OT-Don’t want to add medications | Arthritis Information

Hi all, I'm feeling really tired, have the urge to go back to bed after I get up, and have that 'fatigue'. But, I don't want to take 'uppers' (other than caffeine), then I'd have to take a sleeping pill to sleep.

I don't want to take anymore medication, so I'm waiting this out, maybe I'll feel better when the Remicade starts working. If not i'll deal with it then, 2 weeks until next infusion.

Has anyone had this experience? Lynda

I feel for you Lynda, and for me it is everyday. I could just sleep and sleep and sleep! If I lay down...I end up asleep, and some days I just let it go, and go to sleep.

I feel the same way if I'm having a flare... the fatigue can be more debilitating than the pain/stiffness.

Just an FYI - stimulants (modafanil, ADD meds, etc) don't necessarily affect your nighttime sleep, if taken early in the day. If your doctor has offered you something like this to get you through this flare, you may want to try it out for a couple of days and see how it goes.

I understand how you feel. It seems we already take so many drugs, we don't want to add anything else to the mix. I hope you find a solution that works for you. It's so hard to function when you're feeling so tired.

Coffee did and continues to give me a good enough lift on the tired days, (even though I've improved overall) but it's the pain medications I avoid, even though I'm having some joint pain issues with my hands lately. It's always a balancing act between how much we can tolerate and how much medication our bodies can tolerate.

Lynda, has your blood work shown if you are anemic? I had anemia from chronic disease for maybe two years. When I was in the worst part of the flare I couldn't catch my breath, had to stop on the stairs, just sat and slept(if I could). Once the flare was brought under control, the ACD went away. < =text/>_popupControl();

I agree with Ninil here. You need to find out if you are anemic. A simple blood draw and blood test will tell you that. Call your doctor and voice your concerns regarding the fatigue you are feeling.

Fatigue is very common with RA. It is the one thing that we battle that can seem to be a never ending battle. A flare or out of control RA can make the fatigue even worse. Once a flare is under control or the RA itself becomes under control, the fatigue should get better. It may not go away all together, but it should get better. Sometimes we do have to resort to medications to keep us awake and functioning. None of us *like* to add meds to the current handfuls that we have to sometimes take, but sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do to make it through. This type of medication does not have to be one that you are on forever. As you gradually feel better with the RA, you can most likely stop the medication that you are using to help with the fatigue.

I really recommend that anyone considering taking anything for fatigue talk with their doctor first and don’t do those over the counter energy pills that they have. One never knows what that will do with the meds that you are already on or what it will do with the RA.

I fight fatigue too.

Laughter helps perk me up. I don't know why. But a good laugh can give me a real boost. Better than expresso!