Fatigue

I am very knew to this world and not yet diagnosed so am just reading as much as I can right now.  My symptoms are so very minimal so far compared to the pain and suffering I read about on this forum and my heart goes out to all of you.

I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate being tired - and that's just everyday tired from work and kids.  I cannot imagine being so tired that its debilitating. So these are my questions for you:

Is there ANYTHING that helps with your fatigue?  
Do you just rest until you regain strength?  How long?
Is it an everyday occurence or just when you're having a "bad" day?

Thanks x

[supermum_ms]

Q)Is there ANYTHING that helps with your fatigue?  
A) No

Q)Do you just rest until you regain strength?
A)Sleep 12 to 18 hour days, eat high energy (easy to swallow) natural foods and energy drinks, COFFEE, laugh a lot, and wait it out. Once its over i then work on regaining muscle strength and being a skinny gal i need to put on the weight i've lost.

Q) How long?
A) weeks, never lasted longer than 10 weeks so far

Q)Is it an everyday occurence or just when you're having a "bad" day?
A) The fatigue i'm talking about (Lassitude) is not a 1 or 3 day thing, deffinely not a 'bad' day or from running out of 'spoons' every (normal for MS) day thing. This is like being flattened by air, everything you do no matter how small, takes more energy than you have.

You dont even start the day exhausted (i wish lol), your starting from negative numbers and for every moment your awake you keep going backwards. I currently have a 3 hour window but i'm fighting it for at least an hour of that, your too frikin exhausted to chew, swallow, think or even hold your body up in a chair, forget about talking cause your brain wont let you locate words and those you can your mouth wont say them right.

And then one day you'll get up and it feels a tad better, different somehow and you start getting stronger, the window is longer the naps shorter and then its lifted and your back to your normal again.

Cheers........JJ

[essdipity]

Welcome to the forum. This topic comes up very frequently, and just this week we had a long and informative post on it----

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Fatigue--Exercise-and-Therapy/show/1489114

And if you scroll through the forum posts you'll see a lot more.

Our Health Pages (button at upper right) also have good entries on fatigue, as well as other great info for a newcomer.

You've got lots of reading to do!  But I'm sure it will help.

ess

[Lulu54]

there are many types of fatigue - the lassitude that JJ talks about is the kind where you just can't do anything, no matter how much you want to........

there are so many other types as well, and you have to know which fatigue is bothering you before a plan to handle it can be devised.  If it is lassitude, the only plan is rest and time.  The other types can all be treated one way or another.

Please do read the post that Ess referenced

welcome again, Lulu

[Sparkysarah]

it is difficult to generalize about fatigue as there are so many different sorts and what JJ describes is the overwhelming wipe out that I can identify with when I had a relapse...when to lift my arm up to the cupboard to get a mug out was exhausting, having a bath was enough to put me straight back to bed. I am fortunate that this is the sort of fatigue I get when I am unwell or in relapse and not the norm.

For me the fatigue that is what I would describe as ongoing and frequent comes and goes. I now know that if I overdo it on one day I will pay the next and that going out for an evening will mean that I need nap the next day. Some days there is no trigger or obvious reason for when I feel fatigued but I know when it is there and that it is not worth fighting and I need to listen to my body.

There is no substitute for good quality sleep, relaxation and rest when fatigued but I also think that to get some exercise and go outside and have a breath of fresh air when you fill your lungs with oxygen can help along with a few minutes of sunshine and pure Vitamin D.

Love Sarah

[addicted2harleys]

Hi, jopella-

Welcome to our forum.  You have landed in a group of extraordinary and compassionate people.  I may have missed it, so have you written a little bio here yet?  If not, if you are comfortable enough, can you post a little information about yourself?  This makes it a little easier for us to answer any questions you may have and lets our group get to know you a bit.  

I see that you are experiencing fatigue.  You will find that most of the members here have experienced fatigue and/or live with it every day, including myself.  Mine is very similar to Sarah's.  

Anyway, I look forward to getting to know you.  I am sorry that fatigue has bit you, too.  I do encourage you to read the thread that ess sent you the link for.  And I urge you to get familiar with our Health Pages, as well.  

Please know that, with the exception of one, we are not doctors.  We have loads of personal experiences in a vast number of symptoms for MS.  As far as I can remember, there has never been a question on this list that I haven't seen guidance for.  

Addi

[jopella]

I haven't experienced fatigue yet - I'm very fortuntate to only go through the 2 small kids/full-time job fatigue at the moment which is not even close to what people are experiencing here!  I just can't imagine being that tired!

I did write a small piece about myself in my first post but i must update my profile when I find some time.

Thanks so much for everyone's help and suppport, everyone has been really lovely here.  I just wish it were a "I'm a billionaire and not sure how to spend it" forum!!   But we must play the cards with which we have been dealt.