The second drug I failed to find success with was Ampyra, otherwise known as The Walking Drug.

Per Drug.com, Ampyra (dalfampridine) is a potassium channel blocker used to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dalfampridine produced an increase in walking speed in clinical trials. Exactly how it works is not known. It is thought to increase nerve function (emphasis mine).

Potential side effects are:

• seizure (convulsions);
• pain or burning when you urinate;
• problems with balance;
• numbness, burning pain, or tingly feeling;
• relapse or worsening of MS symptoms;

Ampyra was the second drug I took even though no one could tell me for sure how it worked. The only difference being that this one’s potential side effects were much worse.

Oh and it didn’t work for me anyway.

The good news? I didn’t have any seizures and since I had insurance I wasn’t charged the $1,500 per month retail price.

The bad news? I was slowly figuring out that MS drugs were expensive without always necessarily being effective. (A friend did report that her Ampyra experience was phenomenal. She could literally feel more electrical energy in her body as it improved her walking.)

So again, I must asked myself, Did I fail Ampyra or did Ampyra fail me?