Fatigue

[Marlene]

One of the worst parts of PTSD for me to adapt to was the fatigue. I was always the person who was brimming with energy and ready to take on just about anything. Then suddenly I was too tired to do anything after work but sleep. I was exhausted on the weekends and couldn't even handle grocery shopping. For most of a year my husband and daughters took over everything that I used to consider my domain. I was lucky if I could sit on the couch and fold a load of laundry much less carry the basket to the washer/dryer.

I'm coming up on my third year of dealing with full-blown PTSD and how it has totally changed my life. I've noticed a lot of improvements in a lot of areas. It's nice to see all of that hard damned work paying off somewhere. But the one area I've seen limited improvement in is the area of fatigue. I exercise three days a week (two yoga workouts and fencing). It helps me and I've wanted to do more but I physically cannot do more. I need the down time between workouts to recover. It sounds silly…especially to me. After all, I'm only 41 and I'm pretty healthy (PTSD aside) and enjoy being active. But I've discovered that my finite amount of energy that I was used to has become even more finite. It's like I'm allotted so much energy for each day to use where ever. And once it's gone…that's it. I usually end up falling asleep before 8pm on days where I've used up that energy without even realizing it. Mental as well as physical exertion drains me. Working full time drains me. It's frustrating as hell sometimes.

I remember reading somewhere that with PTSD, our nervous system's default setting is cranked up higher than people without it do. And that that high setting uses up our personal reserve of energy faster than if we didn't have PTSD. This sounds wonderful on paper…doesn't help a whit when it's all I can do to keep my head up a number of times during the day because I'm so drained.

Anyone else find their fatigue level is much higher than it used to be? Anyone found a way to non-chemically increase their endurance?

Lisa

 

[shiraz]

Hi Lisa, my non-chemical combat to fatigue is chocolate, but that too it taking its effect as my energy levels are so low I can't exercise to get rid of the extra calories so I am in the process of giving it up. Stimulants also raise my heart rate which is already way too high, so I can't make use of any of those either.

I have just been through 6 weeks of extreme fatigue, really battling to get going in the mornings and only really start to feel human somewhere around 2pm. It is extremely frustrating and debilitating, I can really relate to how you feel. My biggest problem is that I get bored easily, and if I get to the end of the day without filling it with sufficient diverse activity, I feel miserable, but I just don't have sufficient energy to do enough and it is making my world smaller and smaller.

It is good that you are still working and exercising, I am glad for you that you are able to do this. I work from home at the moment which reduces the stress and PTSD symptoms, but I miss the stimulation of other people and being part of a team and this in itself is fatiguing. No easy solutions with PTSD. We just do our best every day and I have also learnt to stop fighting it so hard. I reed in the wind that will not bend, will break - I have broken a few times too many and I am trying to be a bit more bendable now. But it is a fine balance - knowing that you are doing enough but not too much.

Just today, I had to turn down a plea to help a friend, not because I don't have the time, but because I know that helping her will flatten me and that will be no good for my relationship with my man, who is important to me and needs my time and support when he gets home. I am learning to be responsible for myself in this way. I can so relate to your comment on an allocation of energy for the day, when I have used up my energy for the day, I get shaky, tearful, disorientated and nauseous (I feel like a 2 year old who needs to get horizontal quickly).

I am interested to see other responses too, hope someone out there has figured out how to deal with it.

 

[Tinyflame]

Dear Lisa, this isn't really that helpful but I feel that way too, so I try to take advantage of the "better times/ days" and capitalize on them. Also I try to attach something I'm looking forward to to something I have to do, eg., laundry + call a friend, whatever. Seems to help a bit (-sort of).

And frankly if you have to rest you have to rest or I find I fall asleep on my feet (literally).

Trust that this does not necessarily mean it will last "forever" and try to cut yourself a bit of slack. I think feeling guilty about it uses up even more energy.

 

[Blues in NYC]

I've given up caffeine. That was causing other problems.

I've got fatigue pretty bad currently. I'm in the early stages of my PTSD. No idea what my future holds.

I had really bad mono about fifteen years ago and was left with fatigue that took about 9 years to taper off almost entirely. If I didn't get a bare minimum of nine hours of sleep each night, my glands would swell up like the mono again and I'd get a low grade fever. I was pretty depressed about it.

But the fatigue I feel these days feels different. It doesn't sit in the body the same way. That fatigue, as down as it made me, felt much more physical. Sleep really made it go away. This fatigue feels... I don't know. Still trying to place it. Still trying to understand what I'm too tired to do. It's as much a physical sensation as it is a complete bottoming out of my ambition on some days.

I also need to plan for days. My wife and I recently took a trip that was planned prior to my diagnosis. Certain physical activities, like going in the Ocean, confused and disoriented me. I'd be sapped of energy almost immediately. Maintaining poise in public also exhausts me. We took the most beautiful hike inside of a dormant volcano one day on our trip. The next day was a pretty bad day with shakes, crying and heightened trigger responses.

I treasure that day. It was one of the more beautiful things we did that week. One of the most beautiful things I've seen in years. But it cost me like a night of raucous drinking costs the average party goer.

So I've no tips or strategies for management yet other than a degree of acceptance and planning is important. Before diagnosis on my way to my break down I saw an old friend. She was always one of the more aggressive people I knew about life--even more than me prior to the PTSD. She was prattling on about how she's taking French lessons and joined a new writing circle and this and that... ...I felt exhausted just hearing how four of her five weeknights had at least one commitment scheduled in, knowing full well that her weekends are given over to social engagements and art openings. I also felt dirty with jealousy. I think I still do.

Speaking of fatigue... my first day here and I've sent so many darned posts to the mods that I have worn myself out for the day. Man I just want to get healthy again.

 

[cat]

I'm was really interested to read these posts. Following a viral infection a year ago I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue syndrome(CFS) two months later diagnosed with PTSD. I find now that although I don't get the extreme fatigue that lasted for days I do have days when my energy levels are low but I can generally recover after a few hours rest, as well as this i have days when I'm extremly cold & nothing warms me, does anyone else experience this?

 

[Marlene]

Glad to see I'm not the only one. I know it's part and parcel of PTSD. And I've somewhat accepted that. I use my good days to as much advantage as possible. I guess I was just asking if someone had found a way to beat the SOB at it's own game.

Honestly though, Junebug, I do think it's going to last forever. I just hate that it makes me feel so old and fragile some days when I just can't do what I used to do anymore. I waited for it to get better...but it's yet to keep up with the recovery in other areas. I think I read in the news section that someone had posted about depression and fatigue. Although it's probably not exactly the same thing, I bet that it's kissing cousin to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Lisa

 

[Tinyflame]

Lisa- I agree. I think that it is affected both physically (physiologically) and psychologically.

Think of the times that you "felt a little better" and had more energy. Hopefully times like those will become more frequent and longer lasting as your healing progresses. -You have been dealing with a horrendous amount lately (in quantity and in the "facts".)

Also, I guess we can always hope that as more is understood and learned about ptsd they will come up with (more) effective treatments for this aspect. -I'm sick of Energy Bars and Caffeine, lol. -They don't even work.

Hey, just thought- maybe more "quality" (and quantity) sleep would help (less nightmares/ night sweats etc- maybe some nights we're not even aware of it). Maybe as our "brains" gain more peace our bodies will feel better? -Let's hope!

 

[cragger65]

Lisa,

It was the same for me. I went from very active and hard-working, martial arts 3-4 times a week, etc. to flat on my back on the couch thinking, how could I possibly be doing any less than this? When you think back to the trouble folding laundry days, we have to admit, the fatigue has improved, though I know you probably want to slap me in the head for throwing that up right now ;P My big achievement at one time was that I opened the blinds. My nuero-psych actually commended me on the accomplishment. I cried at how pitiable that was.

I find Omega-3 helps somewhat, and there is no doubt some mixture of Ginseng and other herbs that may help. But they can only take some of the edge off. I think, unfortunately fatigue is part of the gig, and we need to learn to budget our energy, so to speak. Spend it where it delivers a return, such as your excersise. I think it's quite amazing that you work full-time and fence, that is awsome.

Oh. There is Dragon Breath (yoga) as well. Might help?
Dave

 

[epaklt]

Lisa,

I too have gone thru the problem of fatigue, I guess it comes with the problem of PTSD. For me, Hypervigilence has to be part of it...

A friend suggested a natural liquid that was based on Seaweed... I know that sounds odd, but the theory is that a lot of the quality soil nutrients are being washed out to sea, and so this is the source of the best quality. It did seem to help back then, took some time, which could be coincidental, but that may be something you could look into. I am not sure I am allowed to name it on this website as it is a specific commercial product. I have no personal interest in it, but if you do a search on google you may find it.

Good luck and keep up the exercise.

Cheers
Keri

 

[Grama-Herc]

Lisa

I've been fighting the lack of energy and the fatigue since 1997!

I am, quite frankly, tired of fighting the tired. I have given in to it. I sleep when I'm tired no matter the time of day. I am lucky because I don't work so I *can* sleep when I want or need to.

Our bodies are being ravaged by the side effects of PTSD and this fatigue is a huge part. I honestly believe that there is nothing we can do to overcome it either.

Just know that ""we are all tired"" and you are not alone!

 

[alice]

ginseng extract, guarana, homeopathic sulfur, these all work wonders.

 

[Ursa]

Guarana should not be used by people with high blood pressure. It can make the problem worse.

I have used it a lot already... Guarana really helps with the fatigue but on the other hand it can make more difficult to sleep at night.

Sometimes I feel like I am always tired because I am also always tense and this gets my energy away on the muscles... I really would like to be able to relax my muscles. They ache a lot also.