Your Fatigue Toolkit: Products and Apps That Can Make Your Life With MS Easier

Because fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS, it’s helpful to have supports and shortcuts in place to conserve energy when you can. These tips can give you back some of your bandwidth for when you need it most.

Create spaces that promote rest in your house (or at work). Choose breathable cotton sheets — or even special cooling sheets — to help you keep your cool in bed, pillows that support your head and body well, and extras like a weighted blanket or a holder for your e-reader for times when rest doesn’t involve sleep. 

Look for wardrobe pieces that can help you be more independent and comfortable by offering adaptable options, such as magnetic closures, Velcro, elastic, or snaps at the front or along the side. Opt for slip-on shoes or shoes with no-tie laces. 

Look over your daily to-dos to see how you might replace manual labor with a gadget that will do the work for you. Examples include robot vacuums instead of handheld and food processors for chopping instead of a knife. Or consider budgeting for a cleaning service, laundry service, or meal service — or delegate these tasks to partners or other housemates to lighten your energy load. 

Certain apps can help you stay on top of your MS care — and life in general. CareZone helps you categorize and remember meds and track symptoms, and it includes a calendar, place for journaling, and a to-do list. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America’s My MS Manager is condition-focused and gives you a one-stop place to keep medical records, mark flares, and find MS info and can even link to your care team. 

Smart speakers paired with smart plugs — or a whole home smart kit — give you lots of ways to conserve your energy during the day. By using only your voice, you can do things like turn on and off lights, control the temperature of the house, turn on and adjust the volume of the TV or music.

Overheating wears you out quickly. To combat the heat, you can wear cooling wraps or scarves that stay cool to the touch longer than regular fabric. Keep cooling packs in the freezer at home and have a handheld or neck fan for wearing outdoors (or in). Consider a fan with a misting feature to combine cool water with air. Cooling vests are specially made to hold cooling inserts you can freeze for long-lasting cooling effects. 

Plan outings with energy conservation in mind by looking up places with accessibility in mind. Apps like AccessNow, iAccess Life, and Google Maps’ “Accessible Places” feature allow you to search for and discover the accessibility of spots you plan to visit. 

No matter how MS is impacting your ability to get around, chances are there is a mobility aid to help you. Talk to your doctor about what might support you most. You may be best served with a cane, brace, rolling walker, or crutches to help take pressure off your legs and keep you steady, or you may find that you need a wheelchair or scooter to fully hold you so you can get through your day with the most ease.