Fatigue

As5567

My Arthritis has got progressive worse over the last few weeks, the pain and stiffness is a problem but im not too bothered about that at the moment. My number one concern is trying to to get over the fatigue that is taking over my life, resting is not an option now until the end of march and I must carry on working hard on my assignment and final year project.

So far the only thing that does help in a way is by drinking energy drinks, I will get around 2 hours where I can think clearly and produce a nice chunk of work. But of course there make me crash and burn after making me feel 10x worse. Can't seem to win, without them the rate at which I do my work over the whole of the day is about half of which I can do in the 2 hour window I get after having a drink. I have also tried other things like going for some air, drinking a lot more liquid, eating high energy foods but none of them work. My sleeping pattern is also partly to blame, I wake up every 30 mins or so to turn over so I'm never getting a good night sleep.

I really don't want to let this get in my way again this year, I was forced to drop out last year and I'm going to push myself to ensure I complete the year. Some might say I'm pushing myself too hard, but I know if I stop for one moment I will seize up and be in a much worse place.

Boomer13

It's horrible isn't it? I'd take just the pain and stiffness; the fatigue makes things impossible for me. I had to give up on finishing one course at home because of it so I don't know how you manage.

One thing that has helped, and it was a last resort when things got really bad, is my doctor prescribed a short course of methylphenidate. It not an easy one to get because of people abusing it, but it really helped with mental alertness. I took a small dose and only once a day so I could at least accomplish something. If you do try it just be sure you are within range of a sleeping spot when it wears off!!!!!!!

Alternatively, discussion with your doctor about getting better quality sleep at night may help. A muscle relaxant helped me but I still get up at about 3 am because of pain and stiffness. I hate that all solutions seem to be pharmaceutical ones!

exasperatedontaste

I completely understand your frustration with your fatigue. I am 27 and work full time when I go through stressful times I literally go home and collapse at the end of the day. To put it in perspective I wake at 6.45, commute for 40 mins and start work at 8am. I finish work at about 6ish and by the time I get home at 7pm I am sometimes too tired to cook and collapse in bed by 8.30. Rock and roll hey?!!
I wake up feeling ill and tired no matter how long I sleep (although it is worse if I have under 7 hours) but I blank out how I feel most of the time when at work by eating bananas for breakfast (tennis players eat them during matches as they release energy quickly) and green tea (it has caffeine to wake you up and anti-oxidants to reduce inflammation in the body).
My fatigue levels fluctuate during the year. When really bad (like right now) I dot have any social life, and I sleep and rest at weekends. Boring but I have come to a better level of acceptance now. But when good I cook healthy food (keeping iron levels up by eating spinach etc really helps) and exercise (30 mins can make a big difference and makes me feel more awake and energetic after working out). Not drinking helps massively as well.
One of the biggest reasons for fatigue is stress. The vicious circle of feeling fatigued because I stress about being fatigue is all too real. Try to learn to accept it (its taken me three years so much easier said than done) and your stress levels will decrease reducing your fatigue in the process.

Hope this helps.

M

exasperatedontaste

And just to add as well so it doesn't sound all soon and gloom I managed to go to a three day music festival (Latitide) last year and coped absolutely fine. I also firmly believe that 'mind over matter' or however the saying goes makes a big difference- whenever I'm really happy my tiredness levels subside fairly significantly. I love music for example so whenever I find a new band or track that I love my energy levels spiral.
Again easier said than done though but just didn't want a post of all doom and gloom as that doesn't help anybody.

M

Boomer13

I guess I should have added that I have failed my current DMARD's and disease is pretty well uncontrolled so my situ may be different (plus I'm older @48). Thus, the pharmaceutical approach is my option for now.

Good luck.

As5567

Boomer13 wrote:

It's horrible isn't it? I'd take just the pain and stiffness; the fatigue makes things impossible for me. I had to give up on finishing one course at home because of it so I don't know how you manage.

One thing that has helped, and it was a last resort when things got really bad, is my doctor prescribed a short course of methylphenidate. It not an easy one to get because of people abusing it, but it really helped with mental alertness. I took a small dose and only once a day so I could at least accomplish something. If you do try it just be sure you are within range of a sleeping spot when it wears off!!!!!!!

Alternatively, discussion with your doctor about getting better quality sleep at night may help. A muscle relaxant helped me but I still get up at about 3 am because of pain and stiffness. I hate that all solutions seem to be pharmaceutical ones!

Thanks for those suggestions, I have looked up that drug and will actually mention it to my doctor. Even if its just a temporary thing to get me through these last few weeks of university will be something.

Better quality of sleep is never going to happen while my arthritis is playing up, I do take Diazapam, tramadol etc which usually help a lot but I still wake up as often as normal if not more when the medications wear off. It's finding that perfect balance I guess, which I have yet to find.

As5567

exasperatedontaste wrote:

I completely understand your frustration with your fatigue. I am 27 and work full time when I go through stressful times I literally go home and collapse at the end of the day. To put it in perspective I wake at 6.45, commute for 40 mins and start work at 8am. I finish work at about 6ish and by the time I get home at 7pm I am sometimes too tired to cook and collapse in bed by 8.30. Rock and roll hey?!!
I wake up feeling ill and tired no matter how long I sleep (although it is worse if I have under 7 hours) but I blank out how I feel most of the time when at work by eating bananas for breakfast (tennis players eat them during matches as they release energy quickly) and green tea (it has caffeine to wake you up and anti-oxidants to reduce inflammation in the body).
My fatigue levels fluctuate during the year. When really bad (like right now) I dot have any social life, and I sleep and rest at weekends. Boring but I have come to a better level of acceptance now. But when good I cook healthy food (keeping iron levels up by eating spinach etc really helps) and exercise (30 mins can make a big difference and makes me feel more awake and energetic after working out). Not drinking helps massively as well.
One of the biggest reasons for fatigue is stress. The vicious circle of feeling fatigued because I stress about being fatigue is all too real. Try to learn to accept it (its taken me three years so much easier said than done) and your stress levels will decrease reducing your fatigue in the process.

Hope this helps.

M

Thanks for that, my uni days on a Monday and Tuesday are very long: Leave the house 7AM get home around 7:45PM and straight to bed like your self. I find that I'm not so bad after a coffee between 9 and 11am but then it all goes down hill from there. I will give the bananas a go too, cant do much harm.

As5567

Boomer13 wrote:

I guess I should have added that I have failed my current DMARD's and disease is pretty well uncontrolled so my situ may be different (plus I'm older @48). Thus, the pharmaceutical approach is my option for now.

Good luck.

I have a feeling that I'm starting to fail my current medication, I always knew that the day would come at some point but not this soon. And not having any Rheumatologist at the moment really doest help the situation.

bubbadog

I find my fatigue is worse in the winter as my body is fighting harder against bugs and pain. I'm at my worst 1st thing as my joints are sore and to be honest and it's just hard getting up when it's cold and it's easy to say another 10 minutes but when your OH has to go to work and he helps you get dressed in the morning then you have no choice! I also find my fatigue builds up again in the afternoon, I expect this is due to my meds as a lot of mine say a side effect is drowsiness! So sometimes I have a siesta on the settee! Fatigue is part and parcel of Arthritis and meds so you have to take the rough with the smooth as the saying goes!

As5567

bubbadog wrote:

I find my fatigue is worse in the winter as my body is fighting harder against bugs and pain. I'm at my worst 1st thing as my joints are sore and to be honest and it's just hard getting up when it's cold and it's easy to say another 10 minutes but when your OH has to go to work and he helps you get dressed in the morning then you have no choice! I also find my fatigue builds up again in the afternoon, I expect this is due to my meds as a lot of mine say a side effect is drowsiness! So sometimes I have a siesta on the settee! Fatigue is part and parcel of Arthritis and meds so you have to take the rough with the smooth as the saying goes!

Its great isn't it! And the medications which are meant to help just add to the tiredness, but remaining in pain also adds to it, seems like a battle nobody can win, which ever move you make you lose in some way.

Boomer13

I think when the fatigue is at the level you describe it can only mean active disease IMO. I know for myself the drug side-effects, general tiredness, tiredness from pain are usually manageable with getting sleep and resting whereas when the illness is flaring up, it becomes completely overwhelming and nothing helps.

I hope you have luck getting in with a new rheumatologist soon and they can offer a treatment plan for you. In the meantime, best of luck with your studies.