Anyone out there with pre-existing fatigue?

[[Bu...]]

One of the hardest things about my withdrawal symptoms is how they are affecting my pre-existing long covid fatigue. The fatigue means I cant do things to distract and cope with withdrawal and the withdrawal turned me from self caring to bedridden. 
 

I would love to hear from anyone who is in the same position? 

[[je...]]

I had LC during my taper. It took about 10 months to recover from it, so I was one was one of the lucky ones as I know many people suffer for years. 

I remember the days when washing my hair in the shower was just too much for me. I would be completely exhausted for the rest of the day. I couldn’t remember simple words such as car, dog etc. 

Initially I didn’t taper anymore as I didn’t want to aggravate my LC symptoms. But then I decided I felt like @&&$@& anyway, I might as well taper. I tapered very slowly and felt no increase in my LC symptoms.

Those days, all I did was lay on the couch and watch TV. I watched every TV show and movie ever made. Sometimes I didn’t even follow the storyline but I just watched the characters on screen. I enjoyed the reality shows like Survivor because it was low energy and not complicated to follow, but enough to distract. In the end it was all I could manage with the exhaustion.

[[Bu...]]

16 hours ago, [[j...] said:

I had LC during my taper. It took about 10 months to recover from it, so I was one was one of the lucky ones as I know many people suffer for years. 

I remember the days when washing my hair in the shower was just too much for me. I would be completely exhausted for the rest of the day. I couldn’t remember simple words such as car, dog etc. 

Initially I didn’t taper anymore as I didn’t want to aggravate my LC symptoms. But then I decided I felt like @&&$@& anyway, I might as well taper. I tapered very slowly and felt no increase in my LC symptoms.

Those days, all I did was lay on the couch and watch TV. I watched every TV show and movie ever made. Sometimes I didn’t even follow the storyline but I just watched the characters on screen. I enjoyed the reality shows like Survivor because it was low energy and not complicated to follow, but enough to distract. In the end it was all I could manage with the exhaustion.

Hi thanks for the reply

just to know it’s possible to recover from both things at the same time is important and reassuring to me.

i get too overstimulated from t v usually, boredom is a big problem. Boredom interspersed with akathisia, episodes of anxiety and terror and other awful symptoms. 

Even with help hair washes are once a month . Sometimes I only have energy for brushing my teeth once a day

 

I can’t taper - I’m CTing. 
 

even though ten months seems like a long time - I’m two months into my journey, at least there is a percent for improvement in my situation 

thank you for your post

how are you doing now?

 

[[je...]]

I’m doing so much better. I’m 19 months off and still have some lingering symptoms but there’s definitely improvement and it’s not as bad as it used to be. 

Have you tried listening to podcasts or audiobooks? Maybe that can help with distraction?

[[Bu...]]

22 hours ago, [[j...] said:

I’m doing so much better. I’m 19 months off and still have some lingering symptoms but there’s definitely improvement and it’s not as bad as it used to be. 

Have you tried listening to podcasts or audiobooks? Maybe that can help with distraction?

Great to hear you are doing a lot better

i find audiobooks and podcasts overstimulating. Only over the last couple of days I’ve been finding that I can watch gentle tv programs for short periods of time - I’ve had a couple of great windows:-)

mind me asking what your lingering symptoms are?

[[je...]]

On 29/07/2024 at 02:59, [[B...] said:

mind me asking what your lingering symptoms are?

Insomnia, headaches and brain fog. 

[[Bu...]]

11 hours ago, [[j...] said:

Insomnia, headaches and brain fog. 

How bad is your insomnia? I’m only getting refreshing sleep occasionally, every couple of weeks. Most nights it’s toxic/light/vivid and I wake with anxiety. Can vary between 30 mins and seven hours but I don’t feel refreshed afterwards. 

on the bright side I’m finding I can start to listen to bits of podcast and watch a bit of tv. 

thanks for replying - it’s important for me to see that it’s possible to improve with my combo of problems
Though I do realise we are all different:-)

 

[[je...]]

The insomnia was caused by the Clonazepam. I never had sleep issues until I started it, then while on the meds I started having sleep problems.

Initially during tapering and the first year off, I would get 1-2 hrs of sleep: Then it gradually increased to 3-4 hrs. I now get 3-4 which can be broken or not but there are still 1-2 hr nights inbetween. I have also had two 7hr nights but felt like I had a hangover from those when I woke up. 

If I sleep 3-4 hrs I feel tired but okay. Anything different and I feel terrible. 

I’m glad your sensitivities are getting a bit better. It helps if you can distract.