What's with the sudden fatigue?

[Roo73]

I had a PLKR on August 12 and I think I'm doing great as far as most things go. I'm down to 5/500 maybe 2 or 3 times a day on Vicadin and a double dose of Naproxin every day. But I don't understand the "on and off" switch in my body. I went back to work at about 5 weeks and have been there every day for at least 6 hours if not more. The last week or so, I've had terrible bouts of "shut down", where I'm so sleepy at 10 a.m. I can't function and end up having to go home to sleep (I live next door so that makes it easy). I have tried more sleep, less sleep, naps, etc. I'm exhausted during the day but can't sleep at night well. I've tried to stay up past the drowsy stage (usually between 6 & 7 p.m.) by keeping busy doing something. I'm not in much pain. Isn't it a little late in recovery for me to be experiencing these things? And shouldn't I be pretty much pain free by now?

 

[edk]

At about that time I was pain free (living on a couple of naproxen a day) HOWEVER
if I pushed myself too hard one day I'd be up in the night with knee pain requiring
a vicodin and the next day I would have flu like symptoms and sleep most of the day.
So I'm thinkin maybe you are pushing a bit too much and you're body can put
up with the insult for a couple of days and then it gives up and you need some rest.

 

[Josephine]

I'd go with that analysis.

 

[Nancy Harkey]

Here is an alternative possibility. I slumped into a period of extreme exhaustion and a constant need to sleep somewhere in the second to third month. It carried over into therapy where I was suddenly unable to lift the weights I had been okay with. Then I remembered an incident years ago where I had a very prolonged bout with pneumonia which trailed off into exhaustion. I turned out to have a magnesium deficiency. So remembering that I started taking supplementary magnesium, and the turn-around was amazing. Within two weeks energy and strength just flowed back. Magnesium is much less available in everyday foods than other minerals. Great if you love kelp, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds etc., also good in whole wheat products, but if that isn't your thing, or if your appetite is poor, easy to run short of. Also, from what I have read recently, stress, trauma and surgery all tend to deplete it. On the other hand, it is tricky to get right (milk of magnesia is a laxative, after all). Just a thought. Nancy H.

 

[beachcomber]

Joey,
I'm with Ed on this one. I find that I can only push so far for so long and then my body just starts dragging. I think you are probably ramping up your activity more than you realize now that every step doesn't hurt anymore.

Also, longer term use of narcotic pain relievers can sometimes zap your energy too. Do you take any NSAIDS? What I used to do was take 2 ibuprofen (NSAID) and an hour later if the pain was still significant then I would take a 5/500 vicodin. It is ok to take that combination if you are not taking any OTHER NSAID. It might be worth a try at this point to reduce your vicodin even more if your pain level will allow it. DON'T get yourself in trouble with pain, tho.

Thinking of you and hoping you feel better soon!
Beach

 

[Doug]

My mothers cardiologist and internist were standing next to her bed when she was recovering from having a pacemaker put in.
Both agreed that if they were to recommend a single supplement beside a low dose aspirin, it would be magnesium