Fatigue

When I first started on this journey, I woud split my doses as it seemed to wear off by evening.  The longer I was on it, I quit doing that and take all in the a.m.  I am always fatiqued and find a nap helps me out during the day.  And, if I do more when I feel better, the next day is total exhaustion.  I can't even muster enough energy to exercise.  Kind of a vicious circle--fatigued, too tired to exercise makes more tired.  Hang in there and hopefully you will find your happy medium.

When I was on a high dose 25 mg. I split it because I had trouble tolerating it.  However, I've read that it is more effective if taken in one dose early in the morning.  It's also suggested that you rest for an hour after taking it.

As for the fatigue with me it lessened with time.  I think after awhile you come to understand your body better and how to deal with everyday activities and kind of establish a routine that works for you.  Instead of going from one activity to another stop and rest for a half hour in between before you continue on.  Some days are much better than others and on those days I try not to forget my limits but it is easy to forget when you are feeling well.

Kimberly, I hope you are feeling better soon.  What Audrey says about taking a break between activities is a really good suggestion. That's been helping me a lot.  We also have to be clear about what constitutes an "activity".  Now I try to keep down to only one "major" activity a day (a class, OR a couple of hours volunteering) plus spacing out the ongoing things life requires: groceries, meal prep,, the daily walk(s).  My already rather subpar housekeeping has slipped even more, but I'm not, for example, going to both shop and vacuum on the same day any more.  And after I've done either of those things, or something equivalent, I now stop and relax, read, whatever.  It may take longer to get the duties done, but in the spaces in between I now have the time for things I always felt guilty about spending time on before (when there was so much needing to be "done"). If you are working, and therefore using a lot of energy there, you absolutely must get as much help as you can with everything else until you regain your stamina  

If I meet a friend for lunch- that's an activity, after putting together breakfast and straightening up the kitchen (mopping floor,etc that's another, going food shopping and maybe Home Depot is another and on and on.  I used to be able to run one thing into another and on some days I can but I try not to because I will eventually pay for it.

I have also started to plan my day round what I can comfortably do with rests between. Some days I manage better than others. I did some cleaning and painting today and although I am not tired I can feel the discomfort.....not pain.... in my legs. I have no plans for tomorrow but will take it as it comes! I'm not sure if the fact that I am a bit more tired and reluctant to get out of bed is due to the darker mornings or the lowering of the prednisolone. I suspect the former! It is not pain related.

I get up at the same time everyday.  It's a routine that I have lived with most of my life.  I'm definitely a morning person so it's 5:AM.  It's not difficult for me, it just became my way of life.    It sounds boring I know but where I'm at now I cannot do things spontaneously like I once did-I have to plan my day ahead so I can get the more important things accomplished.  

Pred doesn't fix the fatigue unfortunately. Mine has improved over time.

I started splitting my dose by taking some in the wee small hours when I got up for the loo when I was having trouble getting up to go to work in the mornings. I only had to do it for a few months and it seems to have resolved itself.