The most commonly proposed primary mechanisms of fatigue in MS involve the immune system or sequelae from central nervous system damage. Specific causes are thought to include proinflammatory cytokines, endocrine influences, axonal loss, and altered patterns of cerebral activation.
It can be acute (lasting a month or less) or chronic (lasting from 1 to 6 months or longer). Fatigue can prevent you from functioning normally and affects your quality of life. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 80% of people with MS have fatigue.
Fatigue in MS is not just an ordinary tiredness, like you might get at the end of a hard day's work. People describe it as an overwhelming sense of tiredness with no obvious cause. You may wake up feeling as tired as you did when you went to sleep.
Take Breaks and Pace Yourself
Pacing yourself and taking breaks during the day can help you stay healthy, says Wentink. “When I'm drained and continue to push, I think I'm putting myself at risk for getting sick,” he says. “When I feel fatigued, I take it as a sign that I need to step back and take a break.”
There is no cure for MS fatigue. It is usually unpredictable and can worsen or improve for a time.
In many patients, over a span of 5 to 15 years, the attacks begin more indolently, persist more chronically and remit less completely, gradually transforming into a pattern of steady deterioration rather than episodic flares. This pattern is referred to as secondary progressive MS.
Causes of sleep disturbances in MS
Increased napping during the day due to fatigue. Reduced physical activity due to fatigue and MS-related disability. Emotional changes including stress, anxiety or depression. Other MS symptoms including restless legs, pain, urinary or bowel symptoms, and temperature dysregulation.
If you noticed that the physical ability is worsening over the past 6 months or year, inform your healthcare provider. Also, report changes in cognition such as short-term memory loss, multitasking problems and word-finding difficulties.
MS can have debilitating effects, such as paralysis, blindness, impaired thinking and loss of bladder and bowel control. That's because scar tissue forms around the nerve fibers, preventing them from sending electrical impulses to and from your brain.
MS symptoms that tend to be a greater problem at night include: Muscle spasms and stiffness: Movement throughout the day can help to loosen muscles and bring relief, but they get worse again during sleep when they are still.
You may have to adapt your daily life if you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but with the right care and support many people can lead long, active and healthy lives.
Get rest. Schedule regular breaks to restore your energy. You can take either a few 10- to 15-minute power naps or one longer 1- to 2-hour nap. Don't nap too much.
MS relapses are caused when your immune system attacks the protective covering (called myelin) around nerves in your brain and spinal cord. These attacks damage the myelin. Inflammation around the nerves is the sign of an attack.
Multiple sclerosis itself is not usually lethal, but it can increase the risk of long-term complications, such as infections or trouble swallowing, that can potentially shorten survival. On average, longevity is about five to 10 years shorter in people with MS.
Pulmonary complications.
MS can weaken the muscles that control the lungs. Such respiratory issues are the major cause of sickness and death in people in the final stages of MS.
For primary-progressive MS , ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) is the only FDA-approved disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Those who receive this treatment are slightly less likely to progress than those who are untreated.
When MS is progressing, you might notice those muscles are not only getting weaker, but you're having more tightness and cramping in that area, too, Dr. Samdrawlar says. A general worsening can be true for whatever symptom you have, whether it's vision, numbness, or balance issues.
One study noted young people with MS who took a calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium supplement had a reduced number of relapses. The study authors theorized that magnesium could play a role in the growth and stability of myelin.
“Good options include 100 percent whole-grain crackers or bread sticks with low-fat cheese; fresh fruit; plain, low-fat, or fat-free yogurt; low-fat granola; a glass of low-fat or skim milk; and frozen blueberries,” says Elizabeth Somer, RD, the author of several books on nutrition, including Eat Your Way to Happiness.
Many people with MS may live for 25 to 35 years or longer after their diagnosis. Survival is improving in MS patients, but chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, depression, or diabetes may lower life expectancy in MS.
Periods between attacks are known as periods of remission. These can last for years at a time. After many years (usually decades), many, but not all, people with relapsing remitting MS go on to develop secondary progressive MS. In this type of MS, symptoms gradually worsen over time without obvious attacks.
MS may have a bimodal progression, the team said. Either patients continue to have a mild and stable disease, such as the majority of RRMS patients in the study, or their disease progresses to SPMS. Nonetheless, based on the results, Chung concluded that “very stable 'benign' MS does exist.”