Welcome to BFS Forum!

[iminflurry]

Hi everybody,I am new in this forum. The thing which surprises me most reading your posts is the following: apparently 'fatigue' and 'exercise intolerance' are a very common thing among BFS people (according to this great article 'BFS in a nutshell'). But most people complain about their twitching. To me, the twitching part is very annoying but it doesn't bother me much, since it doesn't affect my daily life. It is scary, I admit, but still, my life can go on normally. But the fatigue has some deep effects on my daily life. P.ex. I might have to give up sportive activities, which I really love and which I have been doing over years. I might have to stop go out dancing, which I love as well. I might have to stop or reduce mounteneering in summer and skiing in winter. And even in my professional life (which is not only sitting at the desktop) kneeling down for a while or standing upright for a while has become annoying, since muscles just work differently. How do you deal with it? Or am I alone with those questions?

 

[AussieSurvivor]

\Hi retintinyes I have and still do have major fatigue issues, for a long time prior to the BFS 'outbreak'. Was ( still does a little) affecting me big time as I was just tired all the time. Lost motivation to do anything 'work or play' Concentrating was a challenge, even when trying to drive.Work was a big challenge, even to read let alone do anything. It was seriously getting me down. However I was told by the GP ( and reading boards) that chronic anxiety will bring that on ( which I believe has also bought on my BFS some time later). I have since been put on anti depressants (lexapro) and for the most part the fatigue ( and some of the anxiety) has reduced considerably. Anxiety and depression are 'linked' hence the anti depressant. I am not for pills , but I was at the point where I was feeling so tired/ drained/ lethargic all the time, I was starting to lose interest in life generally. I put up with it for 12 months, but I could not handle it anymore ( I was getting depressed) so hence the visit to the GP and consequential prescription. I would strongly recommend an investigation down this road, if is getting 'that point' where life is is becoming that tough to cope with, which it may be with you by the sounds. To give up all the things you enjoy ( because of the constant lethagy), will just exacerbate the issue. Hopefully you can sort thischeersAussie

 

[seadragonsovereign]

I have bfs full blown - with cramping too! But I don't have the fatigue (at least physical fatigue) that some have issues with. My "exercise intolerance" really consists of an increase in the twitches AFTER exercise. I keep at it, too - trying to work out in some way every day I can. If you can deal with the twitching (as you indicate you can), then I would keep exercising. If nothing else, it helps the mental fatigue portion of BFS. I also did the anti-depressants for about 5 months. I don't think I could have dealt with it on a daily basis without my lexapro. I'm off lexapro now - more because time has passed (now in 9th + month) than anything else. Hang in there.

 

[iminflurry]

Thank you guys for your help. I think I am not lethargic for depressiv reasons. My fatigue doesn't seem to me a depressiv problem at the moment. I have my energies to attack the day. I am just most frustrated after my work out. Once in a week we use to go jogging with a group of friends. Since I do this for years I know very well my personal fitness. Since the beginning of my symptoms I keep on running the same speed then usually. This works quite fine. But after the jogging my legs feel like having done a marathon. It just doesn't correspond to the 3 miles I've been running. It feels like 10 miles! And for the next 48 hours my legs feel terrible. I think you anglosaxons would call it 'charley horse'. But not a small one, a really heavy one. And this every week. And things getting worse. Isn't this classical 'exercise intolerance'? Who has had similar experiences? It ennoys me and - of course - makes me worried.