Exhaustion has taken over my life. I wake up tired, I take a 4hour nap everyday after work. Ugh!! I end up cancelling or missing things going on because I just can't keep my eye's open.
Is their any suggestion for the exhaustion?
This is my discussion post so I might not have done it right. sorry guys
You've done it exactly right, Aarchangela.
Suggestions for the exhaustion? I hate to say it but the answer is as simple as it is annoying: getting sleep. Fibro does that to us, leeches our energy, due to the pain we endure. I'm like you, after I finish my work shift, I head off to bed for a 3 hour nap. It's how I stay sane, quite frankly. And yes, it really does interfere with a social life, etc., but you end up having to rearrange things in your life when you have fibro. The honest truth is that you aren't going to live the life you lived prior to getting it. But the good news is that it isn't fatal and you can change things in your life to accommodate the fibro.
And sometimes certain things trigger the exhaustion. Bright lights can do it to me, or else the glare of the computer screen. If you notice any recurring triggers, you could try to modify them to lessen your exhaustion.
Another thing: do you have any sleep disorders? Many of us with fibro do. I've had a sleep study done and have sleep apnea. I now have a CPAP machine and it does help me some with exhaustion.
Maybe your work schedule might also be causing you untoward exhaustion. Many of us find that we have to reduce our hours at work because we're overwhelmed by stress and pain. Fewer hours can lead to less stress.
So much of coping with fibromyalgia is learning to pace yourself. I wish there was a better answer, Aarchangela, but the truth of the matter is that we live better lives when we learn pacing. Otherwise we keep spiraling down in pain, exhaustion and stress.
I hope this has helped you a bit.
Hugs to you,
Petunia
True about the nap thing. I didn't look at it from that point a view.
I will positive vibes & energy for you to get a great magical nights sleep <3
At the risk of sounding crazy, I would force yourself to exercise, possibly aerobically if you can. Many days I get up and think "I can’t believe I feel so tired and have to get up. If I have the AM free, I eat breakfast, wait an hour, then use a cd with hand weights and movement that I have been using for years. Sometimes I can’t believe that I am doing it, especially with the various pains we all have, but it you will probably feel better and you can’t get any more tired, LOL. It is very hard to get to an aerobic level but, on the times tht I do, I get. Surge of energy that lasts for a few hours, like magic, and have a great appetite.
JMHO
You don't want to try to do too much or too fast but please consider it. I'm in mental health and get a variety of subscription info in physical and mental health. I can't copy a bunch of copyrighted info but here's the very recent and very relevant portion referring to a patient with fibro and severe pain. This is the kind of research that your docs, hopefully, read for their continuing medical credits...
Case Discussion
This case engendered some interesting discussion and, apparently, considerable relief among most of the respondents that this patient would want to see a different provider for her health issues. It is important to consider treatment options that could help this patient to improve her quality of life. However, it is even more important to understand the treating physician’s basic obligations for good patient care.
Fibromyalgia is widely understood to be a difficult condition to manage. Exercise was correctly recommended to this patient; it is considered a first-line intervention for fibromyalgia.[1] This is because aerobic exercise is one of the few treatments for fibromyalgia that has been demonstrated to improve multiple symptomatic domains, including pain, fatigue, depressed mood, and quality of life. Even mild exercise performed 2 or 3 times per week can have a salutary effect.
There is also considerable interest in the use of nontraditional exercise programs to help fibromyalgia, particularly interventions which might improve both physical fitness and mindfulness. There is evidence that yoga can improve sleep disturbance, health-related quality of life, and fatigue among patients with fibromyalgia, although its effects on pain are less pronounced.[2] In a review of 4 randomized trials of qigong exercise in the treatment of fibromyalgia, only 1 study documented a beneficial effect of therapy.[3] In one trial, qigong therapy was inferior to aerobic exercise among children.
Many patients with fibromyalgia receive medications, although a recent review highlights the limitations of medical therapy for fibromyalgia. This network meta-analysis found that the efficacy of drug therapy generally declined as study sample size in the included research increased.[4] Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), such as the duloxetine prescribed in the current case, and pregabalin were associated with a statistically significant improvement in pain, but the authors of the review suggest that their efficacy vs placebo is not clinically significant. Pharmacological interventions also demonstrated minimal effects on patients’ quality of life, and these effects lagged behind those associated with nonpharmacological interventions.
For me, I am finding that if I drink apple cider vinegar mixed with black strap molases, my energy levels go up. The molases has stoppped my heart palpatations so I can relax at bedtime better. I don't have to nap near as much anymore. With any natural remedy, you have to have patience. It took over a month before I felt better. And if I eat too much sugar and wheat/gluten, I feel worse all the way around.
I have been fighting pain and fatigue since I was nine. I am now 46.
Have your doctor test you for the Epstein-Barr virus if you haven't already. Also good to check your Vitamin D levels and for other viruses in the Herpes family. I've been on an anti viral regimen for awhile and this has helped me greatly. I take 800 mg of Acyclovir 4x day. I was doing the same as you for 6 months - finally had to quit working. Also if you haven't had a sleep study it may be a good idea. If you're not getting good quality sleep at night it contributes to daytime sleepiness. I have sleep apnea which is common with fibro. Being on a cpap machine helped for a number of years.
Hi Capefibro, I think you are spot on! I have been walking every day, or just about and have increased my distance to 2 1/2 miles every morning. Not only is this beneficial to my physical health, but it gets me out of the house and outside in the morning when no one is around. I also enjoy the “bonding” with my dog as we have nice, long conversations during these walks. I also practice my singing! LOL
My new rheumy suggested yoga. I started three days ago and, while I am very sore, I can definitely see where I am going to get a great benefit from it. Because of the nature of fibro, exercise in and of itself can not hurt you or make fibro worse, IMHO. Yes, it may cause you pain in the short run,but I believe that it will help your pain in the long run. If it does not improve your pain, at the very least, it will help you maintain a healthy heart, lungs, etc.
I am not saying that I am some super woman exercising like an Olympic athlete and there are days when i cant do as much or when i hurt worse and have to stay in bed most of the day after taking my walk but just to get moving even for 10 minutes helps tremendously, physically and mentally. And if you commit to consistently doing some type of physical activity, it will get easier with repetition and time.
I also tend to agree with the case study you cited that medication has limited value in treating fibromyalgia. I am on gabapentin and Zoloft, dilaudid PRN and Ambien for sleep. I had not noticed any real difference in my pain level until about three weeks ago when my doc put me on MS Contin twice a day. My pain level has subsided to a dull roar with a little bit of breakthrough, more severe pain.
I know I am rambling but I have aid just what you said, you can’t be any more tired and I don’t think exercise will cause any more pain than we are already in.
One down side, exercise increases your appetite! LOL. I don’t need a better appetite. But, on the other hand, if you exercise, you won’t gain weight and you might even lose.
Graveyardnerd, I love that. I will add that to my remedies.
I am not working anymore, but when I was I went to my car at lunch time, or sometimes went into a conference room and layed on the floor to take a power nap. I know some people have a more difficult time with that, but they helped me. Set your cell phone alarm or have a co-worker wake you. Don't forget to eat a lunch high in protein.
Yoga is a great strengthening tool. Don't push your poses too far, just gentle.
Walking. Start with short distances.
But that is great Laura. I have never done Pilates but have heard great things about it, can you do Pilates at home with no equipment? Everything I’ve seen about it involves some kind of equipment.
Cool. I am going to get a DVD and alternate it with the yoga so I don’t get bored.
Thanks for,the link, Laura. I just went on and looked at your link and also found some for Pilates. It is awesome that I can find all that and watch it on my iPad for free. Sometimes I just love technology! Have a wonderful night.
I can’t do anything but sleep. Sometimes I surprise myself by waking up and never knew I went to sleep. I’ll be riding somewhere and we’re there. 40 miles turned into 5 minutes. I can’t go or do anything without this happening.
I don’t understand how you guys work. Bless you.
aarchangela, have you been tested for sleep apnea? Do you snore? Sometimes we have sleep apnea and need to have that treated so we get the right kind of sleep at night. It prevents us from getting oxygen to allow proper sleep. I had it when I was heavier and it (thankfully) isn't with me anymore. It can effect people of all sizes. But, if I were you I'd ask the doc for a sleep study. Just an idea.
I do have some resistant bands. I'll have to commit
I was just tested for sleep apnea and I was fine. I have read that people with Fibro are deprived of oxygen anyways... Thanks for the info :)
The only thing that helps me at all are good vitamins. Always clear then with your Dr first. I was standing in the grocery store line and they had that 5 hour energy stuff there, so curious as to what was in it, I checked it out, wondering if it was just loaded with caffeine.
I was surprised, they were all B vitamins. I mentioned that I was getting bad indigestion and heartburn with the huge pills, angel mentioned gel caps, I did not find those, but found gummies instead. They have gone into the black hole here somewhere. I cleaned out the vitamin cupboard, and still have not found them, I am sure that I won't until I purchase them again, then they will surely come out of hiding!
Hope you find something to make you feel better!
Hugs,
SK
My sis swears by B12 which she takes every day. I am B12 deficient so I take shots once a month. Some years ago when I was having an episode of extreme exhaustion, my doc gave me a B12 shot and I got this burst of energy that was incredible! She said that she had patients that came in every day of the week to get the shots and that it was good for them and you could never have enough b12. Just an FYI.
Oh I have it, the sublingual (liquid) it's a beautiful deep cranberry color! Could probably go for some right now! Am doing laundry and making cookies since predawn! See, if I had that butler...
I am going to try some daily b12. Will talk to the doc about it when I see him this week.