Fatigue

wendy19

Hi All

I was diagnosed 2 months ago and I am week 4 of Methotrexate. I am struggling with fatigue. I am having a steroid injection tomorrow so hope to be able to move a bit easier over the following few days. The fatigue hits me like a ton of bricks and can wipe me out for 2 to 3 hours. I have spoken to my specialist n nurse and she has said I need to exercise more which I understand and not sleep during the day. tbh on the days it hits me I don't have a choice, I have tried fighting it and it makes me feel foggy and awful. How is everyone else dealing with this. I want to get back to work next week and this is the thing I am worried about the most as when it comes over me it really wipes me out.

frogmorton

For me @wendy19 the fatigue is a sign that my disease is/was not under control. You are still in the early days of taking your MTX so things won't be under control yet.

I do not fight it but rest with an alarm set. I also exercise minimum marge of movement even if things are desperately bad.

Have a look at this:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/

Best of luck with your injection I really hope it helps and you feel much better while the MTX gets into your system and it's enough to enable you to work. Work is so good for our mental health as well as the bank balance!

Take care

Toni x

Wenwoo

Hello Wendy

i understand the fatigue before diagnosis I was sleeping from 6.30pm to about 8.00am, I was lucky and given a depo-medrone injection at diagnosis and commenced on methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine at the same time. I had to stop the methotrexate in December for a month and the fatigue returned sleeping 14 hours at a time. I went back on the methotrexate mid January this time with no injection and it took awhile to get back to where I was. I still start to feel tired about 4pm but can cope, I’ve only had 1 recent episode of sleeping 14 hours. I hope the injection works for you ……… I do want I can when I can and listen to my body xx

wendy19

Thanks for this, it has given me hope that it should ease up.

frogmorton

@wendy19 there really should be hope fingers 🤞 the steroid jab perks you up for a good while xx

louijay80

I’ve just been diagnosed with arthritis in my shoulder and neck. Got steroid injection next week, I thought I had a viral illness as I’ve had this really bad fatigue for a while now but suddenly got way worse! Again I’ve had days where I’ve just fallen asleep on the sofa in the day which I have never done in my whole 43 years on this earth. I’m struggling with pain, insomnia at night and fatigue in the day. At work being a mum and being there for my family.

Dannii28

Hi @louijay80

Welcome to the Online Community Forum, so pleased you have found us, you will find there are lots of resources and information available to you, please feel free to have a look around the website. I see that you are suffering with shoulder and neck pain along with the fatigue. I have added some links that you may find useful:

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/june/five-ways-to-help-shoulder-pain/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-neck/

Hope you find them helpful along with support and advice from others.

Keep us updated

Dannii (mod)

JC1978

Hi Wendy, fatigue is horrid isn't it! You may find it gets better when your joint pain is more under control because the quality of you sleep will be better. I often feel fatigued but I was particularly bad after I caught Covid. I had to do a phased return to work. I personally manage fatigue by pacing. I just take one task at a time then rest. As for exercise, even when I don't feel like exercise it's good to go outside and maybe just walk round the garden or down to the end of the street and back. I have to sit down after but it boosts my vitamin D and gets my circulation going. I reckon some exercise is better than nothing. A little bit often is better than overkill a couple of times a week.

I hope this helps. Good luck and I hope your symptoms improve soon xx

FeralWoman

Hi Wendy,

Everyone has their own way of coping with fatigue. I've not long started taking Methotrexate, and the fatigue as you say, hits like a wall. My way through it is to go to bed and sleep when it's really bad. I work from home and have good support from my employer, so I am able to take sick leave when necessary and rest my body.

I've started taking Vitamin B12 which has helped me. Although I do start to wilt this time of the day! 😁

I hope you find a way to cope.

Olicanian

I start injections on Monday. Apprehensive as my knees are utterly smashed up by arthritis. Hoping they work. I too suffer from fatigue but I also have other chronic illnesses along side it. It doesn’t help when even the physio says aren’t you a bit young for all this! Hoping your injection works for you, because fatigue is horrible.

Jojo1963

I’ve recently been diagnosed with arthritis in my knees. I’ve suffered with fatigue for awhile now, I didn’t link the two together. I’ve been trying to find out what is causing the fatigue, I’ve been to my doctors, thinking I’ve got long covid, or maybe it’s from medication I take, I’ve had blood tests etc, at no point has my doctor said it’s part of the arthritis. I have had no information from doctor at all, I’m finding out all I can from Dr Google. My doctor has just told me to take 2 co codomol 4 times a day.

Anna

Hello @Jojo1963 and welcome to the online community,

Fatigue can certainly be part of arthritis and as you can see from the posts above, there are lots of different ways to help deal with it. I’m reposting the link to a very useful page about managing fatigue. It talks about ways you can help yourself, and also about how to talk to your doctor about it.

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

Do have a look round the forum and join in wherever you feel comfortable- everyone is very friendly.

Anna ( Moderator)