Getting the proper amount of sleep makes all the difference in the world. My neuro doc sees a lot of MS-ers with sleeping problems so he prescribes me sleeping pills. Been taking the same amount for years so I have not built up a tolerance. I split them a little so that I can go back to sleep once in early am when I get up to go to the bathroom. I feel relatively great when I get my sleep (other than recent IBS). When I am sleep deprived, my MS is magnified 15 times.

Also, I cannot take an anti-depressant because one of their side effects is sleeplessness and I get that big time. When I had to get up 3-4 times a night and couldn't go back to sleep, I couldn't function. So I was worthless for the day. I gave up on anti-depressant after a couple of days when I figured that out and now I get a full night's sleep. I have to deal with moods another way.

BTW, I was taking melatonin at first when I got MS and couldn't sleep. But then I read it was not good for auto immune diseases. So I stopped and sleep prescription works for me.

I am still working fulltime. I never sleep more than a few hours at a time during the night and wake up dog tired in the morning. If I had to clock in, I would be fired a long time ago. My last week off was spent mostly in bed from feeling so tired. But as tired as I am, I walk my dogs in the woods after work everyday. I know they will suffer if I don't do it so I am driven to. I do think that has helped me physically keep going. But I do feel bad that I have no energy for housework or cooking. And I can't do as much with my grandkids as I want after working a full week. I can't travel like I want to visit my family. I do think the Avonex makes it worse. I have not felt as well since I started avonex.

HI!! Ichy- thats cute!! well there is nothing normal about m.s. not 4 me..i to feel lazy.tired. fatigue is awful. i tried provigil it helped me.. but im on medicare-they wont pay for it wont to put me on well dr called it a drug-yeh- but they would pay for that-its cheaper!! but i have been taking vit.d3 with calcium it helps-well helped me.-mega dose-
wish you the best!! tickey

Seems like my middle name is "fatigue". I don't know when i'm not tired. I pray that tonight i can get more then 3 hours sleep without my legs or some other part of my body deciding to wake me up.

Like you, I don't feel like doing much of anything. I force myself to go to work but by 2pm i'm ready for a nice long nap.

By the time i get home at 5pm and go to lay down, i can't get to sleep. Body is screaming for sleep but brain is still on cruise control. Puts me in a miserable mood.

I've noticed my speech is also impaired when i am exhausted. I'm slow in responding to others and i know what i want to say but it wont come out of my mouth.

All i can tell myself right now is take some deep breaths and take one day at a time.

April, you are always so positive! I love hearing from you. I too am in bed by 9:00, but I'm up 2 hours later, and then sleep again for a hour, then up again for 2-3 hours and this goes on night after night. It seems not getting full night sleep is one characteristic of MS. Thanks for your reply.

ezone, I'm sorry you are experiencing so much sleep deprivation symtoms. I understand your frustration and sometimes take prescribed sleep aid also. It makes my "short naps" during the night to last about 3-4 hours vs. 1-2 hours, and then I'm awake really feeling funny from the sleep aid.

khills, having the responsibility of animal babies can be a good thing, making you get up and go even though you don't feel like it. Animals bring such joy to a person with MS, wish I had a dog myself. I'm sorry you don't get to visit with your grandkids as much as you would like because of your sleep deprivation problem.

tickey, it just burns my butt that medicaid won't pay for your script of provigil. How these buracrats can sit in their Washington DC office and makes these determinations is unacceptable. I'm glad your supplements seem to help you, you are lucky that they do. lchy

tcs - I completely understand how you feel. From your picture you are a younger person, and I feel more for you being a younger person and feeling this way. It shouldn't be that way. You should be full of life and energy at your age. It just proves that MS does not discriminate doesn't it?? Have you talked to your doctor about your fatigue? I was wondering if you could get a script of provigil or one of them to help you. Fatigue can be quite debilitating. Good luck with dealing with your fatigue. I just hate MS, it shouldn't be this way. It seems fatigue is one of the biggest complaints we have doesn't it?

Basically, I a "tired of fatigue"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is both physical and mental. My entire life has changed mostly because of it and why I can't do what I need and want to anymore! It makes me MAD and you folks are the ONLY ones who understand what it is really like to have this aweful, horrible, life interrupting, continuous plague!!!!! Oh, I have vented now.......breathe!!!!!!!!!!

Whoever suggested the adrenal work-up, that is a good idea and I have to go back to my endocronologist in a couple of weeks. I had thyroid cancer in 2008 and have to get checked out every 6 months. So, since he is going to take blood anyway, I think I will have that done too. Gee, I have had my blood tested for everything else....why not that? Who knows, I could have another condition that makes me tired.

Ichy I love it!! - like of fried green tomatos!
Holly cow, fatigue kicks my -you know what-! I can live with all the other symptoms but this one seems to syphon my life away the most. I have been on Tysabri for almost a year, have noticed increase in depression stuff significantly. I would like to think the MS clinicians will start to get the picture soon that this is so difficult to deal with. Most of the other symptoms are measurable or visible to others, fatigue is an invisible spectre.
I started taking Provigil and 120 mg of Cymbalta and Busrarone as well recently. I didn't go without a fight, I've been a chemical dependency counselor and addictions prevention/treatment advocate for more than a decade. I refussed "drugs" for a long time. I'm still working on accepting that I'm sick and need help to treat the symptoms.
I understand the shower avoidant thing too! How funny! What I discovered is that I get really dizzy when I lean my head back to rinse out and it scares me that I will fall. I went 10 days without showering 2 months ago, I didn't even realize it untill my girlfriend told me that I stunk!!!! (she loves me) ha ha ha....We talked about why I wasn't showering and that's what I came up with. It is also a part of depression. Your neuro is a wus! You live inside your body, not them! (I'm teasing) It took several weeks (4) for anti-depressant increase to take effect for me, hope you feel relief soon.
Keep the fight - Itchy! You are so awesome, love your posts. You are smart lady and always teach me things or give question to things. Do the research on depression, sure sounds like it to me. I don't think fatigue and depression are focussed on enough in MS research and treatment.
Samona

I see my doctor Tuesday of this week to discuss my results from my eeg. She's wondering why i tend to have problems speaking and the memory loss. I plan on talking about my fatique.

A friend gave me a ds to play to keep my mind busy. I am doing the game Brain Age. It was very depressing to see that my brain age is 80. Im only 44 for crying out loud. I try to do the games atleast once everyday (when i remember). I don't seem to be improving. Seem to be slowing down actually.

No medications have been given to me except for lexapro for depression which i take at bedtime. It has helped me handle situations a lot better.

We will see what the next step the doctor will decide to take with me when i see her. Hopefully something that pertains to my fatique. My daughter will be going with me to speak for me and give the doctor the list of "attacks" i have been having.

Chin up everyone...try to remain positive as hard as it may be.