Poll The Fatigue Poll: What Types of Fatigue Do You Experience?

[Cort]

A study found that people with chronic fatigue syndrome regularly experienced five different types of fatigue while healthy controls only regularly experienced one.

[fright]

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• ‘Post-exertional fatigue (or malaise)’ occurs after physical or mental exertion; it is considered a hallmark symptom of this disease.
• ‘Brain fog’ – involves having difficulty with words and concentration; it is considered a hallmark symptom of this disease
• ‘Wired But Tired fatigue’ – is characterized by low energy levels accompanied by a feeling of over stimulation
• ‘Molasses Fatigue’ – is characterized by a feeling of heaviness in the limbs
• Flu-like fatigue

In the poll below please choose the diagnosis that fits you best (ME/CFS or FM) and pick the three types of fatigue you experience the most.

 

[ixchelkali]

I picked three, but actually I could check "all of the above." Different types of fatigue at different times, plus I have both ME/CFS and FM. I left out the tired-but-wired because I get that when I've exceeded my "energy envelope" )or "spoons" or whatever term you prefer) and these days I mostly manage to avoid that, but in the early days of being sick I had it more often.

There's also the somnambulant kind, when you absolutely can't keep your eyes open and it feels like you've been drugged.

 

[Cort]

I picked three, but actually I could check "all of the above." Different types of fatigue at different times, plus I have both ME/CFS and FM. I left out the tired-but-wired because I get that when I've exceeded my "energy envelope" )or "spoons" or whatever term you prefer) and these days I mostly manage to avoid that, but in the early days of being sick I had it more often.

There's also the somnambulant kind, when you absolutely can't keep your eyes open and it feels like you've been drugged.

I could have picked all five as well. All five were found in a survey of ME/CFS patients. It'll be interesting to see if different types of fatigue are more prominent in fibromyalgia.

 

[Folk]

What about hypersomnia?
No one experiences that?

 

[Cort]

The study - which I cannot find now - listed just these types. Does the fatigue associated with hypersomnia differ from them?

 

[Folk]

I mean something like daytime sleepiness.
Waking at 11 in the morning and have to sleep again at 1 in the afternoon or something like that.

Or like some people report sleeping 18 hours a day. Stuff like that.

 

[kate brunton]

I mean something like daytime sleepness.
Waking at 11 in the morning and have to sleep again até 1 in the afternoon or something like that.

Or like some people report sleeping 18 hours a day. Stuff like that.

 

[kate brunton]

I get a depleted feeling that is not sleepiness at all...like my system has run out of gas. I often feel a very unpleasant contraction in my chest area (not a heart problem). Maybe you would describe it as molasses or flu-like, brain fog for sure. Have always had trouble communicating what it's like.

 

[Tara H]

I have all five, as most of us do, but what is called molasses fatigue here (I call it lead limbs) has happened either as a new variation of flu fatigue just more frequent for me recently - maybe worse because of the snowball effect of less active life? Wired and tired usually happens when I'm trying to sleep or nap - or that's when I notice it most, for what that is worth.

 

[Brenda Williams]

What about hypersomnia?
No one experiences that?

Yes I do! I could sleep 16 hrs a day sometimes!

 

[Nicole]

When you have both illnesses ME as well as FM how can you tell where all the symptoms comes from...your brain fog , your aching, flu like pain, your IBS and I could go on, because the s/s are so similar.....

 

[PamJ]

My daughter has FM. It started with hypersomnia. She would sleep 18 hrs a day. Now, she needs about 10-12 hrs.

 

[Nixstar]

I came down with the flu this week and didn't know I had it until I started coughing up phlegm. My thoughts are that I'm so used to the fatigue, aching and heavy limbs, I didn't notice my body coming down with the flu. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[John Moore]

Unrefreshed sleep.
Fatigue that never, ever abates.
Weakness! Power outage! body fuse blown...
All senses dulled, cognitive functions low to nonexistent.
I am dead on my feet.
literally.
Dead.
Lacking the life force required to worry about what will happen next to family, where I will access food and shelter or what others with think of me.
Surrender is a metaphysical event.
Letting go opens the way to grace.

 

[Nixstar]

John this is beautiful, and oh so shockingly honest. Brought a tear to my eye. Thank you for sharing

 

[Nixstar]

When you have both illnesses ME as well as FM how can you tell where all the symptoms comes from...your brain fog , your aching, flu like pain, your IBS and I could go on, because the s/s are so similar.....

Hi this is all new to me too, well the actual diagnosis I mean. You ask how do you know which symptom belongs to ME and which to FM? The question I pose to you is if she has both diseases, what/why does it matter? I know a lot of the symptoms can be the same from what I understand?

 

[Nixstar]

Yes I do! I could sleep 16 hrs a day sometimes!

Oh gosh yes!!! I can sleep literally 24 hours straight no problem I have to take a 2-3 hour nap after being awake for only 2 hours after a 12 hour sleep.

 

[Cort]

My daughter has FM. It started with hypersomnia. She would sleep 18 hrs a day. Now, she needs about 10-12 hrs.

I think that's pretty common - but what an interesting question for a survey. What was your sleep cycle like early in the illness? I never had hypersomnia - I imagine something different was going on with me.

Interestingly I've heard of people who switched from hyper to hypo...

 

[Cort]

Unrefreshed sleep.
Fatigue that never, ever abates.
Weakness! Power outage! body fuse blown...
All senses dulled, cognitive functions low to nonexistent.
I am dead on my feet.
literally.
Dead.
Lacking the life force required to worry about what will happen next to family, where I will access food and shelter or what others with think of me.
Surrender is a metaphysical event.
Letting go opens the way to grace.

It does teach one humility...

 

[Nixstar]

I think that's pretty common - but what an interesting question for a survey. What was your sleep cycle like early in the illness? I never had hypersomnia - I imagine something different was going on with me.

Interestingly I've heard of people who switched from hyper to hypo...

I have to say that MOST of the time I need the land of eternal slumber but about every 5-6 weeks I'll have a phase or few nights where I can't sleep at all. I try to accept things as they come each day rather than fight it though there are times that I just want to take the reigns back, so to speak.