This f***ing post viral fatigue

[Mysmallgarden]

It's been about 2 months now. I sleep a lot, DH finding it really hard to cope with. He thinks it's in my brain and that I can somehow will it away.

I can't cope with the thought that it might go on for years.

I'm unsteady on my feet, low appetite, always exhausted.

Anyone else had this and got through it?

I didn't want to leave your post unanswered.

I was diagnosed with post viral fatigue after having Epstein-Barr a few years ago. Honestly, it took 6 months before I did anything other than work and sleep. Which was fine, because I had no children then. Not sure how I could cope now with children.

I'm not sure I've ever had the same level of energy but it did get better. But I had to change my mindset and expectations.

Thank you for replying. Could you say how you managed to change your mindset? DH also wants me to 'think it away ' and says it's coming from my brain. It's as if he thinks I can control it.

Have you been to a doctor and had blood tests to rule anything else out? I have long Covid and it did get better to the point I can do most of what I did previously ( although getting Covid again hasn't helped!) and just need to be careful around how much exercise I do.

Sympathies … After two bouts of whatever virus, each lasting about 3 weeks, I’ve now been exhausted and essentially useless for about a month now. All sorts of stuff I was supposed to do has fallen by the wayside, vexing my colleagues and puzzling my friends. Sick of the sight of my own four walls too. Managed to drag myself out last week - which cleared my head a wee bit. But so much to catch up on.

Sorry you’re going through it. Try not to feel guilty, or force yourself to do more than you want. Rest and get better.

I've got chronic fatigue syndrome. The only difference between that and post viral fatigue is how long it goes on for. In my case, forever.

Your DH is being a knob. This isn't psychological, that theory was debunked years ago, it's physical and science has proven it. He needs to support you. If he's incapable of that he needs to fuck off and stop hassling you. If he needs support he can lean on friends and family, not on you, you need your energy for yourself.

How to live with it:

• pacing. This means not over doing it, but resting frequently and doing whatever it is you need to do little and often. Avoid the "boom and bust" cycle at all costs, it makes things worse preventing recovery. No sleeping forever then rushing like mad to catch up on chores etc. Pacing is the most important thing you can do. So don't do extra because you feel better today and don't do less because you feel worse either, do the same amount each day regardless.

• accept that your energy window is whatever it is. Work out what it is so you can plan accordingly. No amount of hoping or wishing will increase it. This means you can't do as much as you were doing before when you were well. Lower your standards, delegate tasks or outsource them. Carrying on as you were isn't an option. Realise EVERYTHING now takes energy and has to be planned for. Including fun stuff. Because of your limited energy window.

• get a walking stick if you need one.

• have balance in your life. It can't be all chores and no fun. Fun is essential or you're going to get depressed.

• keep eating 3 meals a day. If you're too exhausted to eat, get Fortisip or Ensure or similar from pharmacy or health shop. Avoid caffeinated energy drinks, you'll just burn out faster.

Wishing you a speedy recovery OP.

I've had blood tests and everything is normal. The frightening thing is that I know it can last for years. I can't go on like this for years.

Does he really think that all the people with glandular fever and long covid are making it up?
Well he is WRONG.
Post viral fatigue is not something you can just 'push through'
Surely he can see you suffer and realise it's physical?

@Mysmallgarden pretty much what @BlueSummerBaby said. I didn't mean "think it away" more than I had to re-adjust my expectations of myself.

I did have a million blood tests and was low on vit B12 and other things. I went private and had a few shot of b12 which did help. I also take a million vitamins and am aware of my food intake, as in, I try to eat as healthy as I can be bothered with.

@Mysmallgarden I had to go private for the blood tests and check out what the boundaries other countries put on things as the U.K. has pretty crap boundaries of what's considered good/bad on blood tests

I have MS. Fatigue is a regular guest. Your DH is being unscientific (and a knob). That's not what fatigue is.
I hope it eases

You can’t will it away.

I caught covid in Dec 2020 and have had long covid ever since. I’m back to about 80% of what I was able to do but the brain fog, tinnitus, pain and fatigue are still there.

I had to take some time off and then work part time for a year to get back to some kind of normal. I spent a lot of time researching rest and pacing. However towards the end of my recovery I was eventually diagnosed with B12 deficiency which has caused neuropathy in my hands in feet. In the UK normal limits are set very low and I was really unwell by the time I was diagnosed. Definitely look into this (perhaps consider what supplements you can take) and pacing it will help. If you get overtired regularly it will only make it worse. Good luck x