I know probably a lot of you deal with fatigue… I could use some of your advice.
Since I recovered from my first attack in June, I haven't had much fatigue and have had pretty normal energy levels. Then all of a sudden, starting about 10 days ago, I'm exhausted! I get home from work and fall asleep at like 7 or 8pm and sleep through until morning. I'm pooped by noon, but I'm at work, so I just muscle through it. It doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get, 12, 14 hours a night, I'm still tired the next day.
Any advice for coping with this? Also, could this be a relapse, since it's sort of a new symptom? Or maybe its not MS at all - could be anemia or something else.
Good old Fatigue it comes and goes, and personally I think it is based on hormones, I think that they have something to do with it, I get extremely fatigued around PMS time, which now only happens every 3 months. Do you think that could have something to with your recent fatigue?
You can try to beat it, drink lots of water, eat apples, peanutbutter on whole wheat, walnuts, these are things that give me strength and help to fight the fatigue.
Alot of the time, I just give in and take a nap, hmm maybe try that [if you can] after work, take a 20 min nap, maybe that will give you an energy boost.
I often think that I am getting a relapse, per my neuro, symptoms of a relapse have to last at least 24 hrs to be a relapse. I think I get little relapses fatigue, and aches and pains, and I lay around until it goes, which I also think is hormore related I would check w/your PCP for anemia or thyroid problems ya just never know with an autoimmune disease we pick up lots of things along the way
Sounds like chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia. I was dx with that about 5 years ago, and my doc put me on Effexor XR it worked almost immediately. Maybe you could check with your doctor.
1Thes518 - wait a minute, Effexor XL HELPED your fatigue? I've been taking 37.5mg daily for 2 months now. I take it as soon as I eat something, which some days is close to noon. It SAYS it can cause drowsiness. I still have times in the afternoon when I CANNOT stay awake - but I'm not as sleepy at night as I've been. Am I taking it too late in the day???
Yup! I take 150 mg every morning with breakfast. It helped tremendously with the chronic fatigue tiredness, and also with the pain from fibromyalgia. I think there is something in there like epinepherine.
However, since I have been having what I'll call my "MS-like" symptoms, I have been hit with a sudden tiredness late in the day where I just have to lie down and take a nap. Some days I want to take a nap after I get up!!!
So, maybe it only helps with fatigue from certain medical conditions, and not with others...? I don't want to give it up, though, 'cause I wonder what I'd be like without it. I wonder if you need a higher dose, or if that would make you more tired. 37.5 mg is really low.
I went to see the PCP yesterday to get some bloodwork to test for anemia and all that good stuff before I go running to my Neuro for another set of MRIs. I should have results back tomorrow, or Monday at the latest they said.
My PCP is really disappointing, I told her I was dxed with MS and she didn't even blink. Do ya'll have PCPs that are familiar with MS? How do you find them?
Also, on a completely unrelated note - I went to the dentist this morning and they always complain about my inflammed gums. Apparently MS medications can cause dry mouth which makes gms swell. Weird huh? Never knew. HA, my dentist talks to me more about my MS than my PCP. *groan*
I'm just trying this out--- I'm new to any forums. I just want to comment that the fatigue stinks! Sometimes I get up too and an hour later I wanna go back to sleep! Let's see if I did this correctly, then I'll post longer answers in the future...I wrote a long post to something a few days ago and it didn't go through.
I am new to the board. I have had MS for 16 years. There are days that I get up and take my meds and I have to crawl right back into bed and sleep for several more hours.
Have any of you ever tried Provigil or Amantadine. These drugs are used for severe fatigue. My Neuro put me on them they seemed to help. Then it started back up again. I am now taking Adderal 40mg a day. It is to make me alert where I can concentrate much better instead of sleeping my life away. It has helped me out a lot. Don't get me wrong I still get fatigued but not as bad as to where I want to crawl back into bed.
I also take effexor 300mg a day it is used for depression and anxiety. Ms is such a strange disease it can hit you like a ton of bricks or slowly take it's toll on you. It can also effect you in a less damaging way. When I was diagnosed wich was back in 1990 there were not any drugs on the market for treatment for MS. Today there are lots of drugs that doctors can try you on. Some will work and others will not. I have had that experience with some of the drugs.
Each and every person that is diagnosed with MS will have it differently no two are the same at least that's what my Neuro says. I have to take 16 different pills a day a shot every other day and chemo every three months.
Even though I take a lot of meds I am still able to stay out of a wheel chair. I have to walk with a cane and sometime use my walker, but that's ok for me.
I hope all of you will be abale to get some answers real soon. It took me 3 MRI'S in order for mine to show up. Doctors just do not like to say that it is MS because there are so many illinesses that mimick MS. If you really have MS I hope they can diagnose it for you real soon so that you do not have to worry anymore about what's going on with your body. If you don't have MS I pray that it will be something that they can cure for you right away.
My prayers are with you all. Good luck with the fatigue.
I read alot since I have alot of immune problems and now they are pretty sure I have MS. I have nerve damage in the brain from two mini strokes as well. The material stated that even a half degree in temperature can wreck havoc on it. I do mind temperature change alot. I often joke with my husband I need a body suit with a temperature control to control my environment. I have hypothryoidism as well as Mitral Valve, Mixed connective tissue disease, and raynauds. I told him my first name is tired, middle name tired, and last name tired. Let me know if anyone else has heard about temperature changes affecting this. Thanks, and if you find a self built in generator let me know as I would like to have one
I got the results of my bloodwork from my PCP on Friday - it was all normal. You'd think I'd be happy to hear that, but I was really hoping it was anemia or something. I'm betting this is a relapse now, especially since I'm having tingling/numbness in my foot. =(
Neuro appointment on Wednesday. Not sure if it'll do any good... since I don't want to take the steroids anyway, but at least I'd know what's going on for sure.
Having a relapse is like being diagnosed all over again. I lose a little hope.
My symptoms flare with temperature too, I think a lot of people have that problem. Try one of the cooling vests or cooling scarves from the MS Society.
my fatufue comes and goes,,, i did really well for a little over a yr no naps or anything and i was sent to a pain specialist and the meds they gave me make me even more fatigued than i already am and i have a hard time fighting it so i have taken probably 4 naps in the last 6 month,,, i go back to him again today and i will talk about that and see what to do,, if anything.
it comes and goes, and personally I think it is based on hormones, I think that they have something to do with it, I get extremely fatigued around PMS time, which now only happens every 3 months. Do you think that could have something to with your recent fatigue?
I would check w/your PCP for anemia or thyroid problems ya just never know with an autoimmune disease we pick up lots of things along the way 
