Why Do I Feel So tired?
Jon Wegner
The second noticeable symptom with my multiple sclerosis that I experienced in 1991 was fatigue or tiredness. But again if I search my memory banks I can go back to at least 1980 with the fatigue and tiredness problem. But when you’re 20 years old you don’t think of major health problems. I would always make excuses to myself as to why I was tired but it was probably the early stages of my MS. But I still remember saying to myself quite a bit, why am I so tired? One day a couple of years ago I was thinking about my college days. Two thoughts came to mind that I’ve never been fully able to explain until now. The first is that in college I used to lie on my bed to study. I lived in an efficiency apartment. I usually went to the library to study but if I was home my bed was the place of choice to crack open the books. Actually, in an efficiency it was the only place. This would have been in 1979-1981. It never failed but every time I did this I would fall asleep. I would just take a catnap for 10-15 minutes but it always screwed up my studying. When I woke up I was refreshed and I would continue to study for about 30 minutes but invariably I would doze off again. That makes it kind of hard to get anything accomplished.
The other thing I remember is studying at the library in a study carol. Unless I really had something interesting to occupy my mind I would doze off there, too! I’d fold my arms and lay my head down and I would doze off for 5 to 10 minutes. It seemed to me that I could sleep anywhere. lol In my defense this all made sense. At the time I was carrying a full load of classes, I worked 20 per week at a local grocery store and my girlfriend and I used to meet every weekend in my hometown of Rochester , Minnesota . The trip from La Crosse, WI to Rochester, MN is 90 miles one way. It’s all interstate highway so the roads were always good. It was also a good time to unwind from a week of school and work. But it was 180 miles round trip that I probably didn’t need considering the rest of my schedule. Looking back who wouldn’t be tired? At least that’s how I justified my dozing off alot. I did that for three years. I think of that now and I get exhausted just thinking about it! I must have been crazy! But it was puppy love and my first so I just sucked it up and did it.
Fatigue is still a major problem for me today. I think it’s one of the most interesting symptoms that a person with multiple sclerosis can have. Fatigue is an indescribable feeling unless you have it. When you see another person with MS and you’re talking about symptoms all you have to do is mention fatigue. The other person will start nodding their head and simply say, “yea, I got it”! For me it’s a feeling like my head is overloaded or jam packed with information and I cannot take anymore. I just feel exhausted and I want to lie down. This is sometimes called “brain fog”. Sometimes I get an upset stomach, too. When I’m like this I don’t think or hear clearly and it’s not a good time to be making major decisions or driving my van. I usually try to work through it but if it’s really bad I take a nap for an hour or so. I can get fatigued sitting on my butt talking on the phone, laughing real hard with a friend or typing on my computer. I don’t remember things very well when I’m fatigued. I’ve actually dozed off while typing or reading on my computer.
I remember working plenty of days in my 20’s where I would work a 12 hour day. For the average person 6-8 hours of sleep would refresh them for the next day. Now I can’t do that and a long day like that would take at least 10 hours of sleep. Another problem is that I can’t sleep 10 hours. Nowadays, I take two night time Tylenol and at least I sleep 5 good hours straight through. When my ex wife and I would drive to North Dakota to visit relatives we would leave at 5 pm on Friday night. It was a four hour drive. Then we would leave to come back home about 3pm on Sunday! So in about 48 hours we would drive eight hours and about 500 miles. This was all interstate highway but it still wears a person out who is troubled with fatigue like me. That was just too much for that short of time. It used to take me 2 days to recover. Below is the definition of fatigue that I got from the Wikipedia dictionary on the internet.
The word fatigue is used in everyday living to describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one’s muscles. It can be both physical and mental. Physical fatigue is the inability to continue functioning at the level of one’s normal abilities. It is ubiquitous in everyday life, but usually becomes particularly noticeable during heavy exercise. Mental fatigue on the other hand results in sleepiness. There are two types of fatigue. There is physical fatigue and mental fatigue.
Physical fatigue –
This muscle weakness or lack of strength is a direct term for the inability to exert force with ones muscles to the degree that would be expected given the individual’s general physical fitness. A test of strength is often used during a diagnosis of a muscular disorder before the etiology can be identified. Such etiology depends on the type of muscle weakness, which can be true or perceived as well as central or peripheral. True weakness is substantial, while perceived is rather a sensation of having to put more effort to do the same task. On the other hand, central muscle weakness is an overall exhaustion of the whole body, while peripheral weakness is an exhaustion of individual muscles.
Mental fatigue – In addition to physical fatigue there can also be mental fatigue, not necessarily including any muscle fatigue. Such a mental state in turn can manifest itself both as decreased wakefulness or just as a general decrease of attention, not necessarily including sleepiness. In any case, this can be dangerous when performing tasks that require constant concentration, such as driving a vehicle. For instance, when a person is sufficiently sleepy he or she may experience microsleeps. However, objective cognitive testing should be done to differentiate the neurocognitive deficits of brain disease from those attributable tiredness.
Causes – Fatigue is typically the result of working, mental stress, jet lag or active recreation. It can also be from boredom, disease and lack of sleep. It may also have chemical causes such as poisoning or mineral or vitamin deficiencies. The sense of fatigue is believed to originate in the lower brain. All I know is that my fatigue is now the major problem with my MS. I can sleep a full night and wake up tired. It just never goes away. I can’t walk very well and I ride my scooter 95% of the time but in my opinion my fatigue is more crippling than my legs are! At least with my legs I can ride my scooter and get where I have to go. I take one Provigil pill per day which keeps me awake but I’ve been taking it almost eight years and I think my body has become used to the drug. One Provigil used to wire me for a whole day. I probably looked like I was on something illegal but now it only works until around 10 am.
Jon Wegner is 49 years old and has multiple sclerosis. He’s a resident of a small town close to Fargo, ND. He’s lived there for four years after being a lifelong Minnesotan. Jon now rides a three wheel electric scooter to get around. He can be seen scooting all over his little town everyday. Jon’s website, e-book, FREE newsletter and articles can be found at www.mymsbookandnewsletter.com Sign up for his monthly newsletter and receive a FREE copy of his e-book, “I’ll Run Again In Heaven”. It normally sells for $14. Jon’s articles can also be purchased at his website. Jon’s best affiliate is Hometown Quotes at www.jonwegner.com
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