Cognitive fatigue

Well this is my thrid attemp at writing this reply. My brain is tired today, yesterday did nothing as I was tired.

Cognitive fatigue is horrible. I often have it, especially when I studied for a Diploma of Arts at JCU in 2000. It was a Cognitive Course run by CONROD at James Cook University. It took me five years one subject at a time to study and achieve my goals and I graduated in 2006. I could not write a sentence when I first started, but my brain was so tired and felt battered but I would never study again. It took me two strokes to go to UNi.

These day if I push myself for too long I still need a nap. I cannot keep my eyes open and I have to lay down. I get irritable, confused,speech problems because I cannot concentrate on my speech I say and talk rubbish. I fall asleep quickly no drifting off to sleep like before I had the strokes, just into a deep sleep. The phone can ring some one knocking on the door does not register in my brain. I am out to it. I use to sleep up to 16 hours a day when I first had the strokes,

Some nights I cannot sleep as the brain is the opposite. I had my strokes on each side of the cellebrum. I will not complain but if I am tired I do nothing even if it last a couple of days.

My stroke was 14 year ago and I still get fatigue and cognitive fatigue. Back in the early 80's I had dengue fever which was a physical fatigue, stroke fatigue for me is a combination of physical and cognitive fatigue.

when I am fatigued my speech and word finding get worse, my concentration and balance are affected, it's like hitting a brick wall. Because I look fine the people who know me well are usually the only people who "get it" when I am fatigued.

:) Brenda

I just read the article on cognitive fatigue - can it really cause pain? I am a carer for  my husband whose stroke was almost 6 weeks ago and we have such limited medical assistance. He tried some brain exercises on the computer this evening for about 10 minutes then was overcome with a headache. 

I call it "brain fog", I can do the ordinary things like walking, talking and teaching my class. But trying to do any "deep" thinking like writing teaching programs, marking assessment tasks - forget it! I feel like I'm trapped inside my own head and until the fog clears its virtually impossible. One thought pops into my head, but the connections to all the other thoughts are lost in the fog. They eventually turn up again, but in the mean time its sleep and wait it out.

Had the stroke 2 yrs ago and just starting to be aware of cognitive fatigue. I recently began writing, enjoying it immensely & creatively at first but then hit a wall of tiredness and frequently just simply lose interest and want to fall asleep.....which I found depressingly disturbing. I got on the net and found a company/product called NeuroAid. It's pretty expensive but sounds really good.......does anyone know of it as I'd be very grateful for any info. Thanks, Sean  

I'm 17 and currently doing my hsc i had a stroke 7 months ago and day to day school is a real struggle. I find a full day of school can really take it out of me and i can miss days of school because of fatigue. And sometimes i feel as though i may as well not be at school because i can't think straight and do as much as i used too.

I want to know if it is a bad thing to push my self when I'm tired during class

Hi all,

Fatigue is such a common challenge after stroke and Melanie's blog post has some great tips. 

Kay - fatigue can exacerbate pain, as in your husband's case and pain can also exacerbate fatigue. Knowing one's limitations helps. If your husband can only tolerate 5 minutes on the computer to begin with that is ok. He can keep building on that. Keeping a diary to track his fatigue, activity tolerance and pain levels might help. Also check there is no other cause for the headache, is he drinking enough water, etc. 

Sean - I can't speak from experience of using NeuroAid but it is a natural medicine originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine. There is still some uncertainty about the benefits based on research. As with any supplement or form of medication, please liaise with your treating Doctors if you have any questions and to ensure it won't interfere with other medication. Over time whether there are benefits or not will hopefully become clearer. There is a wonderful conversation about the reducing fatigue with food that you might enjoy reading. Nourishing our bodies with sufficient nutrients and drinking adequate amounts of water, getting enough sleep are all helpful. Similarly to Kay's husband perhaps try 5-10 minutes of writing at a time so you are able to focus and not lose interest. Be kind to and patient with yourself.

Ben - sorry to hear about your stroke. Fatigue is common after stroke and managing the fatigue and working out what works best for you is important. Are you able to attend school reduced hours and spread the work load across the week? Can you take quiet time out in between classes where you go and close your eyes to meditate, breathe and relax for 5-10 minutes without external stimuli like noise or too much going on around you? Pushing yourself is likely to result in what I call a "fatigue hangover" which may see you off school the next day (or longer) due to the effects of pushing yourself too far. It might be frustrating but finding a happy medium with your school and a routine that works for you will serve you best in the long run. There are some younger stroke survivors on enableme who I hope can add share their tips regarding school and study with you. You might also be interested in the conversation about blue light therapy for fatigue, see link below.

There are some useful practical tips on managing fatigue from a previous conversation started by Karen here. You may also be interested in reading and watching more on blue light therapy for fatigue here.

Don't hesitate to call and have a chat with us on StrokeLine on 1800 787 653.

Best wishes,

Simone - Occupational Therapist for StrokeLine