Fatigue

amybaigent

I don't know where to start. I have never had fatigue this bad before. I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis about 8 years ago.

The fatigue is so bad that I didn't even feel safe driving.

I am wondering has anyone else has experienced this or any tips and advice.

As many people are aware - more sleep doesn't seem to help.

Would appreciate any advice or tips.

Brynmor

Hi @amybaigent welcome to the Online Community.

I understand you have psoriatic arthritis and are now experiencing a flare with strong levels of fatigue that is making daily life difficult.

It is well worth noting when this gets too much - a "fatigue diary" - as your GP may well want to see if there is any cause other than the psoriatic arthritis.

We have some good information on fatigue on our web site which includes suggestions for managing fatigue:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-fatigue/

Do join in across the Online Community and call in to say how you are getting on. You will be most welcome.

Brynmor

helpline_team

Hi @amybaigent

Thank you for posting on the forum

I am so sorry to hear that the fatigue is affecting you so much that you didn’t even feel safe enough to drive.  I’m wondering if you have spoken this through with your health care professional, if not it may be worth doing so for some advice and suggestions.

The fatigue can be tough to manage together with the arthritis, and I wonder if you would like to give us a call on our helpline: 0800 5200 520 (weekdays 9am – 6pm) here we can take our time to talk things through informally and in confidence, sometimes sharing can be helpful.

I’m glad to see that Brynmor has given you our information on fatigue which I hope you'll find helpful. For the experiences you might like to repost on our living with arthritis forum.

https://community.versusarthritis.org/categories/living-with-arthritis-forum

I was also wondering if you know about the organisation PAPAA Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance, they might be a useful contact for you as they are specific to psoriatic arthritis. Here are their contact details: 01923 672837 (weekdays 9.30 - 4.30)

https://www.papaa.org/

Best wishes

Lynda

Helpline team

amybaigent

Thank you both so much!

I will be looking through all the links. I really appreciate the response.

Kind regards

Amy

foodgloriousfood

Hi Amy

I was also diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis eight years ago and have found the fatigue to flare up and down. I’ll go through good phases and sometimes, find the fatigue so debilitating that all I want to do is rest and sleep (although this doesn’t always result in feeling any better and sometimes more sluggish!)

I find stress impacts my level of tiredness. I’ve been taking vitamin d supplements and have been trying to remain active on the days I have energy - when I last spoke to my rheumatologist she explained that I would experience fatigue and her advice was to exercise - which personally I really sometimes struggle with if I’m excessively tired.

I try to pace myself and also be kind to myself on the days my fatigue is intense.

Just wanted to reach out and say you weren’t alone and I hope you are okay.

Lilymary

As an ex ME sufferer, one of the “treatments” recommended was graduated exercise, usually recommended by medics who’ve never had ME. This has now been discredited. Listen to your body. If it’s running on empty, how can draining the batteries even more help? While it’s good for your body to stay mobile and supple, tailor it to how you feel on the day - setting targets for constant improvement is unrealistic and can even be counterproductive and depressing.

Fatigue is also a symptom of arthritis, so just when I thought I’d seen the back of the ME, arthritis rocked up and said “hold my beer...” But the principles for managing fatigue are much the same.

I’ve found that accepting that you have a finite amount of energy is helpful, so you prioritise how you use it. Be prepared to let things go. If I knew I had a tough day coming up when I just had to rally and push through, I always scheduled in recovery time after, usually by being kind to myself for a few days. If I was too drained to do anything, I had a guilt free sofa day and allowed myself small pleasures to deal with the mental impact of fatigue. Luckily I’m self employed, so I can tailor my workload and diary commitments to my energy levels. Avoid overdoing it when you’re having a “good” day, as it will take longer to recover if you’ve run your energy levels down too far. [ie avoid “boom and bust” cycles).

I hope this helps, the pain and fatigue of arthritis can be debilitating, but it’s not a race to the finish. Go at your own pace, and you will feel better for it.