Living
HIGHLIGHT
The three faces of fatigue:
Physical, mental and emotional
by Rachel Adelson
Fatigue strikes about four out of five people with MS, and
it’s all too real. “MS fatigue is
genuine and has a biological
basis,” says Lauren Krupp, MD,
professor of neurology and
director of neuropsychology
research at Stony Brook
University Medical Center in
New York. “It is intrinsic to MS.”
MS fatigue can be
distinguished from garden-variety
fatigue when it is abnormally
severe, but there are other markers.
It tends to occur daily and can
come on suddenly. It can be
present in the morning even
after a good night’s rest, yet still
worsen as the day goes on. And it’s
aggravated by heat and humidity.
1. Physical fatigue is extremely
common. Nicole Lemelle of
New Orleans noticed that
fatigue made it harder for her
to do simple things. “I would
be worn out from walking from
my apartment to my car, and I
needed to take a break before
driving,” she recalls.
2. Mental fatigue also causes
problems. “I get what I call
a ‘fuzzy brain,’ where I feel
like I can’t think straight or focus,”
says Kelly Gaeckle of Aptos, Calif.
3. Emotional fatigue happens
for two reasons. First, depression
affects about 40 percent of
people with MS, and fatigue is a
symptom of depression. Second,
life with MS is, by definition,
demanding and unpredictable.
“On bad days, I get emotionally
frustrated by the things that I
would like to do, but physically
feel unable to do,” Gaeckle
admits.
Why so tired?
Primary MS fatigue is caused by
frayed nerve fibers wearing out
easily. Nerve damage to the “vast
computer system” of the brain
causes misfires and split-second
