I am going through a period of the dreaded fatigue. It is more than my usual fatigue. I am fine most mornings but by afternoon I feel as though I have been drugged. I can't seem to nap either. I was napping everyday in the morning but for some reason I can't do that anymore. I have not had fatigue this bad before. Well, maybe a few times but it didn't last long. This has been dragging on for a couple of months now. I don't know how to shake this fatigue feeling.

I also am dealing with more muscle fatigue and weakness. I don't think I am in a flare as I don't have the symptoms I normally get when in a flare. Muscle fatigue and weakness are somewhat normal for me just not this bad.

I saw my neuro a few weeks ago and I had no clinical symptoms of a flare. I also saw 3 other doctors for other issues and did ask about this fatigue. So, I am being followed by all these doctors and not one is able to determine the cause of the fatigue. I did have some blood work drawn last week, the week before, and I think the week before. (The ladies at the Lab now know me by name with all the blood work I have been getting lately).

How has your fatigue been? What do you do to combat it?

tkrik,

I am so sorry you are struggling with such fatigue at this time. I struggle with fatigue all the time, too. My rheumy says to take melatonin at bedtime and a B complex in the morning....sure it works like a charm (sarcastic tone)...Some days my fatigue switch flips early in the day and others it is early afternoon. I have just gotten to the point that I have to listen to my body, we all know that when fatigue rears its head we must listen anyway.

I figure it is not giving up or giving in, it is just accepting this wild ride that God is providing for me.

I don't think I need melatonin. I'm able to got to sleep fairly easily at night. I do take a multivitamin with B in it and, like you, it makes no difference. Some days are better than others. Today was a stay in bed resting all day kind of day. I am sure the heat is not helping with this fatigue at all. The U.S. is due for a huge heat wave coming up this week. UGH!

I'll offer up my whine . Have barely been awake since July 1st. Watching a 2 year old has taken it's toll on the very fiber of my being and I am now sick with yet another kidney infection, with a sinus infection on top of it that seems to be moving towards the way of pneumonia. Going to the doctor in a bit and almost praying I get admitted to the hospital, pumped full of high doses of antibiotics and fluids rather than suffer the same slow 6 month near death experience from the last time I had pneumonia. Frankly I think I'm too old to go through that again and doubt I'll make it this time especially with the nearest hospital being such morons.

It's already been treated since last week with prescription antibiotics and I've gotten worse not better. It's time for the heavy stuff, a cool hospital bed, and fluids that don't require me to think to drink at least every two hours when the body just wants to sleep for 24. And let me tell you, running a fever in the heat down here isn't helping things one little bit. Even with the alarm set to tell me to drink ever 2 hours, I drink 8 oz - 16 oz. and I'm dehydrated again within 20 mins. I can't keep up with the fluids which I'm sure isn't helping matters. But when it's 110 degs outside the best our A/C unit can cool to is about 85 degs inside, running a fever of 100.5 and sweating because it's so hot inside ... I'm a wreck of a dried up prune.

So here's hoping that in a few hours I'll be admitted to a real hospital, and can sleep my peace (minus the wake up calls from the nurses for meds), cool down and get better, rather than going through visit after visit after visit to the doctor before they decide they're in over their head and I lose not only my health but my chance to run away from this crazy heat and hide away in NH for a bit. Just give me 2 days of lots of drugs, fluids and sleep and I should bounce right back! Why drag it out??? Aren't they learning anything from my medical history??? My body officially hates sick and has for whatever reason decided that if it does get sick it's ready to kill itself off rather than suffer through it ever again.

Might seem a bit overly dramatic, but honestly the last time I had pneumonia it started out 2 weeks before as simple tonsillitis. And I took the meds as prescribed, took the OTC meds as directed by my doctor, drank plenty of fluids and got lots of rest, but that just wasn't good enough for my body, nooooo... it had to decide that it didn't care about the antibiotics I was taking it just wasn't going to clear the infection and instead it was going to continue to spread till I had pneumonia. And then even that didn't want to clear up so I suffered 6 months of fighting to breathe. I can't do that again. I can't spend another 6 months sleeping sitting up because if I tilt chest just a little bit one way or the other I start drowning. Just can't do it again and I really can't do it in the middle of record highs.

Starz - I sure hope you start feeling better soon! How scary and frustrating for you. Please let us know how you are doing. Saying some prayers for you.

Starz,
This is a lot to deal with; especially again. I wonder if the ER would admit you sooner than seeing the doctor? It;s understandable wanting the full treatment in the hospital. Pray you will soon be on the road to recovery.


Gerry

Well, the doc didn't send me to the hospital. He said the lungs are clear, but he is slightly concerned about me having epigollitis (sp?) and said that if I stop breathing without a coughing fit preluding it, I need to go immediately to the ER. So that's great... otherwise I have the fancy dx of pharyngitis which means sore throat. Though he does think it worse than just a simple sore throat, it more the esophagus and airways that are swollen engendering a coughing choking response. And that the fever is more due to the kidney infection.

Well, that sounds encouraging. I certainly hope this will not be the case and I hope that you have people around who can help you.

I would think that since you are on antibiotics that the epiglottis would have gone away by now. Did he offer other antibiotics? Also, are you taking any probiotics or something with the antibiotics? It might be a good idea to do so to prevent c. diff, which can happen after antibiotics.

Keeping you in my prayers!

I tell you I can't seem to catch a break with whatever is going on... I ended up getting rushed to the hospital last night thanks to a major choking fit, I couldn't move air hardly at all and was breathing with the belly rather than the lungs as my mother put it. I thought for sure I was having an allergic reaction to something as the skin on my chest and back was burning like crazy... I mean felt like a terrible sunburn. Either way off to the hospital we go...

Come to find out it wasn't an allergic reaction but an MS flare combining it's timing with early onset of pneumonia. Wonderful just what I needed in the middle of a heat wave . Either way I got back home again this morning as there really wasn't much they could do, the pneumonia isn't bad enough to really warrant spending time in the hospital, and thanks to my multitude of drug allergies there was nothing they could do about the MS flare. Though I did get enjoy the morgue like coolness of the place. And I also got prescribed a bright shiny set of epipens given my list of allergies and hypersensitivity that has been going on lately the admitting doctor thought it prudent that I have something in case it really had been an allergic reaction and not just a storm of bad luck.

So here's keeping fingers crossed that I have now passed through the worst of it and the pneumonia will stave off from getting any worse and just get better from here on out. At least I'm already taking the same antibiotics that they would have given me anyways. And the trip also awarded me with the knowledge that my heart is healthy, and I don't have a thyroid problem, and my kidney's are back to full function and the kidney infection is clearing up nicely. Talk about getting checked out tip to tail .

Sorry to have over taken your thread... I really do still have my whines about the heat though... I want snow!!!!!!!

Awww starz, sorry about your impromptu check up. Glad those other systems are working OK though. You get better.