Weakness, Fatigue or Both: A Fibromyalgia / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Inquiry

[Cort]

Fatigue is similar but different from weakness. The difference matters. This is how I understand the two..

[fright]

[/fright]Fatigue usually involves pain, weariness, etc. but does not necessarily indicate significant weakness is present. If you're fatigued and you're asked to move you usually can at the cost of increased pain, etc.

Weakness on the other hand, indicates the ability of the muscles to generate energy has been whacked. If you're really weak and are asked to move you simply can't. It can be associated with pain but does not necessarily come with pain or weariness.

Fatigue and weakness could be produced by different problems...

 

[Katie]

Oh yes, weak, exhausted and increased pain, which lead to worsening of all symptoms which are too many to list. I'm getting worse and worse as days go by after a pretty good spring and July. Now it's downhill through our fall and winter. I should be saying I'm blessed to at least have a few weeks reprieve-not healed but less pain and exhaustion. If only I could bottle up the bit of extra energy I get in the spring/early summer and distribute it throughout the year then it wouldn't be so scary when I'm going downhill, because as shown in the past I just never know where the bottom will be.

 

[PamJ]

I find this interesting. Now that I think about it, I have significant weakness, AND fatigue. Today I have mostly weakness, but last night I had fatigue. Does this mean anything?

 

[Anne]

I don't really agree with your definition of fatigue. I don't think of fatigue meaning pain. I think of fatigue as being exhausted and having no energy.

 

[Tiina]

I agree with Anne. Fatigue does not necessarily involve pain any more than weakness does. So I cannot find a good definition for my fatigue in the list. What's more, weakness and fatigue are also hard to differentiate. When I'm fatigued, I feel weak, too.