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I've been fighting fatigue for years myself. Finally my Dr. put me on Dexedrine. Research in both HIV patients and non-HIV patients has demonstrated that standard stimulants may be useful on both a daily and an as-needed basis.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shawn et al! I have mentioned my fatigue again and again to my MD and he has not had an answer for me and now after 20 years of being HIV positive and at least two years of great fatigue you have given me my answer! I thought it was my age (I'm 76 years old) or I was "pampering" myself but I finally know why I must sleep four hours almost every day and that's just in the morning! I don't count the naps in the afternoon... Now I will sleep soundly without guilt and enjoy every minute of it. Thanks again!
In June of last year after fighting allergies for six months I ended up in the hospital. Doctors found that I had PCP and that I was HIV poz. I was in the hospital for a month and lost part of my lung I thought my fatique was due to my surgery, but its now been a year and realize its something else. Normally when I get home from work im exhausted and want to take a nap but my dog wont let me take one till I take him for a walk and notice that after the short walk it makes me feel abit better and alert but sometimes after the short walk I just have to take a short nap all depends on my day at work.
I have recently been diagnosed, CD4 177, and having just started research, I am thinking back the few years since I think I was infected. I had a lot of fatigue, I figured it was due to my lifestyle, I work in restaurant, so late nights, drinking, not much drugs (some, no IV though), and a fair share of sex. I just did what I always do, put my head down and dealt with it. Now, I have been diagnosed, am on SMP/TMZ before I start a clinical trial. I am fighting what feels like a full out flu, no coughing or sinus stuff, but fevers, hot spells, chills, head ache and SERIOUS fatigue. Even after a three hour nap, I was only ok for about two hours. Granted, I work in a steak house in front of very hot equipment, so at the end of the night, I feel like I got hit by a train. Any way, the point is, while it doesn't help me directly to know that there are others going through the same thing, it is a comfort.
Fatigue has been my big thing to over come. I have been pos since 1982 that I know of. I am doing very well but the fatigue will not let go. I have times where I just crawl in bed and sleep for 2 or 3 days. My body just says I'm tired and that is all there is to it. After getting a lot of sleep I'm ok for a while. I still fight fatigue daily but, it does come down to hibernating for a couple of days.
I'm a long term survivor (going on 23 years since diagnosis) and I have tried for years to impress upon my doctors the fatigue I feel, and that somedays it is all I can do to get out of bed and take care of just my own needs. Other days, I feel really good and then try to get things caught up (cleaning house, etc.). My partner used to look at me weird for wanting to run a vacuum cleaner at 9pm, but I always told him that I had to do things when I felt well enough to do them. Later, it was discovered that I'm also diabetic, and getting my blood glucose levels under control helped with some of the fatigue, as I had had glucose levels so high it made me sleepy. Still, fatigue is part of my life every day, and I am just like you, dealing with it the best I can by allowing myself to take naps when I need them. Sometimes even just 30-40 minutes of downtime helps. Thanks for this post. Anything we can do to bring the fatigue into the light to be seen will help others with the same problem.
Charles
Im just wore out. I am so fatigue for the past 3 years I have not told no one and have manage to hide it for no one would understand for I hear problems about all sort of things like cancer etc. No one really cares only the family of the patience. So I just try to keep going, the thing that gets me is I have gone with out my jack daniels for couple of months I have had my jack once a week I have tried it all and the only time I really feel good is when I have two jck and cokes or a glenlivet and soda. Some times I wake up early in the morning and gin around and get things done but you can bet come afternoon I have to hit the bed with disgust like today I have felt bad all day and I worked on the house and yard all day I forced my self to do it for I just have not felt like doing it and I am wore to the frazil will see what tomorrow is like for I am forcing my self for a solid week to get things done. My vent for the day I guess now to make a cocktail... I am 48 and wore out.
July 9, 2011