Fatigue
Over the last couple of years we have talked about fatigue on this blog quite a lot. From covering what it is like to suffer from fatigue (https://patienttalk.org/fatigue-like-wet-cement-exploring-the-difference-between-tiredness-and-fatigue/) to share a few tips for keeping more active in the afternoon (https://patienttalk.org/how-to-stop-the-3-oclock-drop-fighting-fatigue-in-the-afternoon-short-guide/).
As regular readers of this blog will know one of our key objectives is to provide a space where people can share their experiences of living with , in this case, fatigue and how how they deal with it.
Lots of medical conditions can have fatigue as a symptom such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis to name a few. But so, of course, can being a caregiver.
The aim of this blog post is to get a feel for our readers fatigue stories. In particular what cause their fatigue. How common is your fatigue? And your tips for dealing with fatigue.
Firstly you will find a short poll below on fatigue and it would be great is you could take part. Secondly we would love it if you could use the comment box below to share your fatigue story. Anything you wish to share will be of great interest to our readers!
I have Kallmann syndrome, which means I never went through puberty and do not produce any testosterone myself.
I have to take injections of hCG twice a week in order to produce testosterone.
Some of the fellow patients I talk to do mention tiredness and fatigue especially if they are on other forms of HRT when the testosterone runs out before the next injection is due.
Some patients I talk to need to take naps in the afternoons or early evenings, especially if they are in full time work. The fluctuating testosterone levels does not help sleep patterns either which seems to make the situation worse.
I have Multiple Sclerosis and still work full-time. Fatigue has become such a common condition that I’ve given up the thought that I might ever have a day on which I’m NOT fatigued. Well-meaning people will sometimes say, “Well, take a nap.” Being fatigued isn’t the same as being tired; if one is tired, a nap will help. Fatigue isn’t helped by any amount of sleep. It feels as though gravity has suddenly become stronger, and every movement feels as though I have lead weights attached to me. Carrying laundry upstairs has become a Herculean task. If I were to win the lottery, I’d hire a housekeeper so I didn’t have to waste precious energy doing housework.
I have both MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and CHF(Congestive Heart Failure) – but still work full time. I am exhausted nearly all the time. I drink a pot of coffee each day and then take a nap when I get home from work – sometimes sleeping through til the next morning. Fatigue keeps me from eating as well as I’d like as I’m too tired to cook. I live on my own now, after years of living with children and grandchildren – and that provides for a wonderfully quiet although lonely environment. Taking my multiple medications at the same time every day seems to help me stay in a rhythm – but I feel like I’m in survival mode most of the time. I have decided that my awake times may be shorter, but they can be just as meaningful if I maintain a positive attitude!
I have never been more exhausted since my (now) three-year-old was born. Of course I’d been told that any newborn was tiring because of broken sleep, but nothing prepared me for the whirlwind that was (first) Group B Strep Meningitis, then a resulting diagnosis of hearing impairment, then visual impairment, then autism. My son now has melatonin to help improve his sleep but up until this past December, he could quite easily be up every half an hour, all night, ever night. Even now, he gets up anywhere between one to six times a night and sometimes is just awake all night. On one night this week, I turned off my light unusually late at 11pm (these days we’re 9pm people based on survival necessity) and he woke up at 11:30, staying awake until 4:30am.
I live with exhaustion and even the possibility of “just taking a nap” doesn’t come close to solving it because the root cause of broken sleep is always there. I flatly ignore medical recommendations and live on a steady stream of strong coffee and stubbornness.
What choice do I have other than “stop the world, I want to get off!” Or at least sleep for a month straight…