Severe energy drops

Anyone else experience severe drops in energy (seem like what a Hypo would be like) at unpredictable times after a Traumatic Brain Injury? Some predictable symptoms pre event but not a long run in?

[paxo05]

Hi mrscatmac

seems another condition of bi. Can be expected after a busy day, physical or mental. The ones that get you are when it just creeps up for no reason. Initially I was convinced I was about to vome down with a bout of illness, but this doesnt happen, apart from the serious man flu now and again( how I survive Ill never know).

After 16years still cant find a trigger for sudden fatigue. Think my brain is telling me its had enough. It is easy to forget how mucj extra mental effort is involved in every day life.

Sorry cant shed to much light on the sudden tiredness but hopefully someone else will. All the best

[Hidden in reply to paxo05]

Thanks for the info.

[cjjaks]

I find l still get tired. But then it has only been a month. It have lots of 10 main naps... Or rests where l don't nap. It is the only way l can get through the day. I have very little sleep too. Lucky if l get 4 hours.

[Hidden in reply to cjjaks]

Thanks for the info.

[Nutkin33]

Yes I do. But the funny thing is, I never used to feel tired until in November last year! Now, I get fatigued, and have severe energy drops frequently! Maybe my brain IS getting better!

[Hidden in reply to Nutkin33]

Thanks for your reply. I have seen that lots of folks get them but I'm still trying to determine if there is a way of managing them better.

[Hidden]

Hi mrscatmac yes I certainly get lots of these daily and even had the doctor check my bloods incase anything else was low e.g vitamins or hormones funny etc but no just just part of the BI and worse when I've overdone it.

Sometimes i haven't even had the energy to hardly get up the stairs and lie on the bed and rest-other times has to be just head in my hands at the table to catch just half an hour.

I do try to pace myself most days but sometimes fatigue is just unavoidable.I sympathise

x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much for your reply and info. I simply can't believe that the brain can do this (cause crushing fatigue) but the more I read they're I realise that it can. Onwards and forwards.

[sporan]

Hi mrscatmac,

I to get the sudden fatigue at times. There are times when no matter how I try I nodd off, a bit like when you have a general anesthetic, you know you going out and no matter how you fight it your gone.

It's oly occasionally I get like that though, most of the time I just do get very tired, no drive or ambition to do anything.

Just going through some method with neuropshyc at moment to help with pacing so it doesn't happen so often. SHe kept telling me to stop BEFORE I get tired but I struggled with that, how are you supposed to know when to stop until your actually tired?

What we're doing now is to plan in regular rest breaks through the day and by rest I mean do absolutely NOTHING! I was even told relaxation exercises are too much during the 'breaks'. She want a minimum of 2 breaks of at least 15 min each with the target being 4 breaks. This was decided after a diary was made of fatigue level and when they occured. The other thing was to make sure a regular eating pattern, thre meals a day evenly spaced.

It was a shock to be told I was doing too much even though I was, in my mind, doing nothing much, especially compared to my previous work life (min 60hrs over 5 days).

From other threads and the replys here BI ternd to do that and it would seem to bee finding a way to reduce it as much as possible that works for you.

You are certainly not alone.

Take care

Sporan

[Hidden in reply to sporan]

Hi Geoff hope youre well.I spoke with my neuropsych today about my fatigue.I do very little on my days off from work ( approx 13 hrs a week) as I'm so fatigued and shes still told me not to overdo it.

I said i maybe planned on going swimming once a week but she said don't go for long and only go if you're doing nothing else that day. I said ill dip my toe in then lol.

For yourself and mrscatmac She did say that overdoing things puts you really back fatigue wise and its hard to get back to normal which is why you should only do things gently and bits at a time even if you think you can do more.so less is more is good really.Anyway shell be discussing fatigue with me on 19 May and ways to manage it so ill see if i have any different tips than you then Geoff.In the meantime remember LESS IS MORE or do zilch :-)!

x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Good info. Thanks.

[sporan in reply to Hidden]

Hi Karen,

I had the same conversation with my neuroshychologist about a week and half ago! For the fortnight before that I had to keep a diary of activity and fatigue levels and was totally gobsmacked when she said 'Your doing way too much!' I thought I'd done pretty much zilch!.

Now I'm on a diary listing meals and rest breaks (she tells me even relaxation excercises during the break is too much?) with a target of an absolute minimum of 2x15 min breaks per day at least 5 days out of 7 with the aim to be at 4x15 min breaks a day at least 5 out of 7 days! Aparently to break me in slowly to my new regime.

Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Foolishly I ask her about work and she said 'Don't even think about it!' Now that was a real downer. Although she did say that once the current tests and assesment were complete there might be a chance but that it could only be very restricted hours and something that I REALLY wanted to do with out any stress or pressure. That'll be easy then!

Having worked from the age of 16 to 59 always in excess of 50hrs a week (usually more than 60hrs, last job 60+ over 5 days) I am finding it sould destroying to find washing up or strolling with the dogs can be classed as 'too much'.

Still other than being bored sensless and waiting for more info on if radiotherapy is needed at the moment or to be left till later, oh and contact with the epilepsy team I'm doing OK.

Hope you are doing and keeping well.

How big are your toes? Because if I could go swimming dipping my toes which extend from my feet to my head (always putting my foot in my mouth) means I could really get on and swim

Stay well and stay happy

Geoff x

Well thats used up todays energy expenditure now for a kip me thinks..... NOT!

[Hidden in reply to sporan]

I know when i said i took the dog a walk some mornings in my days off she wanted to know how long for.I said 20 min max .She looked at me as if to say oooh you're edging you're bets there and said that's long enough frowning!

Hey my partner's daughter had a baby this morning-his first grand child -baby George born on the Queens birthday so im a kinda step nan

x

[sporan in reply to Hidden]

Grandchildren are great! Sharing the queens birthday! Does that make you Royalty by default?

My grand daughter is 4 years old and boy that will certainly challenge any and all pacing you may have planned lol.

I thought that it was Grand parents took the good bits and gave them back for the rest... seems I may have been a tad optimistic with that one lol. But well worth the extended recovery period.

Congratulations to all, NANNY! (NO poison apples mind!!)

My grand daughters name for me is GRUMPY.... not a clue why.... well perhaps..........

Take care and stay well, feet up, suncream on and break time

[Hidden in reply to sporan]

Thanks Geoff will do there's a garden swing with my name on

[Hidden in reply to sporan]

Thanks for the info. The confusion with me lies in exactly the same in that the lifestyle now couldn't be more different at times to pre injury yet the fatigue can be all encompassing. All your ideas noted though.

[RecoveringH in reply to Hidden]

In my experience of healing, brain fog, body fatigue occurs like a voice from the body. It is asking you to shut down so it can focus all resources on rewiring. So it is not a fatigue to do with exercise or output, it is a fatigue to do with healing. I went back to work full time after my event and prolonged the problems as I wasn't allowing rest. I finally had a colleague tell me, your responses are excessively emotional. It was then I took a step back from work. I realised how little sleep I was getting - good quality straight through sleep. With nothing to do all day, I made it my full time job to understand what was going on. My research allowed the penny to drop. Rest = recovery. It was like a switch going click into the off mode in my brain. Finally I stopped striving to work, be like everyone else, do what I did before. I accepted. I felt a peace with the fact I had had an event. I needed to tend to the aftermath of that event. Until further notice, that was my full time job. I started to sleep deeply straight through. I started to notice major recovery abilities. I would sleep in the day, morning or afternoon, for as long as I required. Heavy brain fog, plus 40 mins head on pillow, cleared it brain fog completely, eventually. Sometimes it was 3 hours in the day, then all night. I basically slept for the last year and have come on leaps and bounds. I thought sitting upright and reading something was rest. Lying down, in silence and dark, is rest. Best of luck.

[Hidden in reply to RecoveringH]

Fabulous explanation. Thank you. Very true and accurate. Appreciated.