Feeling sick all the time

[tgyurkiw]

Hi

Just wondering how many of you out there feel sick all the time. My neuro Dx me 95% MS in Dec 2010. So all I am getting right now is gabepentin and tramacet for pain. However I have been sick and missing work for a year now. My symptoms are GI problems(Hug) headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue(the big one) and just the feeling of general unwellness. It takes a lot of effort just to get out of bed to try and start my day. Is this what I have to look forward to the rest of my life. I just turned 50 last Sunday and I sure was hoping I would have fun in my fifties and look forward to retirement but now I am not so sure. I hope this disease will not continue to ruin me.

Take Care
Tom

[golfwidow]

Hi Tom,
Sorry to hear you have been struggling. I wonder if the medicines are affecting you ?
The fatigue is generally MS, I feel your pain as I deal with that daily. Was told by my neuro that they give adderol for MS fatigue........I am holding off on that as I am not sure I want to add one more med to my body.
Has your doctor suggested an anti-depressant ? After reading up on MS, depression is one thing we have to watch out for ...after all this thing is messing with our brains.... Do you take a DMD medication ? ( Betaseron, etc??) It is recommended to take an antidepressant if you are on any of the interferons as they can cause depression as well........
Anyway, food for thought...........wish you well !!!

[pageturner]

feeling like something the cat dragged in....

Hey Tom: I don't post here that much, but I wanted to reply as I related to what you said.

I was dx in 08. I'm 54. I used to wake up with headaches every am feeling like crap--like a hangover with nausea.

I'm on Copaxone I should add.

First I went gluten free. That helped tremendously. Then vegan.

Now it's live-able. Don't like it, but it's live-able. I also take supplements and LDN

[jcooper75]

It's interesting to hear someone else say this because I was starting to think I was losing my mind. I began having symptoms in May 2010 and was dx'd in Nov. I swear I haven't felt good since. Of course, I take 8 different medicines a day just to keep going, so this may have something to do with it. My doctor recently took me off of Copaxone due to a terrible reaction and I'm due to start Avonex just as soon as his nurse gets her act together and files the paperwork. (This could take forever, it took her a month to get the Copaxone ordered) I'm worried this is going to make me feel even worse.
I always feel like I'm just getting over a big illness. Not so sick I can't function, just run down and exhausted all the time. My doctor gave me Provigil for fatigue but I'm not a huge fan of how it makes me feel.
I'm guessing this is just something we have to get used to. Hate it for you. Hate it for me too.

[GEM]

I'm going back to golfwidow's suggestion about depression. Depression has been linked to MS in many studies and could explain your feelings of being unwell and generally "down". It is somwthing to explore, speaking from experience.

[Thinkimjob]

Hard to be sunny when there isn't any sun

You probably are depressed. Most of us are probably depressed. I tend to think it's normal given the fact we've all got an incurable, chronic, disabling disease.
I know antidepressants might do the trick for some, but I'm not sure how much use they are, unless there is an underlying chemical imbalance that can be sorted out.
I'm sure I qualify as 'clinically depressed', but I figure I have good reason to be depressed, and there's nothing they can give me that's going to take that good reason away.
I can do the 'river in Egypt' thing when I feel okay, but when I feel sick, I think I should be allowed to feel sick.
Well. That's my two bobs' worth. I feel much better mentally since coming here, and finding out there are so many people going through pretty much the same thing.

[rdmc]

I've had MS for quite a few years, and I don't feel well. I'm not depressed, find it sort of hard to believe that with a chronic illness people jump to the idea that if you feel unwell it must be depression.

Maybe their MS experience is different than mine, but I have no problem believing a person with MS doesn't feel well...just because they have MS, not because they're depressed.

Is it depressing to feel unwell, like you're just getting over the flu on most days, well yes it is, but that doesn't mean you're depressed.

I work from home, and if I had to go outside the home to work, no way that would happen, I just don't feel well enough to do that.

For some of the symptoms you mentioned, there might be symptomatic meds, so you should discuss that with your neuro. Sleeplessness and fatigue can both be addressed by certain meds. If you get those two things under control, you may feel somewhat better.

Here are some threads that you might want to read over...they'll let you know you're not alone in feeling bad.

But just remember, sometimes there are good days, symptoms can remit, so a little "hope" is always in order.

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=108318

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=109341

http://www.msworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=108433

[tommylee]

Hi

Just wondering how many of you out there feel sick all the time. My neuro Dx me 95% MS in Dec 2010. So all I am getting right now is gabepentin and tramacet for pain. However I have been sick and missing work for a year now. My symptoms are GI problems(Hug) headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue(the big one) and just the feeling of general unwellness. It takes a lot of effort just to get out of bed to try and start my day. Is this what I have to look forward to the rest of my life.

Take Care
Tom

Perhaps?
Dx @ 33 by 35 was missing so much work had to take disability. I am 46 now and still feel sick 24/7.

Massive GI problems (hug), frequint head-aches, a nonstop hang over with no party.

Going gluten free helps some.
Extra rest helps some.
Exercise helps some.
Physical therapy helps some.
Not working 50-60 hrs a week helps some.
Some drugs seem to help but most just make me feel worse.
(I use MJ. It does not help everybody but it allows me to stay out of the bathroom long enough to get something done.)

Bottom line is; After making lots of serious life changes I can function, but I still feel sick all the time.

On the brightside; After a while it gets easier to deal with. Perhaps I have just gotten used to being in pain all of the time and nolonger expect to feel good?

Maybe I have just gotten used to living with a hang-over?

It does seem to get easier to endure over time and has not completely ruined my life. (but it has damaged it)

Some people have gone into complete remission and feel fine so you may feel good again someday?

If you are already in good shape and eat well,take care of yourself etc, and still feel like crap...it may be permanant? no way to forcast what will happen.