Hi all,
I've been really fatigued the last couple of days...to the point that I have had to go sit down when I'm in the middle of doing something. I've been napping almost all day the last 2 days, also.
My legs are very stiff and feel weak. I can't tell if this is because I'm tired, or if something else is occuring.
Any advice or info would be appreciated...

Hi Debbie,
That is the million dollar question. Sort of a catch 22. When you don't move around and nap too much, you can get weak, stiff and fatigued.

If you move around too much and wear yourself out, you get fatigued, then feel weak, if you don't lay down.

I call it overdoing it. Then I know I will pay the next day, and have to take it easy.

If I sit by the computer a lot and don't get up to move around, I get stiff. Well mine could be age-related.

Do you feel like something else is wrong? Do you get relapses? Do you feel sick-like? Maybe the medications you are taking, if any, are causing this tiredness/fatigue feeling? Has the weather got you down?

So many things can cause this. Maybe you should call your doctor and tell him/her how you are feeling and you might need an appointment to find out.

I hope you feel better soon and get some answers to why you feel crummy.

Yes and no. (wacky thing this MS)

Doing stretches and exercises as long as you don't push too hard can help keep muscle strength up. I try to do some lite yoga, or at least some of the stretches from the download on the NMSS website.

Sometimes the weakness can come when you have pushed to hard and sometimes it can be a sign of something going on in the background. I get muscle fatigue when I push too hard, especially in my left leg.

Heat can make me into a ragdoll, so I always make sure I have some kind of cooling device if I have to go outside in high temps.

The being unusually tired leads me to ask if it's been hot in your area? If so, the heat may be causing everything to go wonky. If not and you have no fever, maybe give the doc a call to let them know what's been going on.

((((HUGS))) and hope you feel better soon.

I tend to define fatigue as tired, a lack of energy, and weakness as a lack of physical strength.

~ Faith

The perfect way to discribe it, Lady..

Yep....there's no winning. But, I'll take weakness over fatigue if given a choice. When I had fatigue it was crushing. I felt like I had just run a marathon, all uphill in 99 degree heat & humidity. Even sleep didn't remedy it. It's depressing to wake up from a 12 hour sleep only to feel like you never even laid down.

I get weakness in my arms and legs sometimes. But it isn't accompanied by that debilitating fatigue. They're both unpleasant but at least with the weakness I can still somewhat function.

Thanks everybody...
It's strange how much I don't know about this disease, even after studying so much about it...
here's what's been going on:
my DD's wedding plans have probably stressed me out somewhat. I'm trying not to think about it too much...I'll be glad when it's over...
It was blasted hot all last week. It actually hit 100 one day. And I have been doing yard work, working out, walking the dog, etc. I was even sweating inside in the AC.
I helped DD and her fiance move their things into their new place last Saturday, and I felt so iccky I had to sit down. I kind of overdid it with the stairs, etc.
Last Sunday I washed the inside windows. Then I hit the wall. Slept most of that afternoon and Monday.
I was fatigued most of last week, and weak Sunday and Monday.
Today, I found out I have a UTI. It probably contributed to feeling crummy, because now I have a lot more energy.

I still don't understand how getting overheated or overdoing it can make you feel bad so many days afterwards...how do all of you deal with this? What I mean is, how do you monitor how active you are, or how warm you get? That's the part I don't understand yet. I am unsure how to monitor my activities so that I don't get into this situation.

Again, thanks for the info...I'll learn, I guess!

The heat bothers many who have MS. I've been fortunate that, although I dislike the heat , it doesn't affect my MS. (I grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, with an average summer high of 75F. I live in KS now, average summer high of 90F - 95F, was over 100 often last week.)

Here's a good article about pseudo-exacerbations, what they are, and how things like heat and other things can cause them. Go to Search at www.nmss.com, and search for "Is It an MS Attack—or Not". Actually, I think you'll find it there, even if you just type in 2 words -- attack not. It's a PDF file, and, somehow, I wasn't able to get a URL of the actual article for you.

Glad that you caught that UTI. UTI's can cause MS-like symptoms. Or, even worse, they can trigger an MS flare. Hope you're getting treated for it.

~ Faith

Thanks, Faith...that pdf was truly what I needed...I think the UTI was the main culprit...I got it treated and already feel more energy.
I'm really going to try to listen to my body more, and pay attn. to heat and stress.
That article described me...the fighter who's foolish and does things that are stupid, like mow the lawn on a hot day...that's me all over.
I've always refused to let conditions like fibro and now MS get in the way of doing what needs to be done. Maybe it's time to let others do what needs to be done...