MS fatigue

Some mornings with multiple sclerosis (MS) feel like being stuck in quicksand. Fatigue appears first, followed by aches, and then the fog that turns simple tasks into mini mountains. On those days, I ask one small question to get moving: What color is my hope today? Dressing for dopamine,…

Aquatic therapy significantly eased fatigue and improved balance in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in a clinical trial in Greece, outperforming results from a control group who participated in a conventional physiotherapy program. “Our work suggests that incorporating [aquatic therapy] into MS care can meaningfully alleviate fatigue and balance deficits,…

Resistance training may be the most effective type of exercise for easing fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially when programs last longer than eight weeks, a meta-analysis found. The study, “Effects of exercise on fatigue and quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a network meta-analysis…

The summer months and the central Texas heat have arrived, and I feel indifferent about them. As someone with multiple sclerosis (MS) who experiences related heat intolerance, I try to avoid spending an extended amount of time outside. That saddens me because most of the summer fun occurs outdoors.

Cognitive symptoms, mood disorders, and fatigue manifest differently in relapsing-remitting and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. “[O]ur results indicate that the subtype of MS is associated with … specific kinds of cognitive deficits, suggesting the need for subtype-specific therapeutic interventions,” the France-based research team…

A noninvasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) doesn’t seem to ease fatigue in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) when given at home with computer-based cognitive training, according to one of the largest studies of its kind. While the home-based intervention was deemed feasible, combining daily…

Acupuncture may be a promising complementary approach for easing fatigue and improving quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small review study and meta-analysis. Still, the study highlighted a need for future clinical trials that use more standardized acupuncture approaches, according to the researchers,…

Methylphenidate, a stimulant sometimes used to manage fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS), may also ease oculomotor (eye movement) symptoms and increase how quickly the brain processes visual information, according to a pilot study by Kessler Foundation in New Jersey. “Our findings suggest that methylphenidate could be a beneficial…

A large clinical trial to test online programs for treating fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will launch in the U.S. in the coming months. The study — the largest of its kind — will be funded by a nearly $4.5-million grant from the U.S. Department of…

A team of Kessler Foundation researchers has been granted more than $700,000 by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for work that seeks to better understand the brain networks associated with primary fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The grant, totaling $722,602, was awarded to Glenn Wylie, PhD,…

Want to reduce your multiple sclerosis (MS) fatigue? Maybe we should talk about it. I’m talking about a fatigue treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which usually involves changing a person’s thinking and behavior. By talking with a therapist, sometimes on the phone, a patient develops an…

Just like a surgeon’s prize hand or a ballerina’s plié, my mind has been my most valued asset. That’s been true all my life, through realizing my passion for science, achieving my undergraduate degree in biomedical science, and even keeping myself sane during the dark days of paralysis following…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who report higher levels of fatigue are more likely to have lower performance scores in tests that evaluate cognitive skills, a study from Ireland suggests. Specifically, poor verbal learning abilities, visual-spatial memory, and information processing speed (IPS) were associated with higher levels of self-reported…

What was your first MS symptom? Mine — the one that made me realize something was really wrong — was my inability to squeeze the toothpaste tube with my left hand one morning. Of course, there were earlier hints of trouble. I was unusually tired while attending a business…

There is an ongoing difference of opinion between my husband and me regarding my general outlook on life. I consider myself to be a realist, whereas he thinks I tend to err on the side of pessimism. I’m an overthinker. I’ve always felt things incredibly intensely. Interestingly, when I read…

Greater engagement in social activities and positive social support were associated with better physical and psychological health among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a recent study. These data “suggest that social integration and social support should be a crucial part of MS management,” the researchers wrote, adding that…

From celebrating artists’ works to sharing stories that bring to life the experience of multiple sclerosis (MS), Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month is designed to call attention to this neurodegenerative disorder and the nearly 1 million U.S. residents it’s thought to affect. MS can cause a host of physical…

Ocrevus Reduces MS Relapse Risk, But Linked to More Hospitalizations As you can see from the first two paragraphs of this story, these hospitalizations occurred most frequently in older people with MS. Yet, as these researchers point out, the criteria for selecting the people who participated in Ocrevus’ clinical…

I’ve been tired all day, which is nothing new, as fatigue and multiple sclerosis go hand in hand. It’s been one of my primary symptoms since I was diagnosed in 1980. To counter it, I’ve taken Provigil (modafinil) for many years. Initially, taking 100 mg in the morning helped…

National MS Society Launches Survey to Assess Economic Impact of MS We know that managing MS is expensive. It can cost us money out of our pockets and also limit our ability to earn that money. A small survey about this was the subject of my “MS Wire”…

Are you tired? Really tired? Me, too. Most of us with multiple sclerosis are. How many is most? A small new study of 44 people with one of the progressive forms of MS found that the answer is a little over 86%. (I’m surprised the number isn’t higher.) They…

“At the center of it all” is the dignity of allowing myself to retire with grace. And it only took a world-shattering event to get me to come to my senses! I’d been running, directing, producing, and sometimes writing (usually when comics got desperate with a 15-minute deadline. We…

Feb. 29 is Rare Disease Day. It’s a day on which those in the rare disease community attempt to raise awareness about their diseases. I don’t think MS should be included. With about 2.5 million people worldwide in the MS community, I don’t consider it to be rare.

It was such a jam-packed week that the flavor was definitely multi-fruit! It included a meet-cute with a barber inspired by Richard Curtis (rom-com writer of “Notting Hill” and others). As no romance — or indeed, bromance — was involved, it was more of a meet-cut. I’ve…

My column last week was a recap of my journey to a primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) diagnosis. This week’s column continues that theme by showing a glimpse of what it is like to live with PPMS on a daily basis. To say that having a disability like…

IQuity Taking Orders for RNA-based Blood Test That Can Detect MS Early with 90% Accuracy Can it be that there’s now a blood test that can help diagnose MS? This company says it has one and doctors can order it. For a disease that’s always been…

I’m an old guy, and it’s been a looonnnggg time since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This, however, is not the case with BJ Baker. BJ is in his late 20s, and was having a very bad day. He was too tired to do a (seemingly) simple…

Feeling tired?  No surprise there.  Fatigue is as much a part of living with Multiple Sclerosis as sand is a part of the beach where I live. It’s interesting, then, that neurologists seem to have no good system for measuring levels of MS fatigue or any treatments that are…