Fatigue

Fatigue is probably one of the most common reported symptoms of MS, with somewhere between 70%-90% of people with MS experiencing fatigue. It can have a significant impact on lifestyle, often with the retention of work roles and a reduction in social and leisure roles. Try to keep a balance of pleasurable activities as these help reduce stress.

What is fatigue? Many people describe it as tiredness, lack of energy, lack of desire to do things, and even cloudy thinking with difficulty in concentrating on tasks. People also report the fatigue can make other symptoms worse. Fatigue is frequently misunderstood, and even family and close friends may attribute the effects of fatigue to laziness or attempts to use the MS diagnosis as a defense for avoiding work or involvement in daily activities.

Whilst fatigue may be aggravated by exercise, stress, depression and heat, fatigue is not related to relapses and does not cause worsening of the disease. Aside from MS, there are many other causes of fatigue. Learning to limit fatigue from other causes can help to manage overall fatigue. Such causes include: loss of physical fitness, poor sleep patterns and sleep disturbance, poor diet, sickness, medical disorders including anemia and low thyroid levels, medication side effects, depression and stress. Where possible, make changes to reduce fatigue from other causes.

Fatigue is improved with rest. Learning to manage fatigue involves listening to your body and what it needs. You may want to experiment with the idea of rest, including where you rest, and the duration and frequency of rest. Research demonstrates short but frequent rest breaks helps avoid exhaustion and gets more done in the day. If working, you may try taking a morning break, lunch break, and an afternoon break.

Fatigue may also be reduced with increased physical fitness; exercise is important. Other activities that reduce stress, such as meditation, yoga, and relaxation can also have a positive influence on energy levels. It is important to work on relationships and communication with those close to you. Some medications have been trialled to reduce fatigue. These have been met with mixed results. If fatigue is particularly troublesome for you, talk with your neurologist.

The MS Society runs a fatigue management program, teaching strategies in communication, ergonomics, energy conservation and work simplification. For more information contact the OT Department at the MS Society WA.