I got the news that I have MS, but I had always known something wasn’t right. I was an athlete and played basketball in college, so I didn’t live a sedentary lifestyle, but I slept a lot. Unfortunately, now I have trouble falling asleep, but I’m not sure if it’s from the MS or the anxiety. I have dealt with depression since my twenties, but I would prefer that over anxiety any day. My boyfriend passed away in August from COVID, and that’s when the anxiety and PTSD kicked in overdrive. To anyone who is considering Gilenya, I would recommend it because I’ve not had any negative side effects and haven’t dealt with MS relapses either."

• Ema...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 28, 2018

For Multiple Sclerosis "I was recently diagnosed with MS, and my doctor put me on Gilenya. I did not feel comfortable with all the testing that had to be done prior to beginning the treatment. At first, things were okay, but I noticed I no longer wanted to do anything. I had extreme anxiety, was short-fused, and began feeling faint and dizzy. I went to my primary care doctor, and he did an ECG and immediately sent me to a cardiologist. I stopped taking the pill and am gradually feeling better. My liver is good now, and my white blood cells... I do not like this medicine. I will be starting Copaxone."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2019

For Multiple Sclerosis "I was diagnosed with MS in February 2019. My first neurologist recommended Avonex, but after I read the side effects, I said no. Went to an MS specialist and decided to try Gilenya. Was cleared to take the meds, did the 6-hour observation, and everything was fine. A few weeks later, I noticed I was getting extreme anxiety while doing things I normally do on a daily basis, like driving to run errands, see family, etc. I was even having anxiety walking to my car in my building parking garage and while being at my office. I stopped taking the meds two weeks ago, and I’m praying that I get back to normal. Any recommendations for other meds would be greatly appreciated. Don’t waste your time on Gilenya because it could literally make you crazy."