Extreme fatigue, raspy voice

Fatigue is most certainly a part of COPD. And it can be very frustrating, concerning and depressing to not be able to shake it.

Truth is for all of us, the less we do, the less we feel like doing and the less we feel like doing the more tired we become. The single greatest action you can take to decrease fatigue is exercise. And just when you have such poor energy!

As we lose muscle our body requires more and more oxygen and this causes even more tiredness. Gain muscle and your oxygen requirements lessen, your heart and lungs have to work less hard, and thus save more energy.

Walking on the treadmill is a great idea. To really see more improvement, I would suggest you try going daily ~ start out with fifteen or twenty minutes a day and increase until you get to the ability to walk at a moderate rate (feeling a bit short of breath but still able to converse) for twenty to thirty minutes. In several weeks you will notice an improvement in your tolerance as well as sleeping better and less shortness of breath.

Also it is important to begin doing some things to help your muscles grow..such as eating more lean protein, eating regularly throughout the day and especially to do some exercise that will increase muscles..like stretch band exercises and light weight lifting or weight resistance....

Once your muscles start gaining strength you will find you have a lot more energy, much easier movement, (which also helps to reduce the chance of falls) and less fatigue and shorness of breath.

Sounds like a lot I know..but the single biggest effort we COPDers can do towards staying healthier for longer is exercise...it slows the progression down and gives our bodies what is needed to be strong.

As fat as  having a hoarse voice this is not really a direct result of the COPD, but moreso a symptom caused by medication...are you on a steroid inhaler? or what is known as an 'anticholinergic' inhaler as these can contribute. Also, there are times when people have done a lot of coughing that will cause some swelling near the vocal cords and lead to raspy voice.

Hope you are feeling more optimistic and will feel encouraged!

Lill

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However once I attended the physio sessions my abilities were measured and an exercise programme based on my personal abilities was devised. Maybe a word with your GP will trigger a referral for yourself.

I believe as the COPD progressess the harder  it is to accept that there are some things we cant do,to overcome this try to focus on what you can do and not what you cant do,there is no harm in taken a power nap when needed. God Bless 

You don't say what medication you're on, not only for COPD but possibly other conditions:  for example, statins are widely prescribed even for people who don't have a cholesterol issue and can cause severe exhaustion and lethargy as well as other negative effects.

I too live alone and with some initial difficulty have learned to slow down and accept I can't do everything I used to do or at the same pace, but I do exercise every day and walk the dog most days, the speed and length of the walk being conditional on how I'm feeling.  I push myself a little bit, but not to the point of exhaustion and some days I just accept I can't do much.   I find I can do more the next day if I take it easy and don't let myself get into a state about it:  mindfulness meditation helps enormously with this change of attitude on my part.  

I've also learned not to commit 100% to anything in the future, and say to friends and family that I'll be there if I'm well enough that day.  

All this isn't easy, but I've found it essential  (in the words of the 12 step groups) to accept what I can't change, in my case the decades of smoking which gave me COPD and the fact that I'll never be really well again, and to change what I can.

I'm quite slow in the mornings too and most of the time remember to allow extra time to get ready if I have to be somewhere else at a specific time.   

It might be a good idea to check in with your gp or practice nurse and see if you need a change in medication.   The raspy voice could be from medication - eg Spiriva or whatever else you're on.

I'm not clear on what you feel you can't face?   

Take care and good luck