[SpaceCadet]

Here's a really good article on the different types of fatigue that come with TBI. It explains each type and gives you tips on how to decrease the fatigue.

Check it out:

http://www.bcftbi.org/about-tbi/fatigue.asp

That website also has a lot of other good information.

Nick

[GlassHead]

Some research suggests that there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and chronic fatigue in TBI patients.

Although the link is not quite clear it is always worth trying a supplement and see if it helps.

Article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0427182609.htm

-GlassHead

[Klaus]

"Operating at maximum capacity induces fatigue, as we know when we compare how we feel after sitting a three-hour examination with sitting for three hours of idle chatting. After Mild Head Injury, activities (such as talking with visitors, for example) that do not normally demand full capacity may now use up all available processing space"

Dorothy Gronwall

That sums up perfectly exactly how PCS fatigue feels to me. I'm sure poor diet, depression and other such factors can contribute to making you tired, but the crippling fatigue that comes specifically with PCS is, in my opinion, definitely a result of the brain just having to work at full capacity the whole time to do even the simplest things.

[Kenjhee]

I tried vitamin D, and found no benefit for my fatigue. Hopefully it can help others.

[Mark in Idaho]

Klaus,

I am glad to see you found my favorite concussion researcher. Dr Dorothy Gronwall and her colleagues did fabulous research back in the 1970's. NT has a participant from the past (Lucy) who was treated by Dr Gronwall even though Dr Gronwall was retired. Dr Gronwall passed away from a brain aneurism in 2004 (If I recall correctly). She was a great lady.

[Klaus]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

Klaus,

I am glad to see you found my favorite concussion researcher. Dr Dorothy Gronwall and her colleagues did fabulous research back in the 1970's. NT has a participant from the past (Lucy) who was treated by Dr Gronwall even though Dr Gronwall was retired. Dr Gronwall passed away from a brain aneurism in 2004 (If I recall correctly). She was a great lady.

You told me about her a while back, for which I thank you

Since then I've read a few books she authored and co-authored in the 80s and 90s - they seem way ahead of anything more recent I have read. She explains symptoms and other problems as clearly as if she has suffered from them herself, but she's also done the studies to back up what she says scientifically. Brilliant.

The only sad thing is that some of her incredibly useful research and insights seem to have been forgotten about or ignored by clinicians, at least the ones I've met or heard about.

For example I know from my own experience that previous concussions will have certain hard to measure continuing effects, even after a supposed full recovery. She did studies that actually demonstrated this, but whenever I suggest it to a clinician they look at me like I've just started talking about aliens or something. Why was research like this never followed up?

Anyway, I agree, great lady.

[EsthersDoll]

The fatigue I experience is just awful.

The physical fatigue I get effects my cognitive functioning and speech a great deal. Everyone can tell when I'm getting tired because I get confused and either have trouble pronouncing words or my grammar gets really horrible when I'm speaking or both.

When I first started working - the physical fatigue I felt lasted for a long time - I would work a four hour shift and would then have to rest for the entire evening and following day before I could return for another four hour shift. Now I can work a four hour shift every day M-F - but I still need to rest a great deal in the evening and I get worse as the week continues so I need to rest a lot on the weekends too.

I never had to deal with any real fatigue before the injury. I was very capable of pushing myself right through being tired. And I was rarely ever tired, I worked more than 60 hours a week regularly in a very physically and mentally demanding job and had a very clean home and car and I was very well kept too. People used to ask me where I got all my energy.

I really dislike the fatigue I have to deal with now as a result of this accident and injury and it has greatly reduced the quality of my life. The fatigue I have now distresses me a great deal. I measure my own self worth based on how productive I am and how much I can accomplish mentally and physically. So this fatigue has greatly reduced my self-image and self-esteem and makes me feel worthless.

I just applied to be a part of a study that is attempting to research the fatigue people experience after sustaining a mTBI. I believe one of the goals of the study is to try to create a scale to measure a person's fatigue and to give Doctors a better tool for determining a person's fatigue after a tbi. http://www.calbia.org/brain-injury-e...california.htm "Measuring Quality of Life"

[HeadStrong]

Yes, fatigue is one of my biggest problems (aside from the headaches). I do feel not sleeping well and the Beta Blocker I'm on has a lot to do with it.

Some days just taking a shower wipes me out. I was very active before my injury and don't remember ever feeling like this.

But it's also the mental fatigue that hits in the early afternoon and stays with me all evening. It's just wicked!

EsthersDoll, you said it perfectly!

[EsthersDoll]

Originally Posted by HeadStrong

Yes, fatigue is one of my biggest problems (aside from the headaches). I do feel not sleeping well and the Beta Blocker I'm on has a lot to do with it.

Some days just taking a shower wipes me out. I was very active before my injury and don't remember ever feeling like this.

But it's also the mental fatigue that hits in the early afternoon and stays with me all evening. It's just wicked!

EsthersDoll, you said it perfectly!

I *totally* understand that experience that taking one short shower in the morning can wipe you out for the entire day - I've been there! I'm doing better than that now - but it's still awful when I compare it to the energy I had before this injury. And taking a long productive shower can still wear me out -it's almost unbelievable since I used to be able to unload semi trucks filled with gear, carried speakers, amplifiers and lighting instruments all by myself and worked 12-15 hour days with little trouble.

I've just been trying to do what I can, accept what I can't, pace myself and focus on what I want in the short term and long term.

Hang in there!

Hopefully, someday we can start a thread that says something to the effect of, "remember when we had to deal with all that awful fatigue? - I'm so glad that's over with!"