Practical strategies can help reduce fatigue while living with PH

“Why am I so tired all the time?” If you’ve ever thought that while managing your pulmonary hypertension (PH),  you’re not alone. Fatigue is a well-known PH symptom that often goes unaddressed.

In my experience, sleep plays a factor in my fatigue levels. Despite getting what I thought was enough sleep, I’d often wake up feeling completely drained. During a routine mental health checkup, my provider asked if I woke up at all during the night. Yes, I acknowledged, usually three times or more in a night, although I hadn’t thought about it much.

That casual observation flipped a switch for me when I realized that I hadn’t been falling back to sleep as easily as I’d thought. My healthcare provider suggested I track my sleep with a smartwatch, which I’d just started using after a recent fall at home.

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The smartwatch logged some surprising results. I’d been getting only three to six hours of sleep a night, and little of that was deep, quality sleep. The main culprits for me were pain (which I refer to as “painsomnia”) and frequent trips to the bathroom.

To better understand my sleep patterns, I started keeping a sleep journal. It quickly became clear just how much poor-quality sleep had been contributing to my endless fatigue.

Fatigue in PH isn’t one-size-fits-all, so I wanted to understand the types of it, which include mental, emotional, and physical fatigue. Chronic fatigue from pain and even social fatigue can chip away at your energy, making daily life challenging. By recognizing their patterns and working alongside my healthcare team, I could start addressing them one by one to find solutions that worked for me.

Practical strategies to keep fatigue under control

Living with PH doesn’t mean we can eliminate fatigue, but we can take steps to better manage it. Through trial and error, I’ve found several strategies that help:

• Pace yourself. Listen to your body and take breaks as needed. It’s tempting to try to push through when fatigue hits, but overdoing it can worsen the problem in the long run.
• Lean on your support system. Talk to others who understand your experiences. Online resources like the Pulmonary Hypertension News Forums and local support groups can remind you that you’re not alone.
• Try to control your pain. I’ve found it important to address pain early, before it spirals out of control. I use a combination of topical cannabis oil, prescribed pain medications, and self-care practices like a warm bath or gentle stretching to stay ahead of pain. Talk to your healthcare team about this.
• Manage stress. Light exercise, deep breathing, and spending time outdoors can work wonders for your mood and energy levels. Talk therapy has also been invaluable for me.

Fatigue often feels relentless when living with PH. But small, consistent changes can lead to noticeable improvements over time. By working closely with your healthcare team, tracking your sleep, and tailoring solutions to your needs, you can take steps toward improving your quality of life.

If you’re dealing with fatigue, I’d love to hear what strategies you use to manage it. Please share in the comments below.

Note: Pulmonary Hypertension News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Hypertension News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary hypertension.