@LoopyLu 

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LoopyLu

Fatigue...invisible MS Symptom

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone else out there has fatigue as your main MS symptom and how you manage to cope with it? Since I was diagnosed in 2004 I have had problems with neuralgia, some skin numbness and bladder instability, but my main - and most debilitating - thing has been fatigue and I've had to have time off work due to this on a few occasions, each time lasting 2-3 months. I've been thinking for ages that I could do with a less stressful job but then maybe moving jobs/employers is not a great idea when my health (& sickness record!) isn't great. Any comments on this, particularly from people in similar situations would be good!
@Stumbler

@LoopyLu, you won't be alone in being frustrated by fatigue. My bugbear is physical fatigue. I call it physical fatigue as my brain can decide that my legs are too weak to hold my body weight, leading to a collapse to the floor - yet, physically, my legs aren't weak! Fatigue can be physical or mental. If it's the latter, have a word with your MS Nurse and see whether you can get Modafinil prescribed. They may want you to try Amantadine first though (cheaper?). These meds can improve mental fatigue. However, stress needs to be avoided if possible. Work-stress was responsible for leaving me in the situation I now find myself in. I've since retired and I'm now asking myself was it worth it. Your employers should take your MS into consideration and may take action to assist in your battle to address your fatigue. Have a look through this publication :- http://www.mstrust.org.uk/shop/product.jsp?prodid=246 Try not to let your employment stress you out. Regrettably, you are not indispensable, so if you have to be replaced, they will replace you. Now am I suggesting that they don't really care? Well, that's capitalism for you. Look after number one.

@LoopyLu

Thanks Stumbler. Its mostly mental fatigue but it also makes me clumsy and feel like I'm walking through mud at its worst. Work are aware but I don't think my manager knows what she can do to help either - today's suggestion is to use some of my annual leave so that I can work shorter days or shorter weeks until the weather gets better so I'll probably try that - trouble with that is trying to do 4 days work in only 2 or 3 days though so isn't long term solution! I started amantadine last September - I'm not really sure that it's working though and got my GP to increase dose today. Neurologist wanted me to try that before he prescribed modafinil so I'll give it a bit longer at new dose and if still no better get back in touch with MS Nurse. Like everyone else with it I find it so hard to get colleagues to understand that it's not just 'tiredness' because I've been doing too much. I feel like such an incompetent fraud! Thanks for the link though I'll give that a read. Lucy