I have to preemptively qualify this entire post. My spirit animal is the sloth. If left to my own devices (and without this minor inconvenience we call life) I would gladly do nothing all day. I can be quite lazy.
Look at that face... that is the face of pure contentment.
The fatigue brought on by my Multiple Sclerosis is troublesome, because it can give me an easy excuse not do things. It becomes a battle between myself and my fatigue... sometimes in pursuit of the mundane. But fatigue is far from exclusive to Multiple Sclerosis. There are a host of other diseases, injuries, disorders, issues, etc. that can cause fatigue. Heck, fatigue is a basic symptom of life.
I have been on a crusade to alleviate my fatigue. Ever since I was diagnosed, fatigue has been a constant symptom ranging from moderate to severe. After trying dozens of potential remedies, I have found a couple that actually. I thought I'd share, being that this may be the first actual, bonafide piece of helpful writing I've offered.
Vitamin B12 - I have started taking B12, and have found that it really does help. I'm usually very skeptical of supplements, but I really feel a burst of energy after taking this.
Vitamin D - There's plenty of conflicting literature out there on vitamin D. There are medical journals that say the vitamin D supplement is a must have in anyone's repertoire, and others say it is useless in pill form. I have taken vitamin D with Glucosamine, and did feel a bit more energetic. The Glucosamine is supposed to help with joint pain, so it's hard to say if vitamin D had any real effect. There may even be a bit of placebo effect for this one.
Exercise - This one can be tough and counter intuitive. It is quite difficult to get up and get moving when you are fatigued, but trust me on this one... it helps. Even if you are just able to do a little walking every day, it will get the blood pumping. It will be tough to start, and even tougher to continue, but after a while it will begin to give you more energy. This is probably the best thing you can do for a laundry list of reasons that I don't even need to talk about here.
Good'ol Grittin' Your Teeth - This is similar to getting exercise in a way... although it's more akin to will power. If there is a task you are putting off due to the fatigue, it's good to occasionally fight the fatigue and get out there. No matter what it is that you are gonna do, getting moving will get blood pumping and the activity will stimulate your mind.
The "Holding Your Breath" Trick - This is a pigeon-holed trick. There are times when we are all at meetings, family functions, classes, etc. and find ourselves falling asleep. No matter how hard we fight, we seem to get more and more tired. The trick is simple... hold your breath. In 30 second clips, hold your breath and exhale slowly. Take a few moments in between holding your breath, and increase the time you hold it for 5 seconds or so. This forces your circulatory system to work harder, making your blood pump a little harder. This will help wake you up.
Sugar and Caffeine - Either of these are last resorts. They will give you a burst of energy, but come with bounce back. Sugar and caffeine can get you through a particular task or help you get moving, but you will crash; making the initial fatigue worse.
If you know of anything else to try, please let me know... I'm always looking for the next best thing; because otherwise, you know,...
Thanks,
Adam
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