Today our post is on fatigue!
We thought we would do a post on this as it’s something that seems to come as an added bonus with most chronic conditions. It makes you sleepy all the time and just thinking about doing anything makes you even more sleepy! For me it’s also the one that’s just never ending…
So what is fatigue?
Fatigue seems to be experienced differently by people. For me it comes in two forms:
- Complete lack of energy! It’s as though all of my energy has just suddenly drained out of me and simple activities such as moving feel impossible.
- My bones feel so heavy it’s as though they are made of lead and if I try to move I feel as though I’m trying to move through a swamp. This one likes to appear mostly in the mornings. I feel I should be given a medal sometimes just for managing to get out of bed!
Dizzy even pottered out to ask a few other people how they found fatigue so we could see how it felt to them:
- ‘Drowning in cotton wool.’ – John Smith
- ‘All encompassing heavy thick fog that makes lifting my head so difficult, talking , listening and generally functioning in any part of general life nigh on impossible.’ – Christian Rolfe
- ‘I feel like I’ve got the draining feeling from having flu, every part of my body feels really heavy and I feel really cold. I struggle to keep my eyes open and my speech becomes slurred too.’ – Sally-Ann Ford
- ‘It feels like a 12 hour long haul flight with the worst hangover while wearing a soaking wet ankle length fur coat and trying to do day to day tasks while feeling like that.’ – Fiona Ross
- ‘I get it in my arms and legs, my limbs just stop working.’ – Karen Mark-Green
- ‘Just so overwhelming, this is the one thing, I find so hard. Right eyelid drops, speech goes, which is so frustrating, because, I know what I want to say.’ – Dolly Dipsey Dory
- ‘Like I can’t even think or get sentences out properly. Like I’m on a real ‘go-slow’ and the only thing that makes it better is laying down and sleeping. Legs and feet feel heavy and tired. Eyes can see but can’t be bothered to look. Sometimes feels like a hangover.’ – Amy Brownlie
There doesn’t seem to be much that can actually stop fatigue but there are things that can help to stop it from getting progressively worse during the day. For me this is super important as if I don’t and I let the fatigue get worse; brain fog, tingling, dizziness and numbness start to creep in…
Ways of coping with extreme sleepiness!
- Sleep, sleep and more sleep! Lots of sleep and nap times are vital for helping manage the sleepiness. Still feel sleepy afterwards but it does stop it from getting any worse.
2. Prioritise tasks and activities. This is a difficult one because a lot of times things you want to do get scrapped so there’s enough energy for the things you have to do. My week consists of work and then sleeping the rest of the time so I have enough energy for work!
3. Relaxing. Getting stressed and feeling tense takes up so much energy! It’s not always easy but trying to stay relaxed means more energy for doing happy things! 🙂
4. Healthy eating. Drinking lots of water and eating healthily will help to give you more energy.
5. Exercise. Most of the time the idea of exercising is exhausting in itself. I feel like it’s a mad idea to get up and start moving around when I’m so sleepy but I must admit when I do it I do feel abit better. Gentle yoga and hydrotherapy always makes me feel slightly re charged. It’s just the getting going bit that’s difficult!
6. Keeping cool. MS doesn’t like heat and this can set off or make fatigue much worse. It means it’s really important to try and stop yourself from getting too hot.
7. Sleep! This ones important enough to mention twice. 🙂
How does fatigue feel for you and do you have any tips for helping cope with it? Me and Dizzy would love to hear them! 🙂 xxx
Big thank you to John, Christian, Sally-Ann, Fiona, Karen, Dolly, and Amy for their contribution to this post. xx
Another fine, practical management of chronic illness, post.
Thank you for your comment and reblog Bob! 🙂 xxx
Reblogged this on cabbagesandkings524 and commented:
Dinosaurs and donkeys brings practical thinking to the fatigue of chronic illness.
Naps, everywhere, anytime! I have a pillow in my cupboard and at lunchtime I lock the door, push two desk together and sleep! Then I can cope with the afternoon. Good post.😀
Naps are so important! I still haven’t found anywhere quiet at work that I could have a little nap but I am on the look out! xxx
If you drive to work try napping in the back of the car. That works!
I have tried that once or twice! I just wish they had a little bed somewhere at work. That would be perfect. xxx
I remember naps at work. Used a cupboard with a fold-up bed in it, a sick room in one place, a stray armchair in another and, in the absence of any of those, an armchair at Starbucks!
I definitely need to start being more imaginative with my places for naps! 🙂 xxx
Good advice even for those of us without MS. I spent the weekend with grandchildren and now have a bad cold. Nothing to compare with MS I know but the advice about sleep, healthy eating, and prioritizing are all applicable to the rest of us. Dizzy looks like a good napper!
It’s so true. They’re important anyway and especially if you’ve got a cold or flu. Lots of rest helps your body deal with everything. Hope you feel better soon. Me and Dizzy are both good with our naps! 🙂 xxx
Fatigue is the best friend I didn’t ask for… and don’t like. We really need to break up. 😉
Great post!
Lol, it’s just the way it always seems to be there. It doesn’t get the hints about going away. 🙂 xxx
Oh yes, I know fatigue. I’m ‘sleep tired’ at the moment as well as ‘body tired’ (how I try to differentiate the two because sleep doesn’t simply ‘cure’ the fatigue that’s in your bones, so to speak). Very good points, though no.6 doesn’t apply to me as I am perpetually cold! Great post.x
I know exactly what you mean between the two! Sleep tired can be abit better after a good night sleep but body tired isn’t better after a good nights sleep! I would say its good you don’t have to worry about the heat but being cold all the time doesn’t sound great either. :/ Thank you for commenting and glad you liked the post. 🙂 xxx
Fatigue is not something I constantly deal with but sometimes it will hit all at once and then I can’t get enough sleep.
I just end up spending so long in bed. Luckily I do like my bed. 🙂 xxx
educational and inspiration thank you
Thank you! 🙂 xxx
Those are good descriptions of fatigue… I get the impression a lot of healthy people just think “well, we all get tired”, but it’s not the same. I’m generally not too bad, especially after discovering that using a lightbox every day generally keeps my energy levels good, unless I’ve got a virus. I would definitely encourage people to try a SAD lightbox if they’re tired and not getting a lot of sunlight, though of course it’s not going to help everyone by any means.
Love Dizzy’s blanket… very cute!
Not many people do realise there’s a difference. It’s quite hard to explain to people too if they do just think it’s the same as normal tiredness. Glad you’ve found the lightbox that helps. I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you, Dizzy loves that blanket! 🙂 xxx
Reblogged this on Dream Big, Dream Often.
Thank you! 🙂 xx
You are welcome!
Excellent description! Especially the statement that your bones feel heavy. And I agree, exercise is vital. On the days that I swim, I don’t seem as overwhelmed with fatigue. I also agree that mornings are tough. Been able to get up, shower, fix my hair, do my make up, and get dressed is exhausted just thinking about it! I used to be a morning person. Get up and go full speed all day. That is just not possible anymore. I find that I need breaks throughout the day. I’m not a good nap taker but if I just stop, breathe, and focus my energy on something relaxing like reading and I can recover enough to go on.
I do love my naps but I think any breaks are vital. I find reading a good one aswell! 🙂 xxx
Reblogged this on Fearless and commented:
Excellent description of MS fatigue
Thank you so much for the reblog! xxx
You are welcome!!
I had no idea about this awful fatigue. I know only one person with MS, and I see her only every three or four years. It’s good for me to know what y’all go through. Thanks for writing about it.
Alot of people don’t and it is a hard one to understand! I’m really glad it’s been helpful to you. Thank you for visiting my blog. 🙂 xxx
This is a great post. Fatigue is rough. I have Transverse Myelitis and fighting fatigue is a daily battle.
Glad you like the post and thank you for visiting my blog! Have you found anything that helps with the fatigue? xxx
I have found some light stretching throughout the day has helped get my blood flowing and reduce the fatigue slightly. Every little bit helps 🙂
It really goes. 🙂 I find light stretching and gentle yoga work really well too. xxx