fatigue

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the forum topic “Do you experience memory loss? Do you feel it is due to MS?”…

Bladder and bowel problems, such as constipation and fecal incontinence, are associated with a higher level of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in Australia. The findings also showed that greater fatigue and experiencing bowel and bladder problems are associated with…

Mama said there would be days like this. I just never thought there would be so many. After three days of insomnia, I am heavily fatigued and weary. I wait, bleary-eyed, for signs of pain to appear, watching the sunrise and praying for renewal. As if on cue, the birds…

Imagine that you’re sitting in your 7 a.m. clinical psychology class and fighting to stay awake. Energy drinks were part of my morning routine in college. I usually went to bed around the same time every night, so I couldn’t figure out why I was still tired and…

Social cognitive deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with higher levels of fatigue, depressive symptoms, and anxiety, new research conducted at the Kessler Foundation has found. Even though the study included only a small group of participants, it represents a step toward better understanding of the underlying…

The relationship between fatigue and patterns of physical activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is not straightforward. New findings show that, among MS patients with similar fatigue levels, there are three different types — or “clusters” — of physical behavior. Clinicians should be aware of these behavioral…

Persistent fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with damage in specific areas of the brain, regardless of depression symptoms, a study shows. The study, “Microstructural fronto-striatal and temporo-insular alterations are associated with fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis independent of white…

People listening to music during an extended walk tend to sync their steps to its beat — and for those with multiple sclerosis (MS), such synchronization helps to overcome mental fatigue and improve motivation, a study found. “Continuous 12 min walking to music, metronomes and in silence:…

An antiviral medication called amantadine and ondansetron, which treats chronic nausea, both work to reduce fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but amantadine may be more effective, a single-site trial in Iran reports. The study, “Comparison of the effects of amantadine and ondansetron in treatment…

FDA Approves Botox to Treat Upper Limb Spasticity in Children Aged 2 to 17 Botox injections have been approved to treat spasticity and bladder problems in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) for years. It’s encouraging to see pediatric-onset MS receiving more attention and approval for medications. As MS is…

Legos, it seems, are more than just a kids’ toy. People with some neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS), are using those little, colored building blocks to build better lives for themselves. An article in the latest issue of Brain & Life uses Kathleen Jordan as one example. Jordan,…

One year of a vegetable-rich diet — combined with exercise, neuromuscular stimulation, and stress reduction techniques — is effective in easing fatigue in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers say the results may be linked to changes in blood fat levels, in particular cholesterol. This integrative…

It was a sunny Lower East Side of Manhattan Sunday morning. The bulbous New York Times was shoved, just about, under my arm. I drank a coffee in the sheltered backyard of a diner after surviving the denizens of the street to get here — this was good shelter.

Exactly one year ago on this day of writing, I was down and out. This year, I’m not exactly fighting fit, but the same set of circumstances has pushed me the distance. But it didn’t floor me. OK, OK, I’ll stop with the pugilistic metaphors — it’s not exactly…

I am a positive person with not-so-positive moments. These moments don’t quantify my essence. Nevertheless, they sure try. I work hard to keep the negativity at bay, but I don’t always succeed. As I write, I’m overcome with pain and fatigue. This is not the exception but the…

Retrospective comparison between children with multiple sclerosis (MS) and those with related acute demyelinating syndromes (ADS) highlights the implications of fatigue, depression, and quality of life in these patients. Those are the findings from a study, “Fatigue, depression, and quality of life in children with multiple sclerosis: a…

Caring for a loved one with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be exhausting, resulting in crankiness, sleepless nights, and excessive sadness, but many resources are available to help deal with the daily challenges of caregiving, said social worker, therapist, and wellness educator Lara Krawchuk. “Care partner fatigue is a normal and…

A daily cup of flavonoid-rich cocoa may help ease fatigue in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to the results of a small clinical trial. The study “A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled feasibility trial of flavonoid-rich cocoa for fatigue in people with relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis” was…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can make our bodies experience pain, become weak, and easily fatigue. We can find it difficult just to walk. These challenges can steal our motivation to be active. But without regular activity, we become sedentary, which can increase weakness and fatigue symptoms that cause additional health…

Australian researchers from the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) have received funding for two projects that will study unexplored areas in multiple sclerosis (MS). The projects, investigating the role of epigenetic differences in MS severity and treatment against MS-derived fatigue, received $211,000 AUD (about $151,300…

Fatigue is more prevalent among patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study that surveyed patients on fatigue and factors related to it. In addition, increased fatigue severity correlated with greater physical, cognitive, and psychological impairment, although the strength of this link was largely the same…

Mindfulness protects against depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep problems in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), improving their quality of life and overall well-being, a study finds. The study, “Longitudinal associations between mindfulness and well-being in people with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the International Journal…

Mentally rehearsing an ease of walking to rhythmic cues — especially musical and verbal — improves walking speed and distance, and lessens feelings of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The study, “Effects and mechanisms of differently…

Have you ever seen an iceberg? The prism of packed ice illuminates the surrounding sea. The part you can see is beautiful, yet most of its mass lies beneath the surface. You cannot know what you cannot see. Therefore, your perception is based on what is visible. What…

Each morning, I’m confronted by an adaptation of the conundrum faced by Forest Gump’s mother: “Life [is] like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get.” If I can’t get myself out of bed, it’s going to be a bad one. I may be in…

Asking for assistance is not my favorite thing to do. But frequently, I do ask. The extra help aids in conserving my energy. Some people may feel my energy conservation requests resemble a lazy scam of sorts but, honestly, it’s not. When I ask for a drink of water or…

Going to bed late and sleeping is reportedly a marker of intelligence. In that case, I am definitely something of a genius. So, it’s always a shock when I have to get up in the morning. I’ve spent a lifetime avoiding it! I’ve lived in such a form…

Please forgive me, but I’m too tired to write tonight. My wife had surgery last week, so I’ve been doing a couple of things that I haven’t done much in the 42 years since our wedding: shopping and cooking. (Well, making Harris Teeter ready-to-heat meals, that is. For…

Lower Fatigue Reported by MS Patients After aHSCT in Canadian Study Fatigue affects 90 percent of people with MS. It certainly impacts my life. This study, though very small, reports a 36 percent reduction in the median modified Fatigue Impact Scale (mFIS) score three years after autologous…

A small group of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with aggressive disease, who were treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplant in a clinical trial, reported a drop in their fatigue levels that researchers suggested was likely due to lesser inflammation. The study, “Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation improves…