Fatigue and flares

[Joiedecour]

Does your fatigue come before, during or after a flare of neurological symptoms? Do you report extreme fatigue to you neuro, deal with it or go to your primary care? I mean knock you right out fatigue.

[Joiedecour]

Thanks all. I am going to give it a try for 3 months or so. I hope that will be long enough to see if it is working or not. Thanks, Lisa and Poppy! You make great sense and I really value your advice : ) although the length of time you were dealing with extreme fatigue is really scary. Did either of you get the red blotches listed in possible side effects? Sorry to be concerned with something so superficial in the grand scheme.

[Poppy7402]

The Amantadine is well worth trying, although my experience has been that in the midst of a flare I can still fall asleep half an hour after taking it.  The rest of the time it works reasonably well.

Poppy

[LisaJF]

Way back in 2010, I had extreme fatigue. I'm not quite sure if I had weakness as well...but I do know and can remember times when I was standing and I couldn't hold my own weight. (104 lbs at the time). I felt like I was 1,000 lbs.

That lasted I'd say for 3 1/2 years of ongoing fatigue and/or weakness (not sure which it is or both.  Today I can safely say that my fatigue days come and go.  Like I have a baseline of fatigue but some days its better than others. Does that make sense? lol If not ignore me.

I tried Provigil and it didn't do squat for me physically. Perhaps I felt a momentary mental alertness as if I did a dose of caffeine but it did not help with my fatigue.  Although some people who have been on Nuvigil or the one I was one, has helped them.

I hope that helps you!  Doctors will prescribe medication for your symptoms that interferes with your activities of daily living, even if you don't have a diagnosis.  It is about YOU and your health and how you can move forward attempting to live your life as before (or at least strive for that outcome).

Let us know how it goes or what your decision is.

Lisa

[Joiedecour]

Thanks guys. Called it in. Sounds like a flare they said, getting amantadine. Not sure how I feel about that. I haven't got official dx and haven't 'done' drugs yet.

[Poppy7402]

Fatigue is usually one of my symptoms preceding a flare (and running to the toilet more).  My family notice I'm more fatigued as I talk less and I sleep a lot more.  Usually lasts a couple of weeks before something else happens - this time it was my leg going on strike.

Best wishes

Poppy

[kwarendorf]

I haven't had a relapse in a while (SPMS), but I don't think I'd separate fatigue from other neurological symptoms. It is a neurological symptom.

I'd go with A) Report extreme fatigue to your neuro.

Kylw