Accorda...makes Ampyra...helped me with copay

[Lazarus]

My copay for Ampyra was $25. Suddenly my insurance company raised it to $75 each month.
I called Accorda and they checked things out and called to tell me that they would assist with the copay so that I only will pay $40 each month instead of the $75 my insurance company was charging. Good service. I am glad I made the call.

[agate]

That's really good to know! Sometimes all we have to do is ask. It's all too easy to assume no help is available. Old lawyers' saying: "Never assume anything."

[stillstANNding]

Agate, "Never assume anything" is also an important dictum of medicine.

Linda, well done.

ANN

[Virginia]

Linda, glad they are helping out.

Like that saying "never assume anything"

[SuzE-Q]

My copay for Ampyra was $25. Suddenly my insurance company raised it to $75 each month.
I called Accorda and they checked things out and called to tell me that they would assist with the copay so that I only will pay $40 each month instead of the $75 my insurance company was charging. Good service. I am glad I made the call.

Linda,

Do you take ampyra every day, or just on special days when you need extra mobility and leg strength/energy?

[Lazarus]

Linda,

Do you take ampyra every day, or just on special days when you need extra mobility and leg strength/energy?

Hi,
I take it every day...every 12 hours. It is important to follow the schedule.
I am glad you asked because a long time ago I mentioned this in a thread. People taking Ampyra are warned about followings the schedule...within an hour or so. If you miss a dose you wait until the next time you should take it. The warning is about the risk of seizures. Someone thought this was wrong information but the next day I read an ad for Ampyra and the ad said quite clearly that seizures were a risk. I expect it is a low one.

I did ask about taking it only once a day and the Acorda people I spoke with said that some people do only take it once a day. For me, when I forget a dose, my legs are noticeably dragging.

It is not a super drug that makes my walking great even after hours of farm work but it does make them better if I am rested and living a normal schedule. It also seems to give me more energy. Many people taking it have noted this as a welcome side effect.
Linda

[agate]

Thanks for this information, Linda. I found this in the Prescribing Information for Ampyra (issued December 2014):

5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS5.1 SeizuresAMPYRA can cause seizures. Increased incidence of seizures has been observed at 20 mg twice daily in controlled clinical studies of 9–14 weeksduration with dalfampridine in patients with MS. In open label extension trials in MS patients, the incidence of seizures during treatment withdalfampridine 15 mg twice daily (1.7/100PY) was over 4 times higher than the incidence during treatment with 10 mg twice daily (0.4/100PY).In the post-marketing period seizures have been reported. The majority of seizures occurred at the recommended dose and in patients without ahistory of seizures, and generally within days to weeks of starting therapy.AMPYRA has not been evaluated in patients with a history of seizures or with evidence of epileptiform activity on an EEG, as these patientswere excluded from clinical trials. The risk of seizures in patients with epileptiform activity on an EEG is unknown, and could be substantiallyhigher than that observed in AMPYRA clinical studies. AMPYRA should be discontinued and not restarted in patients who experience a seizurewhile on treatment. AMPYRA is contraindicated in patients with a history of seizures ....

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Seizures are definitely not a side-effect anyone would want to put up with--and so being very careful to get the dosage exactly right would really matter.

[SuzE-Q]

Thanks very much Linda & Joan!