Fatigue can be a very complicated symptom to have as it can be attributed to so many illnesses. Working out the cause of the fatigue can be very challenging for doctors as there are so many possibilities out there of what may be contributing to their patient’s fatigue.

As a patient this can be very frustrating, undergoing test after test with no answers is disheartening and can be upsetting. It can be extra difficult when it feels like the doctor and others don’t really seem to believe you.

So what can you do to help find out the cause of your fatigue?

• First of all if you do not feel like your doctor is doing all that they can to find an answer, or even just feel they are not understanding and supportive, it may be time to change doctors. Sometimes this can be good to do even if your doctor is supportive, if it’s been an ongoing issue for several years or more and you still do not know the cause, it can be good to get a fresh pair of eyes on the case, sometimes a new doctor may see what others have been missing for years.
• To help your doctor work out the cause, it can be helpful to write down a list of all of your symptoms. Fatigue is not usually the only symptom and when combined with other symptoms it makes it easier for your doctor to pinpoint possible causes.
• Keep a diary, try and work out what has been triggering your fatigue, is there a trigger? Do some activities make it better or worse? Bring the diary with you to doctor’s visits, the more they know the more they can help.
• Consider that there may be more than one cause. It can be very difficult to find a cause of fatigue when there are multiple issues; it can make the combination of symptoms confusing making it difficult to pinpoint the possible disease/disorder. This can also mean solving one issue will leave the patient feeling just as bad as they did before diagnosis and treatment. If this happens, don’t be disheartened, every step helps and counts, but continued symptoms after one condition has seemingly been treated could very well mean something else is going on and has been missed. Push your doctor to keep looking.
• Start seeing a specialist, even if your GP seemingly has no idea it can be helpful to request to see a specialist appropriate to your other symptoms. Specialists are just that, they specialise and may be able to work out the problem when your GP can’t. You may need to see a variety of specialists before you find the one that can give you the right answers and the help you need.

Along with these suggestions, it also worth remembering that modern medicine does not know everything, there are many questions that remain unanswered. If the cause of your fatigue cannot be found, it is possible that conventional medicine is just not able to give you the answers. This is where alternate therapies and practitioners can be of benefit and are worth considering. While natural therapies may not give you any more answers than you already have, it could possibly help you at least manage symptoms and improve your quality of life. Always remember to keep your GP/specialist informed of any alternate therapies you are currently undergoing even if you have initiated them yourself.

Post from: The Recovery Room

Fatigue: finding the cause

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The best solution to achy muscles is some light stretching, a few simple stretches first thing in the morning, and as needed during the day might provide some much needed relief. For those with severe fatigue, spreading this over two to three brief sessions will minimise the drain on energy levels, even as little as 2mins of stretching will help.

Seated stretches are a really good idea on a bad day. Using surroundings such as a table top can help achieve a deeper stretch and can also help maintain balance (this is especially important if suffering brain fog, or if having severe fatigue or balance issues).

Some other simple strategies to relieve aching muscles:

• A warm bath with Epsom salt or sea salt (some people with chronic pain may find heat aggravates their pain rather than relieving it, a cool bath will be beneficial if this is the case)
• Drink plenty of water; dehydration will aggravate aches further
• Massage aching body parts with a mixture of massage oil and preferred essential oils
• Consume adequate amounts of nutrients, especially magnesium (magnesium supplements may be beneficial if not consuming enough in your diet).

If your aches are of short duration (a few days or a week on occasion) resting is a good idea. Aches are a sign that your body needs to rest; so put your feet up and do as little as possible when the body aches are bad. Remember to get up regularly and have a stretch between periods of rest, extended periods of inactivity will make the aches worse; so while rest is needed be sure to keep the body warm with regular stretching sessions.

If your aches are chronic, rest may not be a good solution and is likely not practical. Long term inactivity will lead to de-conditioning of the muscles, and therefore exacerbate symptoms. Where possible try to do activities seated to minimise energy use and to allow muscles periods of rest in the day, setting up a chair in places like the bathroom and kitchen is a good way to provide short periods of rest (e.g. sit while preparing dinner). If you do not suffer post-exertional malaise (fatigue after exercise) a short walk may improve the aches, swimming is also very beneficial (people with arthritic aches may find this the best exercise to do).

Post from: The Recovery Room

Body Aches

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Possible causes:

·         Poor sleep

·         autoimmune disorders

·         hormonal imbalance

·         chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia

·         pain medication or the pain itself

·         allergies

·         iron deficiency and other nutritional deficiencies

·         blood sugar drops

·         dehydration

If you are able to pinpoint the cause, it may be possible to treat it simply. For others, the cause may not yet be known, or if it is known there may not be any more that can be done about it.

Managing Brain Fog:

·        Try to avoid activities that are beyond your capacity, if possible rest is advisable

·        Caffeine: If there is no choice but to be able to function, it is the one time where stimulants such as tea or coffee may be a good idea to get through. This shouldn’t be a routine, but can be a crutch if necessary. Remember that once the caffeine has worn off you will likely feel worse than you did before the caffeine consumption. Warning: regular caffeine consumption is not recommended for those with fatigue.

·        Supplements MAY help if there is a deficiency to improve energy: the most beneficial to energy are B vitamins, iron and coq10.

·        Manage your pain (if this is the reason) as well as you can

·        Make notes as reminders, if you have to remember a lot of things in a day, it may be handy to write a list on a notepad to carry around with you, so things can be ticked off and not missed

·        Set reminders: this can be in a calendar, or diary, or through a computer program, whatever is going to be something you check often. Reminders can be for events such as a birthday, or when a bill is due as an example.

·        Take regular time outs: even if you are busy, it’s possible to take 5mins to shut your eyes, or do some stretches. This can help clear your head and stay focused; if your mind isn’t well focused the last thing you want is to overwhelm it.

·        Be sensible with your activities: Finally tackling some great written work may not be the best idea at these times, reading can be a good idea, but keep it something you can easily focus on, don’t add to frustrations just because you’ve always wondered if Dickens really is that good.

·        Work when you’re at your best: If it’s possible, try and work at the best time of day for you. Some people may find that the brain fog is worse earlier or later in the day.

·        Eat regular meals; avoid high sugar meals when you eat. A sugar spike means your sugar will drop. You don’t have to be diabetic to have sugar spikes and drops.

·        Avoid known allergens, both environmental and food allergies.

·        Drink plenty of water

·        Avoid chemical exposure: If you are chemical sensitive, be sure to avoid chemical exposures from creams, cleaning products, etc. Those with chemical sensitivities may find exposure triggers brain fog.

·        Deep breathing: It could help to clear your head just to do some simple deep breathing, it helps to swing your arms above your head as you breath in, and slowly lower them as you breath out, the action will help open the diaphragm and allow for deeper breathing.

·        Exercise: This recommendation comes with a warning, for some people with certain conditions this could be a very bad idea. If the fog is a side effect of extreme fatigue, physical activity could make it worse, in these cases rest is what’s needed. For others a short walk may clear the head.

It may be helpful to keep a diary; this is helpful to monitor any symptoms. Keeping a record of when the brain fog occurs can help identify possible triggers. It also allows you to identify what makes it worse and what makes it better. A little trial and error of techniques to manage it such as those mentioned above will be needed to find what works best for you.

Post from: The Recovery Room

Brain Fog

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