Is lassitude affecting your attitude?

The fatigue people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience can seriously limit their quality of life. As a symptom of the condition, it is common. Impacting about every 4 out of 5 MS patients, this fatigue is unlike simply feeling ‘tired’ or sleep deprived. The fatigue is unique and as such, has its own name: lassitude.  

Signs of lassitude include the following:

- A feeling of fatigue that happens nearly every day 
- Worsens as the day goes on
- A fast onset with no warning 
- May happen in the morning even after getting a good night’s sleep

According to an article in the Rare Disease Advisor, “Lassitude interferes with many MS patients to the point that they are unable to work and are forced to leave their jobs. Personal relationships can suffer as well due to consistent absences from important events.”

Lassitude is intertwined with MS for a few reasons. Firstly, the condition causes damage to the central nervous system. The transmission of nerve signals in a person with MS looks quite different when compared to someone without the illness. These atypical transmissions play a role in creating feelings of fatigue. Secondly, there is a good deal of inflammation present with MS. Inflammation is a known cause of fatigue. Thirdly, often MS patients aren’t sleeping well at night. Instead of getting several hours of quality sleep, they experience interruptions from symptoms such as muscle spasms.

For someone trying to cope with prolonged periods of intense fatigue, it may take a 'trial and error' approach to find ways to improve this frustrating aspect of the condition. If the fatigue of MS is negatively affecting you or someone you care about, consider the following:

Low impact exercise. While it takes energy to burn energy, it also takes energy to make energy. A short walk or few minutes of simple yoga poses may help improve feelings of fatigue. If a bit of physical activity seems to be helpful in reducing fatigue, pencil it in on days where you have commitments you want to feel fresh for.

Optimize your schedule. Whenever possible, create a schedule that balances your needs with your responsibilities. If mornings seem more challenging due to fatigue, don’t feel obligated to accept meetings or appointments too early in the day. Try to be strategic in planning activities or events – given the choice, don’t overextend yourself. Aim for a balance of ‘doing’ things with periods of rest. If you have a family member or colleague that can take something off your plate, don’t be shy about delegating or asking for help.

Prioritize self-care. As a busy parent, professional, caregiver, and/or student, it can be hard to put your own needs first. But when faced with a medical issue, adopting aspects of self-care can be beneficial for overall emotional and physical health. Some areas to look at for making changes include:

- Giving your sleep environment a check-up. While you may not be able to control if a muscle spasm or bladder urgency wakes you up, you can take steps to enhance your sleeping space and related routines. For example, making sure your room is not too hot, too cold, too bright or too loud. Consider looking into curtains that darken the room, cozy (or cooling) bedding, sleepwear that fits well, and noise cancelling tools (earplugs, white noise).

- Knowing and reducing stress triggers. Any medical concern naturally introduces aspects of stress that can lead to physical effects and worsen fatigue. It may feel nearly impossible to eliminate sources of stress from your life, but you can adapt with new coping skills. Breathing and meditation techniques can be learned by numerous apps and videos that guide the process.

- Considering the impact of your diet. One on hand, caffeine may feel like an absolute necessity to kickstart your day. On the other hand, too much may be adding to sleep issues. Chocolate, tea, and soda all have caffeine so if you think it may be time to cut-back, there are many options to make these swaps. In addition, a diet that includes fruit, vegetables, and whole grains is better suited towards helping a body make energy than is a diet containing many processed food items.

If the fatigue of MS is interfering with your work or personal life, it is important to talk to your doctor. Try and document what could be making it worse. Together you may be able to collaborate on a plan that helps you feel well enough to stay engaged with the things in life you enjoy.