Medication for fatigue

kazscott

Hi, I am fairly newly diagnosed (1 year ago) and along with pain I suffer from dreadful fatigue. It is so bad that I frequently fall asleep at work which is very worrying as regards my future there.
I was initially prescribed MTX but it didn't agree with me and now I am on Sulfasalazine and Naproxen.
My wife has Multiple Sclerosis and has been taking a drug called Modafanil for 4 years to help with the fatigue she experiences. This has transformed her life and helped her cope with things much better. It was prescribed by her neurologist although it is currently only licensed for narcolepsy.
Whenever I mention fatigue to my GP, rheumy or specialist nurse they just nod their heads and say it is part of the illness. I have mentioned the drug that my wife takes and have asked if there is anything similar or if that drug would be considered for use in RA but have just had negative responses.
Does anyone know of medication that will help the fatigue associated with RA or has anyone been prescribed anything which has helped them?

Boomer13

Hi;

The fatigue problem is common with autoimmune ailments. I know all about it with my PsA. As far as I know, it is treated in the non-neurological autoimmune diseases by getting the disease itself under control with DMARDS or anti-TNF's. Fatigue can rival the pain in it's ability to disable, as I'm sure you know. I'm sorry, I have only been advised to rest/sleep when it's bad, and I no longer have a job so it's possible for me to rest when I need to.

It drives my husband nuts because I often go and lie down in the car when we are on outings. I also have received many elbows in the ribs from falling asleep during movies, or other inopportune times.

I used to use a lot of caffeine but this causes more problems, it seems. Good luck I hope you find something that works for you.

Best wishes,
Anna

dreamdaisy

Fatigue? Oh, been there, done that and am still doing it. I have PsA and take a triple therapy to control it, plus I also have OA and fibromyalgia. Arthritis forces a demand on our bodies which is, I suspect, different in nature to other diseases. One would hope that in the 21st century there would be a pill for everything but there isn't. I combat my fatigue by resting, breaking tasks into small chunks, pacing myself but then I am lucky in that I am a nearly house-bound wife with a reasonably well-paid husband who is fit and healthy. I'm livin' the dream!

We have to make changes and alterations to how we live to accommodate the demands of this dross because the doctors do not have the answer to everything. Your wife's condition is very different to yours and we all know on here that what works for one person may not for another. It maybe time for your employers to start adjusting their demands on you and your working time, I know that AC produce some very good information leaflets on RA and how it affects us, it may be time to start educating your employers. Sulph and nap have not done much for me in arthritis-terms (finding the right drugs combination can take time) but I do hope that you also have a stomach protector such as omeprazole or lansaprazole - they are important. I have to go and start cooking - that takes forever! I will be back later. DD

trepolpen

as Boomer said fatigue problem is common with autoimmune ailments , alot of people take a mild antidepressant like Amitriptyline , talk to your GP or consultant about it , be careful using any over the counter drugs because some interact with other medication

stickywicket

Hi there kazscott. I'm afraid I agree that it's part and parcel of the disease and, to the best of my knowledge, the best way of dealing with it is to get on top of the disease with the appropriate meds (sulph and nap in your case) and try to keep pain relief to a minimum as those pills add to the tiredness.

I assume you know that you don't have an iron deficiency. According to my rheumatologist, both RA itself, plus the meds we take for it, can cause low iron levels.

A healthy diet will help too – plenty of fresh fruit and veg and very little in the way of processed foods – plus exercise. I know that sounds unlikely but it is true.

Other than that, we just have to accept the fatigue as part of the disease and adapt however we can. I wish it were otherwise.

thistlegirl

Hi I have always had bad fatigue with my JRA and I am here to suggest a complimentary treatment. Fresh juicing..

I watched a documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead - this is going to be repeated on October 1st, 7pm channel 5.
The maker has an autoimmune skin disease and does a juice fast and road trip looking at benefits of the diet.

Can I suggest that you watch it and see what you think. I only did the pure fast for a few days but now have 1 juice a day with a mainly plant based diet and it seems to be working for me. My energy levels have greatly improved and I think my joints were improving too. I have recently been diagnosed with cancer which has meant that I have had to stop my abatacept infusions and I was running on empty for a month and doing much better than ever before and I put it down to the change in diet.
I figure that I blindly have put every drug that the doctors have asked into my body in the past 35 years and not done much to help my body itself the natural way. The more nutrients it can get the stronger it will be to fight Arthur?

I hope this helps, I honestly had never thought of this before but something in the film sparked something in me.

Thistle Girl

kazscott

Thanks to all you kind people who replied and offered support and advice. I will take on board all that you have said.
I will definitely watch the documentary Thistle Girl. You are really going through the wars healthwise and I hope that you can find the strength to cope with the cancer and the RA. I'm sending you lots of good, healing thoughts and wish you all the best.
Thanks again everyone for taking the time to reply when your own health is so compromised.

ichabod6

Exercise helps.