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Managing fatigue

There are lots of things you can try to manage your levels of MS fatigue.

Making sure you get proper rest scheduled into your day, as well as learning to prioritise tasks, can make fatigue easier to manage.

Combining sensible exercise with a balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight and get the energy you need. Some drug treatments can also help fatigue.

Can exercise help with MS fatigue?

It might seem to go against common sense, but yes, research shows exercise can help with fatigue. Regular exercise can help you keep up your muscle strength, improve your mood, and help with sleep - all of which can give you more energy.

Try these exercises for fatigue we developed with neurophysiotherapist Rachel and Pilates instructor Beth.

Like Derek in the video, you can do these exercises at home without any special clothes or equipment. There is an audio described version of this video on YouTube.

10 ways to manage MS fatigue

1. Keep a fatigue diary

Keeping a fatigue diary could be an important first step in managing your energy levels.

 

By rating your fatigue at different times of the day, and in relation to different activities, you might start to see patterns.

Your fatigue diary might help you think about ways to manage fatigue, including:

  • rest

  • prioritising tasks

  • improving your posture

  • organising living and work spaces

  • healthy eating

  • exercise

  • fatigue management programmes

  • drugs for MS fatigue

  • getting help

For more information and a template for your diary try our booklet on fatigue or sign up for our online fatigue management course.

2. Take rest when you need it

For some people, rest helps relieve fatigue and is an important part of fatigue management. Resting can prevent you getting to a point of complete exhaustion and coming to a sudden halt, mid task.

A few small breaks are best for some people; or you might feel better after just one longer rest at a particular time.

For example:

  • try taking a few short rests or ‘power naps’,
  • through the day try just one longer rest,
  • at the same time each day take a break between coming home from work and getting ready for an evening out

When you rest, try to make your rest as complete as possible. Doing smaller jobs around the house, talking to the family or watching TV might be more relaxing than work or chores, but it is not really resting. It can be tricky, but the aim should be to switch off both the mind and the body.

You might want to have a short sleep, or use relaxing music to help you clear your mind. Some people find yogamindfulness or meditation useful.

If worries disturb time set aside for rest, try writing down these concerns and 'shelving' them while you are resting. You will have more energy to tackle them once your energy levels are up again.

If resting helps you manage your fatigue, it is important that other people realise how valuable this quiet, undisturbed time is.

Above all don't feel guilty about taking rest when you need it. If this is something you find challenging our online fatigue management course can help you think it through.

Sign up to our online fatigue management course

3. Prioritise tasks

Prioritising activities can mean you save energy for the things you really want or need to do. It can help you plan your activities and your time to rest and recuperate.

You might find it useful to make a list of all the activities you do in a typical day or week. Can they be done in a more energy-efficient way, or at different times of the day, to make them easier? Can you get help with any of these tasks?

Whatever your priorities are, try to be realistic about how much you can get done - don't try to take on too much.

4. Improve your posture

You could save energy on a lot of everyday tasks if you have a good, relaxed posture. Keeping a good posture takes practice, but with time it can become easier, as your body re-aligns itself, and it can help you save energy.

A physiotherapist can help you identify any problems you might have with posture and suggest suitable exercises to help.

5. Organise your living and work spaces

You might find there are practical changes that can be made to the places you work and live. Maybe re-organising desks or cupboards, or adjusting the temperature or lighting to suit you better.

Sometimes, the simplest of changes can make the workplace or home more energy efficient for you.

An occupational therapist can help you assess the spaces you use – at work and at home - and may suggest adaptations or equipment that could help. For more information about the support that occupational therapists (OTs) can offer, and how to find one, download or order our leaflet Occupational therapy and MS.

6. Healthy eating

Combining sensible exercise with a balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight and get the energy you need. Weight loss and weight gain can both be issues for people with MS and can make coping with fatigue more difficult. A dietitian can work with you to plan a suitable diet to maintain a healthy weight.

What you eat can also make a difference. For example, large, hot meals can make fatigue worse and caffeine or sugary snacks might have an initial 'pick-me-up' effect, but leave you feeling more tired later.

Read more about healthy eating

7. Any kind of exercise could help

It seems to go against common sense to exert yourself if you experience fatigue. But there is strong evidence that exercise helps keep your body working at its best and can improve strength, fitness and mood.

It’s possible to do too much exercise, so balance the exercise with rest. And keep cool while you exercise, especially if heat makes your fatigue worse.

You might want to plan your exercise and avoid long sessions to prevent overheating. Some people find water-based exercise helpful for maintaining a steady temperature.

Cooling vests may also help. A physiotherapist can help you devise a suitable exercise programme.

Explore exercises for every type of MS

8. Fatigue management programmes

Fatigue management programmes are often based on the kind of strategies outlined above, and can help with making changes to your habits, behaviour and routines. They are sometimes done in group settings, sometimes individually, and might involve family members, friends and carers.

One of these programmes, called FACETS, has been shown to be effective in helping people with MS manage their fatigue. 

You can take an online version of FACETS fatigue management course here.

In some areas of the country, Expert Patient programmes can help you maintain your health and improve your quality of life. These are available in England and in Wales. Our MS Society Scotland team also runs self-management courses.

9. What drug treatments might help with MS fatigue?

Some people find that drug treatments help them manage their fatigue.

Although there are currently no drugs licensed in the UK specifically for MS fatigue, certain drugs licensed for other conditions are sometimes prescribed. 

If you want to try a drug treatment for fatigue, the 2022 NICE Guideline for MS recommends any of the following that are suitable for you. A neurologist can discuss the potential benefits and risks, and check if it’s working for you:

Amantadine (Symmetrel or Lysovir)

This drug is licensed to treat Parkinson's disease, as well as some viral infections. Side effects can include insomnia and vivid dreams.

Modafinil (Provigil)

This drug is usually used to treat narcolepsy, a sleep disorder which causes people to sleep excessively during the day. But it might help with MS fatigue too. Side effects can include insomnia and headaches.

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

SSRIs are a kind of antidepressant drug which might help with MS fatigue. Side effects can include insomnia and dizziness.

10. Finding help and taking help that's offered

People might say to you 'If there’s anything you need...' or 'If there's anything I can do...', but it is not always easy to ask for help, even when it is offered.

It can be useful to prepare a list of tasks that you’d like help with. That way, if someone does offer to help, you can easily tell them how they could help.

If you find it hard to take, or ask for help, our fatigue management course could help you!

Sign up for our MS fatigue online management course

At work

At work, you may need to ask your employer to make some changes – perhaps more flexible hours would help, or arranging a parking space closer to the entrance.

Find out more about working and MS

Professional support

A social care assessment (community care assessment in Scotland) might identify certain tasks that social services can help with.

Health and social care professionals might be able to help in all kinds of ways.

An occupational therapist, for example, might suggest energy–saving gadgets at work or around the home. Or an MS nurse or psychologist might talk with you about cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or mindfulness training – approaches which some people find helpful when making changes to habits or routines.

Financial support

It's also worth checking if you are entitled to any benefits like Personal Independence Payment.

Find out what financial support you could claim

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