MS fatigue vs sleepiness
 

I have experienced MS fatigue and know very well how it feels. I also know that once I get to that point the only thing I can do is rest. Sometimes I get better in a little while, sometimes it takes days.

I also find that I can sleep for what seems like forever even when I do not notice any fatigue. I have to get up on weekdays to get to work so I ususally only sleep 9 hours. On weekends I can sleep 12-14 hours without waking up or feeling like I spent too much time in bed. Does anyone else have this problem?

My husband says I sleep so much because my body is constantly trying to heal itself. He may be on to something. I don't know.

Hi and Welcome!
Your husband may be right..Also, depending on symptoms, your body's working harder to do the same things it used to with no problem. I know that for me, there are some cognitive effects, so when I'm working especially, I have to work twice as hard to remember what I need to do and stay focused. That can make a person feel worn out as well..Sleep became my new best friend somewhere along the line..There is medication for it and it helps some..Modifying daily activities and conserving energy helps also. Best of luck!

There is a deffinate difference in MS fatigue and the normal fatigue or sleepiness. You are so blessed to have a DH, who understands that, and he's exactly right.:)

We all understand, here.....Feel Better Soon..:hug:

Fatigue is one of my worst sx. I'll have several good days then wham.....I'm down for one or two days (sometimes longer).

With fatigue I'm not always sleepy. But, if I try to do anything more than sit and watch TV I wear myself out and have to lay down and then I inevitably fall asleep. But, I figure my body needs it otherwise I wouldn't conk out.

Your DH is right.........good for him for being so understanding. :)

I've been in a fatigue-type mode for a week and a half now...I have trouble doing anything...I get so weak...then I get angry with myself for not being able to function. Grrr...:mad:

your dh sounds like a wise man.
especially if you work you can have overwhelming fatigue. i did when i was working. and i know about taking days to recover only to do it again.

try to be gentle with yourself and do what you're doing. listen to your body and rest when needed.

Hi knittenkitten, Welcome!
I think that the body only takes what it needs. When you work all week you may require extra hours of sleep. It depends on the person and what type of work you do. I find mental work more tiring than a little physical work.

Sitting still, writing my checks, and doing the bills, is more exhausting than scrubbing the bathroom. But that is me. Too much physical activity and I am overdoing it. I ration my day.

If you not sleeping in bed those extra hours because you are depressed, than consider yourself lucky, some people have trouble sleeping at night, working or not.

I sleep well too. I think your DH is right. :)

The only comparison that I have to MS fatigue is the total exhaustion I would experience when recovering from Mononucleosis in 1996.

It was about a week after I started to feel better from the mono. I got up one afternoon, got dressed and went to get my paycheck that they'd been holding for me at work. (I'd been off work for a month at that point, the worst of the mono had started getting better maybe a week or so before)

I went down to work, got my paycheck and was planning on going to get my haircut. I barely made it back to my house. I didnt even get my check cashed. I parked the car crooked in the driveway, crawled upstairs to my bed and called the guy who cuts my hair and canceled the appointment, and then fell asleep for about a day and a half.

I would get so exhausted while recovering from mono that I would fall asleep in the bathroom. On the toilet. I'd wake up, and I'd have fallen asleep while trying to get some toilet paper. I'd find a pile of toilet paper right below the counter top. Had a difficult time one day just getting out of the bathroom because I kept falling asleep.

I have not yet had fatigue quite that bad from the MS, I've come close, but never that close.

Monday I had vertigo and ended up sleeping every time I sat down. But, I think that was more to be blamed on the prescription strength Meclizine I've been taking. That stuff is better than an Ambien for knocking me out when I'm dizzy.

The closest that I've gotten to the fatigue I had while recovering from mono was about a year or two ago. When I got really sick after eating a couple of jars of pineapple. (either something was wrong with the pineapple, or I ate too much of it and it screwed up my body chemistry) I was sick for two days, and was so exhausted from being sick that I slept for two days after the sicky part of being sick was over.

Only had the one bout of fatigue but boy it was awful. Didn't know what was going on at the time but having read up on it, I reckon that's what it was. I took my Beta after an 8 hour evening shift and woke up in hell that lasted 48 hours.
I tried another shift yesterday to see what happened. So far so good; no wonkiness. Another shift tomorrow then re-assess the whole situation.
Ive started taking some diazepam before bed now too. Stops the twitching and the 'mind working overtime' thing.

Before MS I was good to go on 6 hours of sleep. I never needed an alarm clock to wake up, just told myself when, and up I was. Post MS and meds, and stress about it, and I am sometimes requiring 9 hours of sleep. I am trying to honor my body, and allow it what it needs to rest, recover, and rebalance. I have found that when I am tired, I have more symptoms, and more issues with this disease. If I allow myself the rest my body is asking for, I am more stable, and better able emotionally to get the job done.