Cirrhosis Support Group

Is there anything that can help? Even if it's just a little, I'm already getting really tired of feeling like a slug.

I don't know about helping it, but I know what you mean.

See my diaries: http://www.mdjunction.com/diary/mikealpha1/so-tired-64334 and http://www.mdjunction.com/diary/mikealpha1/nov-1-2010

I know exactly how you feel, I feel like I live 3/4 of my life on the couch. It sure gets old! I know I'm supposed to exercise, but the thought of it...I just can't muster the energy to do it. I feel terrible and I know that people think I'm lazy, but I'm not...have worked all my life until last yr.Had gallbladder surgery and liver biopsy in Apr'11, have stage 4 cirrhosis from NASH. Anyway i'm 54 and feel like 94...lol..Just one day at a time......

I'm right there with you. But I've never found anything that really helped.

The thing is, you can't really fight the fatigue as "it comes with the territory" of liver disease. Think about it, the liver is the "powerhouse" of your body, it: transforms (metabolizes) nutrients from the food you consume into energy; filters (cleans & detoxifies) energy robbing toxins from your blood; stores compounds and elements that are in reserve when you need extra energy; and it manufactures substances that make our bodies function. (My Sick Liver) When our liver is compromised by disease, all of these functions are compromised.

So what can you do about fatigue? Not much, but you can take advantage of the time that you can be productive. Use your "good" time to take a walk or do some other exercise or prepare a healthy meal that you can use when you are in a "bad" time. Knowing that you have "banked" some good things will make you feel like you are taking advantage of giving in to the fatigue and taking another nap.

Remember also that positive attitude is also key to managing this disease!

Dennis

Fatigue.

Never knew the meaning of the word although I sure thought I did when I had three kids under the age of two.

They should put a picture of a cirrhotic liver beside "Fatigue" in the dictionary.

Does anything help? Nothing I know of. I quit work....I am no less tired but as Dennis said at least now when I do feel okay I can concentrate on myself, my family and my pleasures. I sleep a little better with the pain patch but no less tired.....

I sometimes still find myself amazed that I tire so quickly, that I can do so little and that I am only 50 going on 150...LOL. But when I feel okay I use the time. I also have learned that when "tired" comes with shaking and nausea, it is time to stop whatever I am doing immediately and go rest.

Oh gosh, I think fatigue is the worst part of all this. Inside I have so many things I want to do but just can't get them done. Sometimes it causes depression, insomnia from guilt of not getting things done and then the cycle starts over. I've adjusted to almost every other symptom.

What I do know that helps, as crazy as it sounds, is exercise. I pull my arsh off the couch after working an 8 hour day and do a 2 mile 'walk at home' video and it gives me enough energy to make something for dinner and maybe do the dishes. I can stay up until almost 8 most nights. That's a little victory for me. If I don't do the walk, I'm in bed by 6. On the weekends when I have the days off, I pace myself. I make a list of things that need to get done around the house, yardwork, housework, crafts etc, and I do a little at a time. If I don't get it all done, oh well...tomorrow is another day.

Well this is about the answers I expected. I was just hoping that there was something that somebody knew that might help for just one day at a time.

I do walk 2-3 miles 5-6 days a week and that does help but I have to do that in the late afternoon because nothing is going to get done afterwords. Plus I'm starting to just eat breakfast and then go right back to bed some mornings, this is something I thought couldn't get much worse and now it is.

Peace and Joy

Paul

Paul and Rpbyn - there MUST be an .to this fatigue deal...what has your doctors said? Thyroid ok? Keeo us posted please Hugs, Ru

Post edited by: ruth8890, at: 02/21/2012 10:32 PM

Paul, are you taking lactulose? My fatigue would get even worse when my HE got worse. With us able to increase my lactulose we found that would help a little.