Hope you are all doing well. I’m looking for any advice at all on the subject of fatigue and its effects.I’ve probably bored my ms nurse enough with all my ‘help’ calls!
I started feeling rotten about 3 weeks ago when I caught the cold from my husband (cheers hubby!) and my ms symptoms flared up a bit. Then I got a hell of a lot worse when we got a new kitchen installed last week. I was stressing about the fact I had to be up at stupid o’clock to let the contractors in, the house was a complete tip with the fridge/freezer, cooker and washing machine moved into the livingroom and I was also worrying about my wee cat and how he would handle the upheaval! I even made a stressed-out call to the cattery to maybe see about having him boarded until it was all over. I was advised just to keep him with me which was very good advice cos he hid behind the chair the whole time!!
This was all well over a week ago and i’m still completely wiped out my walking is terrible, my balance is all over the place, I just want to sleep all the time and even my eyesight is suffering. Actually thought I was having a relapse but 2 nurses have told me it’s a flare up due to all the stress I’ve been under.
Has anyone else been in a similar situation and do you have any advice?
I overdid things at work one week (I was feeling good and I’d been told to carry on with life as normal) and the fatigue hit me like a brick wall. I have friends with other conditions that cause fatigue and they are always preaching Pacing. Basically don’t carry on like you used to, don’t run around like a mad thing, one activity a day and if you overdo it one day, rest the next. Last weekend I had two invites on one day and had to choose which one to do. I was gutted and sad but knew I couldn’t risk the fatigue again
The good news is that yes, this is normal, so don’t panic. The bad news is that time and patience is the only cure. Honestly, you just have to be gentle with yourself, and give it time. As far as is practical, follow your little cat’s excellent advice and hide behind the chair for a bit (I am sure that you know what I mean by this!) to regroup and recharge your batteries.
Hang on in there - you will feel better once you have let time steady the ship.
If you are a bit of a worrier, like me (I’m only guessing from your stressing about the kitchen contractors and the cat), the anti-fatigue medications may be contra-indicated for you.
Discussed this with my neuro only last week, and the upshot was they are stimulants - of course - and may make anxiety worse. I am already on tranquilisers - mostly for pain these days, as they’re a muscle-relaxant too - but occasionally still for anxiety. I could sort of see that taking “uppers” AND “downers” probably doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
As Alison says, it’s normal. I definitely a find a cold, or any stress - or even its more positive cousin, excitement, increase fatigue.
It all makes sense and I particularily liked the post from Alison about taking ‘my little cat’s excellent advice and hiding behind the chair for a bit’!! I knew exactly what you meant by this! I just need to slow down and rest. Time is the only healer for this one.
my walking is terrible, my balance is all over the place, I just want to sleep all the time and even my eyesight is suffering. Actually thought I was having a relapse but 2 nurses have told me it’s a flare up due to all the stress I’ve been under.