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What causes fatigue in dysautonomia?


HCD77

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I know this is a silly question . I was just wondering why I am so fatigued ? What physiologically is going on with the body to explain extreme fatigue? I can only describe it as my mind wants to be active and doing things but my body can’t or won’t . Mind over body doesn’t help. 

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@HCD77,

I've wondered about this myself - the best I could come up with, assuming that one does not have any infections or other causative issues going on, is that the body sometimes gets tired from fighting/working against something *that isn't natural to it*, such as dysautonomia. Also, if you're not getting enough sleep or worrying a lot - both of these, separately as well as together, can truly wear a person down in terms of fatigue. In fact, I can tell you from experience that worry will absolutely lay a person out if they don't get a handle on it. I'm sorry you're dealing with this and I hope it takes its leave of you soon!

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@HCD77 and @Delta - I believe the fatigue is caused by 2 things: first of all we are constantly in a state of stress due to the body attempting to establish balance and second most of the time we operate with  lack of circulation, meaning we do not have enough oxygen going to our cells. Both of these mechanisms will cause fatigue. There probably are other factors involved in addition but as far as I know these are the most commonly believed theories for fatigue in dysautonomia. 

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Fatigue is definitely one of my biggest problems - long before I had ever heard of POTS my diagnosis was ME/CFS.  I also really struggle with stamina.  I can do a task like cleaning the bathroom for 5 minutes without a problem, 10 minutes and I'm still fine but 15 minutes and it's like I hit a wall.  Doctors have told me that if I slowly build up activity over time the stamina will come - 20 years later I'm still waiting! 

I've always thought part of the reason for my fatigue was poor sleep. I am like the Princess and the Pea - I never get into a deep sleep as I jolt awake at least every hour and any slight noise wakes me. Trazadone has helped so that now I do get a bit of deeper sleep nearer the morning.  One of my friends on seeing my Holter results said that being me was like doing high intensity interval training all day - I would stand up, my HR would shoot up to 140-150, I'd get too faint and short of breath after 5-10 minutes and have to sit down, then 10 minutes later I'd stand up again and the cycle would repeat itself.  She's a bit of an exercise buff and says that HITT means your body uses more oxygen and burns calories long after the exercise is over so maybe that's why we are tired out of proportion to the exercise we have done.

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REgardless of whith form of dyautonomia you have, many of the typical dysautonomia symptoms cause fatigue: low blood pressure, high heart rate, high blood pressure, lack of oxygen to the brain.  The cause of the fatigue would probably depend on your particular etiology.  Many of the medications we take - like beta blockers - also cause fatigue.  I found that once I got on the right meds and got moving my fatigue decreased dramatically.

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