I have had mav since 2002, don’t post much now but used to post a lot. I have been mostly fine with preventative meds and lifestyle modifications for a number of years, bar the odd relapse usually brought on by flying in a plane. I do have low level background migraine symptoms a lot of the time but am able to ignore them and able to work full time. I am freelance and work a lot from home
Anyway, long story short, I had some time off recently after a very pressured period of work. I was aware I was doing all the wrong things sleep wise, lying in till late in the morning, but couldn’t resist as my work has been so full on for so many months. I wonder if this might have caused my current problems.
About three weeks ago I suddenly became hugely fatigued with accompanying aching in my arms and legs. The myalgia feels a bit like restless leg syndrome, as I feel the need to stretch my legs/arms out or move them around to relieve the ache. The fatigue is profound and fairly disabling. I wake up unrested. I had ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) many years ago in my early twenties. I had recovered from it fully when I got the MAV. It followed on from a severe bout of flu and took years to recover, it wasn’t MAV like or even migraine like as I had so many other non migraine based symptoms with it - candida/excema etc… This bout of fatigue and myalgia feels different to that.
My question is do any of you have aching and fatigue independent of your dizziness as part of your migraine issues? The weird thing is usually being very fatigued would make me very dizzy but not this time bar a bit of spaceyness. For the last week I have had an accompanying on/off headache with this. I had one day where I felt nearly normal again, thought I might be done with it, but then it was back the next day. I know that migraine can manifest in many strange ways and this could be one of them, but I am worried about chronic fatigue syndrome. I did have a cold about ten days before this started, although it had gone by the time the fatigue kicked in.
I am torn between trying to fight the fatigue (very hard) and to get back in to a regular pattern of work and exercise, which usually helps eventually if it’s MAV, or resting in case it is chronic fatigue about to take hold and I might stave it off. Need to get back to work in Jan and this is frightening. I was unable to work for 2 and half years when I first got MAV, with all the financial hardship that goes with that, am horrified that this might be the onset of some new chronic condition.
I haven’t seen my GP yet as she’s away over X Mas, but know I need to get my thyroid checked as maybe it could be a thyroid problem. Was hoping it was just some weird virus that would go away, but at 3 weeks now I think that isn’t the case.
A couple things I know for sure. I struggle ALOT with body Aches, sometimes so bad that even the Motrin every 6 hours with Tylenol tucked in there every 2 barely touches it. I have been wondering if it could hereditary though, as my sister deal with body aches alot as well, her migraines tend to be more headache, where I usually dont get headaches though. I also experience that similar need to stretch sometimes.
Dr. Buchholz does include body aches, lots of fatigue and the restless leg syndrome as part of his sympotm descriptions in his book.
Hang in there and I would just rest when you can and also check in with your doc after the holidays.
Sorry to hear of your recent set back. I wonder if after easing off after all the pressure of work etc you’ve got a chronic bout of ‘weekend migraine’ - I know a lot of people seem to get migraines after a period of stress (eg the working week). I’m also on a week’s holiday (and also experiencing a period of set back re migraine) and have been exhausted - sleeping in, lots of naps etc.
I hope you get some answers from your doctor or better yet that you feel better soon.
Thanks for all your replies. I have forced myself to get up at a reasonable hour for the last two days and fought to stay awake during the day, I seem to be marginally better - the idea is to re employ a routine, but it sucks as I feel rubbish.
Victoria, I was thinking about it all again yesterday and think you may well be right. Because the hardest period of work I did was over the summer, then things got much easier with the project for the next three months, I was thinking, well, it can’t be that. But now I realise the day this came on was the day after a party which pretty much signaled the end of the very long period of work on this project. I had been looking forward to being completely free of it and having some time to myself - hmmmm. Seems my stupid migraine brain was also aware of this and may have had different plans from me - namely being sick as a dog. I do actually hope it is the migraine at this stage as at least I know these relapses clear up - although obviously this form of migraine symptoms are new to me, so who knows. If it’s CFS, which really I can’t even bear to contemplate because of the work implications, it will be a much worse deal.
Frankly living with this condition would be so much easier if I won the lottery - the fear of not being able to work and pay the mortgage sucks.
Just thought I’d give an update. This whole muscle aches and fatigue business went on for just over three weeks. I then had a major dip in mood/depression for a few days. I wondered if it was simply the upshot of having felt rubbish for three weeks, but was then hit the day before yesterday by a bout of vertigo in the morning, and was dizzy all day. Cleared up for a bit the next morning, then hit again later in the day and this morning - major brainfog, lightheadedness, disorientation etc…
I now wonder if this whole thing was an extremely long prodrome phase. Don’t know if it’s possible to have a prodrome for three weeks, but then didn’t know it was possible to have migraine for months on end before I got this so who knows.
Anyway, in case anyone is doing a search on fatigue at any point and turfs up this message thought I’d give an update. Am none the wiser really, it could also have been a virus which triggered this migraine relapse. Impossible to know.