Slightly Unhinged

Since I was diagnosed with lupus in 2004, the most persistent and debilitating symptom I’ve experienced has been chronic fatigue.  In an attempt to alleviate this relentless symptom, I’ve tried just about every product on the market that claims to boost energy.  Pre-packaged drinks, vitamins, supplements, powders – at some point or another, I’ve tried them all and unfortunately, I haven’t had much success.  Despite all the disappointments, I’ve felt compelled to keep trying new products in an attempt to find something (anything!) that will bring even just a little bit of relief.

I was going through a particularly difficult flare with more severe fatigue than usual when I first came across some ads for FRS Healthy Energy.  I checked the site out but I was skeptical: the ads seemed to indicate that the product was geared towards athletes (which I’m certainly not!) and I’m generally cautious about signing up for “free” trials so I didn’t sign up right away.  As my fatigue continued to worsen, however, I decided to give the product a try -  but given all of my past disappointments, I wasn’t expecting much.

The first package I received from FRS contained their FRS Concentrate in Low Calorie Orange flavor, FRS Chews in Pomegranate-Blueberry, and FRS Powder in Orange.  I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of the orange drinks, both concentrate and powder.  Most energy drinks I’ve tried have a taste that ranges from somewhat unpleasant to downright horrid but I actually enjoyed the taste of FRS, which reminded me of watered down orange juice.  I was less impressed with the taste of the chews but I appreciated their convenience – it was easy to stash a bag of chews in my purse for a little pick-me-up while on the go.

Finding that the products were palatable was a good first step but the important question still remained:  would they help boost my energy level?  I didn’t notice anything right away and was about to write off my experience with FRS as yet another failed experiment when suddenly I noticed a bit of a difference.  Usually when I am in the middle of a bad flare, I don’t have the energy to make it through the day and often end up napping in the late afternoon.  To my surprise, after using FRS for a few days I was able to forgo the afternoon nap.  Simple activities that usually left me exhausted (grocery shopping, vacuuming, yard work, etc.) were more manageable.  I felt a bit better overall.  It wasn’t a miraculous total recovery but there was definitely a noticeable difference.

Even after experiencing some success with FRS, I still remained skeptical.  What if the improvement was coincidental?  Maybe I was already coming out of the flare when I started using FRS – if that was the case, then FRS would have nothing to do with my increased energy levels.  How could I be sure that there was a direct correlation between using this product and having more energy?  I concluded that the only way to know would be to continue the experiment.

Over the next couple of months, I kept track of how I was feeling when I used FRS and how I felt when I wasn’t using it.  During this time, I also tried other flavors of FRS but I quickly learned that the Orange flavor is by far my favorite.  Time and time again, I noticed that my energy levels were higher when I used FRS.

Now satisfied that it is actually helping, I continue to use FRS concentrate once or twice a day.  I mix it with water in a SIGG bottle that I keep by my side at all times and I generally don’t drink anything but water or the FRS mix.  Using FRS hasn’t eliminated my fatigue altogether but it has made it easier for me to get through my more difficult days and to me, that’s certainly worth it.   Whether you’re struggling with chronic fatigue or could just use a little extra boost of energy now and then, I’d definitely recommend giving the product a try.