Fatigue

[Mandypandy1969]

Can anyone please help. my fatigue is unbearable. can hardly stand up and walk in a straight line. been doing small amounts of gardening the past few days. makes me so fatigued and weak. ache everywhere along with the soreness. so miserable and feeling helpless. I could cry.

[mattoid-mags]

Hi Mandypandy1969,

Sorry to hear you are feeling so bad.

Sometimes even the smallest of chores can have dreadful consequences for anyone with our condition.

Gardening is a heavy job and sometimes we don't realise the stress we are putting on our bodies.

Try to take it easy, do something fun and easy that you enjoy..

maybe read a book or do a crossword to try and take your mind off it- as I'm sure you have tried medication which probably hasn't worked.

Take care,

Mags 🌸🌸🌸

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to mattoid-mags]

I didn't do that much to be honest. an hour to an hour and a half for the past few days. inky a bit of weeding and borders around conifers. x

[mcglada0]

Hi Mandy. I am sorry that you are feeling so fatigued. You have been very busy lately and helping your mum a lot. Unfortunately with fibro, we are made to suffer for any extra or normal activities. I too have had a horrible flare up of pain and fatigue. It does make us feel so helpless. Life is so difficult! You need lots of rest and some time to be kind to yourself. I so hope that you start to feel a bit better soon. Xx

[Mandypandy1969]

Thank you for your lovely message. I haven't been doing more than an hour in the garden per day for the last few days so I didn't feel I had overdone things and I was sitting on my mat weeding. I was so fatigued driving to the hospital today twice. shouldn't really have driven but had to, she's my mum. any other time, I wouldn't drive. I don't drive hardly at all now because of the fatigue. xx

[Mandypandy1969]

that's the thing. I only did 1 hour to 1 and a half hour tops the last 4 days and that was with a break so I don't feel I over did it. I will look into magnesium for fatigue. g.p. mentioned chronic fatigue syndrome to me yesterday but I have been diagnosed by my rheumatologist that it's fibromialgia as I have all the symptoms. unless g.p. thinks it's chronic fatigue aswell. I was so fatigued yesterday, got disoriented and couldn't find my way after leaving his office. It's really scary. xx

[Babyjessica in reply to Mandypandy1969]

I have fibro and Chronic Fatigue Hun xx That’s why it’s important to get your Vit D levels checked - also check your B12 levels xx

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Babyjessica]

so do you think I may have both like you have? I went for blood test yesterday for calcium check/liver function. doc said vitamin d test is expensive so sent me for this first. don't get it if vitamin d levels could be low. when results come back, hopefully be sent for vitamin d test and I will also ask for b12 to be checked also. Thank you so much for your reply. will keep you informed. xx

[Babyjessica in reply to Mandypandy1969]

Hi Hun x yes definitely possible you may have both !! I’ve never been told the Vit D test is expensive ?! I have mine checked quite regularly ! Hopefully he’ll do Vit D and B12 next xx Good luck xx

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Babyjessica]

Thanks. I am in agony today with my back and neck. Been in tears a lot lately with it all. Xx

[Mandypandy1969]

Hi. I saw g.p. yesterday and he sent me for blood test to test calcium levels or something as he said vitamin d blood test is expensive so I was sent for this first?? don't get it. x

[Babyjessica in reply to Mandypandy1969]

What ? That’s ridiculous ! Can you see a different Dr ?

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Babyjessica]

I know. I don't understand why none of these tests have been done. I was meant to see a doc 4 weeks after a medication change before activity was done to see if it would help me with the pain which made me very depressed. messing with gabapentin is not a good idea, I don't think. docs don't understand our condition much at all even though they say they do. appointments for the doc I saw aren't ready to be released yet. so ridiculous. xx

[Jenonnet]

Hi Mandy, just saw your post and had to reply. You can get M.E. and fibro together,lots of fibro sufferers have both.

I take vitamin B complex every day and have found that's helped with the debilitating tiredness. It contains magnesium among other things that fibro sufferers are usually lacking in.

If I were you, I'd just do nothing until it passes. Watch mind numbing TV, read a book, do anything sitting down, but don't do anything you have to move around to do

Hope you feel better soon. Sending love and hugs ((💖))

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Jenonnet]

ThankYou for your reply and I will try the vitamin b complex. Xx

[Bjosephine]

i think gardening is the hardest thing to do.. it has to be done - have you one of those gardening stools to sit on? anything to help.. while you are so tired priorities everything and rest especially when the fatigue is so bad just rest.

[Alone717]

Hi,Mandy, I have ME and Fibro plus IC and other related conditions also might have RA; going to hospital today for unbearable knee pain xx

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Alone717]

bless you. sending you love and hugs and hope they can help you with your knee pain. xx

[Hidden]

There is no rhyme or reason to the fatigue and it's consequences imho, I am currently at the end of a six week pain management course which has been helpful in some ways but more aimed at those with arthritis or degenerative discs etc. I think. However, we have done some relaxation, strengthening etc. part of that was walking for six minutes, or as long as we could manage, the first week I did the full six minutes and managed 170 metres, the second week I managed 30 metres before I had to sit down, I just couldn't keep going, and no idea why, it is so frustrating. All you can do is listen to your body and learn to pace yourself, be strict, you know now that an hour+ is too long, so next time stop after 45 minutes and rest, see if that helps.

If you can get referred to Pain Management it might be worth giving it a try, I was sceptical but have learned some coping mechanisms and they put me in touch with Occupational Therapy who are coming to sort me out with perching stools etc.

If you (we) keep pushing ourselves on good days then we will end up with more bad days than good days - it's important to remember that and protect ourselves on those good days. Sending gentle hugs. x

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Hidden]

I do have more bad days than good days like a lot of us fibro suffers do. love and hugs to you too. so hard to pace yourself when you do have a good day. xx

[Roselil]

Dear Mandypandy, I have suffered with M.E. AND Fibromyalgia for years and know everything you are saying. Most certainly, Magnesium can help, but I have found some help from taking Turmeric spray in the mouth, and can hardly believe the difference, in that I am not weighed down with absolute exhaustion and tiredness, really doing nothing. I have lived in my nightclothes every day, because all I wanted was to fall back into bed. But now, it is quite amazing that I am managing to get washed and dressed and I have some life! Time on the computer has increased too, though I have eye problems.

I still have a lot of pain, especially neck, jaw, shoulders, so my daughter has suggested that I increase the dose of the Turmeric spray, which I have now started to do. Please try these things, if you can. Love Roselil

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to Roselil]

Thank you so much for your reply and help. writing it down as brain fog is awful lol. struggled finding way out of doctors lol. felt so disorientated and felt stupid. people in waiting room must have thought I was drunk lol. I will keep you updated. thanks again. so glad I am in this site. everyone so helpful. xx

[Mandypandy1969]

I have had fatigue since I had glandular fever aged 19. nothing was checked. only just been diagnosed with fibro and g.p. told me yesterday that also could be c.f. syndrome. xx

[YASMINTINA FMA UK Volunteer]

Hi there sorry to hear of your pain , I’m desperate to do some weeding my hobbie was gardening I am very restricted now 10 or 15 mins just seems to make the aches go on forever. I have cfs too , try tail off for awhile and have a nice Epsom salts bath each day . I bet you can see what Uve done though it is rewarding lots of love xxx

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to YASMINTINA]

It's awful. I haven't got a bath, only shower. Yes it is rewarding but not been able to do like I used to. Xx

[ruthmel1]

I also have M.E and with both Fibro and M.E you get the Post exertional malaise. By exertion I dont mean aerobic exercise .You can get it from emptying the dishwasher! Doing an hr and half gardening every day is obviously too much for your body so you've had a big relapse. Aswell as pacing I also take several supplements which help release energy at a cellular level. I take Co- enzyme Q10, Glutathione and L Glutamine. I find that theyd efinitely help with energy release. Whilst its an M.E site, have a look at Dr Sarah Myhill as ALot of it also applies to Fibro.

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to ruthmel1]

What is post exertional malaise. My doc said yesterday, I may have chronic fatigue syndrome aswell. Xx

[ruthmel1 in reply to Mandypandy1969]

P.E.M is the tiredness-exhaustion we feel after doing anything that our bodies consider 'exertion'. This doesnt mean exercise. It can be anything. Some days I'm so totally exhausted I cant sit up and sitting up would cause even more exhaustion.Having a shower, loading the dishwasher, doing the housework, right up to exercising. If you've done an activity and a few hrs/next day or two you feel the tiredness or exhaustion ,this is Post Exertional Malaise. I knew I had M.E aswell as Fibro because the exhaustion is even worse. I also have frequent sore throats and swollen glands which you dont get in Fibro.

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to ruthmel1]

My fatigue is getting worse everyday. Gabapentin not really helped me. I have the soreness/sunburnt feeling, bad back ache and stiff neck today. Everywhere feels heavy and stiff. A rag doll feeling is how I would describe how I feel. Everything feels so heavy. I have same problems. Can't hang bedsheets out due to lead weight feeling in my arms, can't hold them up long enough to hang bedding out. Combing my hair, showering is exhausting and yes the slightest little job or task is painful. So frustrating when you are only youngish lol. Feel ten years older than I am. Stopping me do so much of the stuff I loved. I can't work, I would fall asleep. Any job would tire me out and give me pain. D,w,p. Not got a damn clue and don't care. Fighting to get my enhanced e.s.a. Reinstated. Waiting for a court date, been six months waiting so far. In the midst of applying for p.i.p. But had to ring them today to ask for an exstension on filling in the forms. Given me two weeks extra which has taken stress/pressure off me. Fatigue and pain, can't focus/concentrate. Brain fog getting so bad, couldn't find way out of g.p. Surgery lol. Disoriented as so fatigued. He mentioned chronic fatigue syndrome and sent me for calcium level check/liver function, vitamin d blood test too expensive!!! Xx

[Judithdalston]

I have fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism and insulin-dependent diabetes: am constantly aching, fatigued, stiff and have muscle weakness. I am going down the route that scientific research suggests most fibromyalgia sufferers are in fact under medicated, or undiagnosed hypothyroid. Look up Thyroid Uk site, and its forum also on healthunlocked.com, you'll find plenty of information (notably the archive of Dr Lowe). Unfortunately many of us have to be prepared to pay for private blood tests ( eg Medichecks who has 20% on Thursdays) for thyroid ( TSH, T4, T3) and vitamins / minerals (Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin), plus autoimmune antibodies. Some of these tests are never offered by NHS or Gp's reluctantly/ slowly agree due to cost, as you have found. The majority of hypothyroid suffers have in fact auto-immune problems most notable in the gut, leading to very low vital vitamin/iron levels...these alone can cause many of the tiredness etc symptoms.....

I used to love gardening, but am lucky if manage 30 mins at a time( sitting on my wheeled 'seat'), and am not prepared to accept such a disabilitating diagnosis as fibromyalgia where the only offer of help is a 'pain clinic'!

[KateAL]

Have you had you vitamin d and b checked these can cause extreme exhaustion if they are depleted? So if you levels are low and on top of Fibromyalgia you will struggle, I know how you feel my levels are always low and am always exhausted, just try and rest when you can. X

[Mandypandy1969]

No vitamins blood tests done. hoping to get this sorted out. was sent for calcium liver function test yesterday as vitamin d test too expensive according to my g.p. !!!! xx

[Sg1474]

Hi Mandy,

Are you taking any meds at all, the antidepressants really do help I take, most days anyway. Also when it gets really hot or really cold I get worse, the lovely weather comes and apart normal Mum chores that have to be done I have to just sit in shade and watch grass get longer and longer. My Rheumy suggested yesterday taking turemic capsules, glucosamine and green lipped mussel, it is for my oesteoarthritis but is really good for bones and muscle so may be worth a try. Good luck. Xx

[Hidden]

Yes, diagnosed about 3 years ago but can trace symptoms back for over 20, self managed until I just couldn't anymore, took it's toll on my mental health though. x

[achydunlin]

I have to echo what everyone else says, to get your vitamin D levels checked. I've never heard that re the test being expensive. I do sympathise, I find fatigue the hardest symptom to cope with - with pain I at least can take painkillers and try to power through but the fatigue is sometimes debilitating. I work only 14 hours a week and it's mostly sitting down but at the end of one day if my fatigue is very bad I go straight to bed when I get home. It's just awful. I also think gardening is harder work than you think, after just half an hour I ache as if I've run a marathon. Take care x

[Mandypandy1969 in reply to achydunlin]

Thank you. had a blood test to check calcium level. I need vitamin d definitely checked. he told me to get this checked first as bit d expensive blood test. xx

[seren1970]

I take d-ribrose which does help me its cure but dies something I’m sure xxx if you read up on it we have it in our bodies anyway but people with fibromyalgia and cfs don’t produce enough xxx