Fibromyalgia Overview Slideshow Take the Fibromyalgia Quiz Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.

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Fatigue Prevention

Fatigue prevention (both physical and mental) is possible in many people. Prevention of the underlying cause in almost every situation will prevent the symptom of fatigue.

• Manage stress and practice relaxation techniques.
  
  
• Get exercise, but begin slowly and check with your health care practitioner before beginning any exercise program. Find a good time to exercise and develop a habit of exercise.
  
  
• Check your medications with a health care practitioner or pharmacists to see if some medications could be responsible for fatigue.
  
  
• Improve your diet and eat a good breakfast (whole grain cereal, fruit, milk). Add more fruits and vegetables.
  
  
• Stop any excessive caffeine consumption.
  
  
• Stop smoking.
  
  
• Have sex with your spouse or partner.
  
  
• Get enough sleep and have a good and consistent sleep routine (sleep hygiene). Go to bed at the same time every night.
  
  
• Avoid coffee, tea, or caffeinated drinks after 6 pm.
  
  
• Do not drink alcohol after dinner, and decrease the total amount of alcohol consumed .(Alcohol interferes with sleep patterns.)
  
  
• People with underlying medical conditions (for example, diabetes, COPD, anxiety) can reduce symptoms of their disease, including fatigue, by working with their health care practitioners to optimize the treatment of the underlying problems.