By Beth on Monday, June 05, 2000 - 11:38 am:

How long can you work and not get increadibly exhausted? Can this be increased? Is there Physical Therapy that can help this? Is it a matter of stamina or is there another explaination?

I can only work 5 hours on my feet. Two things will occure. 1. Somewhere in my body something will have started to hurt and hurt badly. 2. I will be too exhausted to do any housework or cook supper. Don't get me wrong, I find it in me to do both it is just a real hardship.

Thanks Beth

By Lucy on Monday, June 05, 2000 - 11:39 am:

Hi Beth:

I realistically have a three hour time-frame in which I can be productive. After that, like you, something begins to hurt badly (usually my back whether I'm sitting or standing) and then the general fatigue and strain sets in all over. I'm going to a new PT on Monday and will talk to her about this. I think it may have something to do with the amount of work that the muscles have to do. I'll let you know more when I do. In the mean time - soak yourself in Epsom salts and hot water at the end of the day. It provides wonderful (though, unfortunately temporary, relief!)

By Gwen on Monday, June 05, 2000 - 11:40 am:

Like Lucy, I tend to have a three hour productive period after which I feel totally washed out and have to carwl back to bed for a while to recharge the batteries for the remainder of the day. If I have had a good night's sleep (i.e more than four unbroken hours) I can generally cope for a bit longer. If I've had a real dog of a night I will often get up and organise my son for school then go back to bed again for the remainder of the morning. Chronique fatigue seems to go hand in hand with EDS/HMS and I think we all have to learn how to pace ourselves and be able to prioritise our lives. What are the essentials,what can be put off to another day, what can we delegate and what isn't important? I know I tend to overcompensate on 'good' days and try and get as much done as I can before the energy level sinks too low. Then I wonder why I feel so dreadful the following day!
One of the things I have often wondered about is whether those of us with chronic pain are also hypoglycemic (Low blood sugar) as the physiological effects of chronic pain are similar to those of shock. Among these is release of a burst of glycogen by the liver to provide extra energy for "fight or flight". If our bodies have been tricked into being constantly in this state, albeit at a lower level than in shock, we may be constantly depleting our stores of glycogen hence the chronic tiredness. Just a thought. Any other thoughts on this topic?

By Sue C. on Monday, June 05, 2000 - 11:40 am:

I've heard of links between chronic fatigue and SADD, which I believe is related to a lack of sunlight and vitamin D.

Have you tried to go outside more or increase your levels of vitamin D? I've found that I feel better going outside briefly several times a day and drinking a lot of milk.

By Bianca on Monday, June 05, 2000 - 11:41 am:

I am glad you speak about these things. Because since I have joint problems, after around four to five hours I feel that my right ankle starts to hurt more and I feel very tired. So I have to go and lie down for a while, after I can do some things too. In the moment i work only 50 %, that is four and a half hour- but on the days I work I feel that I can't do any homework, because it exhausts me too much.
Gwen this theory with hypoglycemia I find very interesting because when I did sports like cross country skiing I often had hypos with trembling and weak knees and so on. ( I am not diabetic.) Also now, once I did some gymnastic without any heart beating, I got a hypo. Also my mother got a lot of hypos when she was young.( Now she has diabetes since five years) And I don't know when I feel the hypo, then it is bad, but my blood sugar levels may be deep also when I don't feel them.

By Gretchen on Monday, June 05, 2000 - 11:42 am:

Before I started prolotherapy just getting outof bed was a struggle. I have two little boys and had no choice. The house was constantly messy and a trip to the grocery store was a nightmare. My prolotherapist gave me heavy duty pain killers which made a huge difference, espically with sleeping. It was also not painful to have my boys and husband touch me. My sense of humor has returned. After six months of prolotherapy I am able to do more and more. I do way to much on my good days and pay the next. THe good days are more and more often. I went hiking on Monumet Mountain in the Berkshire's last weekend. I made it all the way to the top!

Check into prolotherapy. A good Prolo doc will make you feel much better about the whole thing. I have a long way togo to feel better, but it is worth it.

I don't know if Chronic pain and loose ligaments go together, but I have had hypoglycemia since my teens. Try eating small amounts of protien all day long. A glass of milk here a piece of cheese there and stay away from sugar. (that includes in your coffee)
Low Blood sugar magnifies any pain you are feeling