OA and tiredness

margie1
margie1 Member Posts: 57
edited 14. Mar 2010, 11:51 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi :)

I have OA and have been feeling tired alot lately, I know people with RA suffer from tiredness but I do not know if OA is the same.

Could OA be making me more tired than usual? and why ? :?:

sorry to ask but I do not know alot about arthritis. :oops:

i was only diagnosed in January and am still trying to find answers!!!

take care
marg x

Comments

  • bubbles
    bubbles Member Posts: 6,508
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Marg
    I have OA, along with other medical problems and yes, it does make you tired. At various points in the day I just have to stop, take little naps. I can fall asleep in a chair, which was bad news, as I was crippled when I woke up, so my partner stops me from doing that now.
    Pills and potions can affect you as well, painkillers etc. Lowered mood, poor sleep patterns, which often acompanies OA and RA, anxiety, frustration, they all add up and your body is fatigued. Pain can completely drain you of energy. Each day seems quite different, one day I can potter away, another I could wipe the table and be totally done in. I force myself to do little things and often that can be a benefit. I love my kitchen, as I can lean and hold onto the worktops, so I spend a lot of my time in there, fussing about. Sorry, I am off on a tangent.
    I am sure the great folks on the forum will offer more advice from personal experience.
    Take care
    xx Bubbles.
    XX Aidan (still known as Bubbles).
  • speedalong
    speedalong Member Posts: 3,315
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Margie - OA definitely makes me feel tired/fatigued. I struggle to stand, walk, bend etc so normal tasks take twice as long and twice as much effort. Pain killers can make you drowsy. I also struggle to sleep and keep waking in the night - so month on month of sleep deprivation really doesn't help. So yes - it most probably is the OA. Regular rest if you can manage is definitely a good idea.

    Speedalong
    I have had OA since mid twenties. It affects my hips and knees. I had a THR on the left aged 30 and now have a resurface-replacement on the right - done May 2010.
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Margie

    Tiredness can be caused by taking the meds, everything takes more effort, pain and lack of sleep makes one feel tired. If you are not feeling too good mentally a feeling of lethargy and "everything is an effort" can set in every now and again. OA flareups cause one to feel more tired too. Being on one's own too much does not always help how we feel either.

    Luv
    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • rosebud
    rosebud Member Posts: 52
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Marge

    As the others have said it could be the OA, but it may be worth asking your Doc to check thyroid, B12 and ferritin levels as if these are low will cause fatigue.
  • dippydoodah
    dippydoodah Member Posts: 350
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I can sympathise too, I have just recently been diagnosed with OA last week. Ive noticed over the last few months how tired Ive become and sometimes after the most simple of tasks. I walked my boys to school the other morning, a journey that takes 2 mins as I live pretty much opposite but it completely tired me out when I got home, I felt like my legs were going to collapse on me.

    Ive stopped fighting it or I just feel worse the next day. If I have a day where Im totally drained, I'll put off the housework for a little while and just have a nap. I did feel guilty at first but it can't be helped and Ive read on here how so many of us get tired really easily and that its not just me.

    Im sorry I cant help but I just wanted to show my support and hope you find a way to work your way around it too.

    Caroline x
  • 09angel11
    09angel11 Member Posts: 87
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Marge

    I have OA in neck and back, plus i was told fibromyalgia, which is in the soft tissue, this is what makes you ache and hurt all over. When you do not sleep properly, you just hurt and ache everyday, you get down and depressed, fed up with it all the time,with very movement hurting, no wonder you as the rest have saidwe are tired.
    Hope you feel a bit better soon

    Take care
    Monica :)