Elderly man with CP aways exhausted

[marilyn_jean]

My husband has cerebral palsy and is 66 years old. This year he is all of a sudden very tired, has a hard time getting the breath needed to speak, has little interest in what's going on around him, and has lost some of his motor strength.

I am wondering if these symptoms can be directly attributed to the CP or if it is a condition of getting older that can be treated.

[eagle51]

I would guess that it would be a mixture of both. We (folks with CP) tend to age physically a little faster than most folks. I am 32 yrs old with Mild CP (Right Spastic Hemiplegia w/ Paralysis) and I've always gotten exhausted very easily, with and without any form of physical activity. My hands are slowly becoming a bit deformed. I have arthritis already in my hands and knees and I can pop almost every joint in my body at will to relieve the pain from my spasms. I have plantar fasciitis in my left heel and I believe it is also starting up in my right as well. My muscles are constantly tight and stiff and in some areas of my body, veins or arteries are starting to pop up under my skin. Sorry if that's too much information.

The low energy (for me at least) is partly due to the energy in my body that my spasms seem to burn up more quickly than what normal folks tend to burn up. I've read that people with cp usually burns 3 to 5 times the amount of energy to normal people. I also believe it is due to my mild scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Usually after stretching my spine and neck and/or whatever other muscles are tight or spasming at time, I feel a lot better with a lot more energy after a short intense drop in energy. Obviously I can only tell you what I have experienced, and from what I hear each person afflicted with cp is affected differently, whether they have the same, similar or different types of cp. I don't know what type of CP your husband has, but regardlees, you should probably take him in to see the doctor if possible. If he has scoliosis it's possible it has gotten worse over the years (due to his spasms slowing tightening his muscles, tendons or ligaments) which may be causing the breathing problems. Surgery or physical therapy can help greatly in fixing the problem. Due to his age, maybe his spasms are happening more often or are increasing in intensity due to the fact that his muscles, ligaments, and tendons are not as flexible as they once were when he was a younger man. I've noticed that slowly happenning to me over the last several years.
Arthritis could be another factor, as well as pain, stiffness in his joints, maybe he's developed a heart condition of some sort (another good reason to get a check up). Also, I've heard loss of muscle is normal as we age.

I've found that if I sit down or lay down for too long (especially during the morning and through out the day after a bad or short sleep or waken up earlier than my body intended to wake up), I have a very hard time getting my energy back up to where I can do anything physical, even getting up out a chair. I usually sleep 6 hrs and then like clockwork I have to get up to use the restroom (it's strange but that's what happens). After waking up I cannot go back to sleep and am usually exhausted throughout the day. If I sleep 10 hrs, than I am still exhausted. But when I happen to get an 8 hr sleep on those rare occassions I usually have 10x's my normal energy and can do just about anything through out the day with fewer bout's of pain or spasms.

I usually drink a lot of coffee and soda during the day to keep my energy levels up. If I drink too little I don't have much energy during the day but if I drink too much I overload, spasm up and then quickly crash after the spasms subside and need a two hour nap. I tend to nap alot whenever I can find time too. If I watch how much I take in, than it becomes a benefit instead of a issue to deal with.

Like I was saying before, be safe, see a doctor. It could be any number of things or a combination of them. I hope what I've said helps you guys out in some way and I hope he gets better soon, he is lucky to have an understanding person like you in his life. Take care. If you need to talk some more my email is listed below.

Dan Guzy
dan_guzy***@****

[eagle51]

I forgot to say that his aloofness is probably related to his tiredness. That's how I get when I get exhausted, whether from poor sleep or after intense spasms.

[marilyn_jean]

Thanks for your very helpful comments. You seem very "in tune" with your disability, which my husband is not. He cannot easily verbilize what is happening to him. I don't know exactly what type of cp he has -- he cannot walk, use his hands for fine-tuning type of activities (eg, eating, toileting, etc), and has a speech impairment. His arms are spastic. I will take your advice and take him to a specialist; our family doctor doesn't seem to realize what is happening. Thanks again for your helpful response and I wish you God's speed!

Marilyn-jean