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LoveAlicia

New member
Joined
Apr 20, 2016
Messages
3
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
01/2014
Country
US
State
WA
Hi there,

The fog, the fatigue, it is a constant in my life and it is causing me a lot of problems. I feel like I haven't truly been awake in years, regardless of how much sleep I get. I drink coffee and take Vitamin B but it isn't enough. I want to start exercising but I am so incredibly exhausted most days I can barely get upstairs let alone actually get exercise. Plus, sometimes I need to be present and alert. It is getting worse, I am gaining weight, and I need to know if there is something, even something extreme, I can do to force myself awake on a case by case basis.

Is there something I can do or take that will make me alert and present, even if just for a few hours?

I have a huge tolerance to caffeine, in high school I would drink the biggest can of red bull every day and my friends and I used to spend weekends staying up and trying new energy drinks. I don't like drinking more than one cup of coffee per day as is, and can't stand the taste of most energy drinks anyway. I can do a five hour energy, and it tends to work most of the time, it gives me about two hours, but I am looking for alternatives.

I really need to wake the heck up, at least every once and a while, so I can take back some control of my life.
 
The frustrating issue with fibro fog is that it can cause anxiety on its own and this anxiety in turn increases the fibro fog. I can see that your learning process is being affected and this makes ample mental tasks and daily life hard. I would suggest that you try alternative approaches like deep sleep. More sleep deprivation, more fibro fog. Exercise is also good to increase blood flow to the brain and you should start gradually defore increasing. Have you tried brain exercises like crossword puzzles, word games and other challenges? Pick the best time of the day to perform these tasks.
 
Hi Alicia, I'm like you, with a high tolerance to caffeine. I've cut down to 2-3 cups max now though. But I take ginko biloba on days that the fog is
bad, I feel like it makes me more clear headed/mentally alert. You may want to look into that. Also, when I do get a break from the pain, I start doing
jumping jacks or jogging in place; I grab onto whatever moments I can to get my body moving.
 
I take a green tea supplement, 800 mg each pill. I take it when necessary, and boy does it keep me active and awake. I'm taking this along with other supplement, in the hopes it will help me lose weight. In the past it did, we will see if this time it does. You could check it out but before doing that you should consult the doctor and get your liver enzymes checked.
 
This may sound strange, but one way I deal with fatigue is to just stop pushing myself for a bit. When I get to a good stopping point I just sit and do nothing for about 10 minutes. Afterwards I feel ready to take on the next task.

The other thing that helps is taking a short walk.
 
Agree with DK ,u can't fight the fatigue ,I do just the same . I hate it my legs feel like jelly ,my arm are lead and I can't talk.i have to sit there for 30 mins before I can start again.
Also energy drinks make u worse ,because you crash so hard after all that sugar . And u pile the weight on drinking it. I have been on a diet for six weeks. It's slow going but I do feel better and more awake not eating all that crap.
Eat better sleep better and feel better.
But when the fog hits there's no way I can drive read write . I had to get my mother to read a letter for me the other day I was just to tired to understand and the words.i wish there was a pill or something we could take but there's not. But your not alone my friend X
 
Same for me ...cant't take in information, read, talk ....just want to lay down in complete silence.

Heavy body... hard to pick up legs...coordination goes as if your body can't receive instructions from your brain.
 
I agree with DK_engineer, it helps me to know my limits, and respect them. Sometimes all I need is a short break, and then I am able to proceed with that task at hand. It's important to remember to rest our brains, not just our bodies, because with all of the stress in our lives, sometimes our minds can run away with anxiety and wear us out. Usually any amount of time spent out in nature helps me to recuperate and rejuvenate. Adding physical activity into the mix, whether it's gentle stretches on my balcony or a simple walk on a local nature path, really helps to magnify the effect, and also improves my breathing, since I'm forced to breathe deeper than my often shallow thoracic breathing.
 
I take tramadol for pain and it seems to wake me up and perk me up at the same time. I get a lot done when I take a 50mg pill. Its a great way to get a spring in your step and push your body to go forward. The only bad thing is, I tend to over due then that leads me to days of feeling really bad and having to take it easy.
 
I got help for my fatique from triptyl.
Gluten free and sugar free diets helped, coffee works a little bit.
But when my doctor proposed to try that medicine - it was a huge positive step. I sleep without breaks and long and there is not so deep fibro fog in the mornings. I never stop eating that medicine I think. Love it.
 
Icebear, sounds like you found a medication that works in harmony with your body. That's great.

I know for me, what works for some doesn't always work for me, but with a compassionate doctor you can try different medications, supervised of course, until you find a medication that does work for you.

Medications can wreak havoc on your mind I find. I took a quit smoking drug for three weeks once. I had to stop taking it because memory loss and fogginess was so bad that I would forget where I was going. I'd find myself driving 10-12 streets past my intended destination with no memory of how I got there. It started to get scary.

I sometimes wonder if a mix of medications is what does it? Or, just simply certain medications for certain people don't agree with them, their body and/or their mind and memory. There's lots of variables at play.
 
I take tramadol for pain and it seems to wake me up and perk me up at the same time. I get a lot done when I take a 50mg pill. Its a great way to get a spring in your step and push your body to go forward. The only bad thing is, I tend to over due then that leads me to days of feeling really bad and having to take it easy.

I've been thinking of taking Tramadol for my pain, but it seems Tramadol made my mom feel a bit sleepy and helped make her feel a bit more relaxed during the day. Sadly the results didn't last very long :( This might sound like a weird question... but does Tramadol cause you constipation?
 
I drink a lot of TedBull I don't know how good... Or well.. Bad it is for me but hey what works... Works. I do wish I had a healthier method of getting the energy I need to make it through the day.
 
2,000mg of tyrosine on an empty stomach can certainly help. For me the best thing is an afternoon nap. I only feel truly awake when waking up from a nap, rather than when waking up from sleep at night. The feeling of wakefulness usually only lasts a few hours, but it's better than nothing.
 
Yep, the body asks for rest, so we need to rest and after that we will feel truly awake as you mention.
 
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