Deans' stroke musings: Informing better care for post-stroke fatigue

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there. Did your doctor somehow miss the recovery protocol that Pedro Bach-y-Rita used to recover fully back in 1958 with only a partial brain?

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Informing better care for post-stroke fatigue

Survivors want fatigue CURED! Not 'cared' for or 'managed! You really ARE that blitheringly stupid, aren't you?

Informing better care for post-stroke fatigue

Post-stroke fatigue causes persistent feeling of exhaustion, lack of energy or aversion to physical and mental activities, that does not get better with rest. It is a common condition affecting up to 70 per cent of stroke survivors. A new paper from Sunnybrook, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, highlights key factors about post-stroke fatigue, how it is screened and treated. “Post-stroke fatigue is an incredibly common condition and can have significant impact on someone’s quality of life after experiencing a stroke,” explains Dr. Mark Boulos, Stroke and Sleep Neurologist in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program and Senior Author of the paper. “There are many different causes of post-stroke fatigue, which is why comprehensive, multidisciplinary care plays an important role in treating it.” The paper identifies five considerations for the management of post-stroke fatigue, helping inform and empower both clinicians and patients alike: Post-stroke fatigue is common, debilitating and underrecognized. Systematic screening during routine follow-up after stroke identifies post-stroke fatigue. Reversible contributors to post-stroke fatigue should be identified and addressed.

Multidisciplinary nonpharmacological care is the cornerstone of treatment.

Pharmacological options for treatment are limited.

Risk factors for post-stroke fatigue can include depression, sleep disorders like sleep apnea, dehydration, nutrition, pain and medications. By managing reversible lifestyle and risk factors can help improve the effects of post-stroke fatigue. “Counselling patients and caregivers about post-stroke fatigue plays a crucial role in recovery,” adds Dr. Boulos, who is also the Medical Director of the North & East GTA Stroke Network and Medical Director of the Sleep Laboratory apart of the Yuval & Lori Barzakay Brain Health Clinic, which works to diagnose and treat patients with complex sleep disorders. “There are many simple practices patients can add into their daily routine to help overcome post-stroke fatigue.” Proper sleep hygiene, energy conservation, delegating and prioritizing activities and mindfulness practices can all support physical and mental recovery. The paper identifies that medications do not play a significant role in the treatment of post-stroke fatigue, highlighting the importance of holistic treatment and care. Managing stroke and post-stroke fatigue treatment takes a village. Support from physicians, allied health professionals and loved ones, all play a key role in a patient’s recovery journey.