I need to majorly vent. I don't know if this is the RA speaking or what, but I have been so irritated with EVERYTHING in my life. From my husband to my co-workers. My husband does nothing wrong, he is very supportive and a great guy. But for some reason everything around me is like nails to a chalk board. I should be happy, I just got married to a great guy and I have a reasonably good job. Does anyone else have this extreme irritibility?
I am frustrated at work to no end, I find my self picking fights with people. I am pushing people away and I feel like I am doing it on purpose. This is not me. I am tired all the time too, I just want to lay in bed. This has been going on for a while now. I know people with RA suffer from depression. Are these signs of it? I am pretty sure they are.
Sorry to be such a downer today! Sorry things are so rough...are you on prednisone or pain medications both of those can cause mood issues alsoIT might be pre-depression. Depression is anger turned inward. I don't
mean to trivialise your problem, but have you tried some moderate exercise?
It can make a suprisingly big difference in that kind of stuff.
Buckeye-I am not on any pain meds. Just enbrel. I have been feeling worse since I sarted it 3 weeks ago. I don't think that has anything to do with it though.
I haven't exercised because of my knee. I thought about doing pilates.
CAH, try swimming if possible!Don't be sorry! Recognizing that there is a problem is the first step in solving it.Christina,
Sorry that you aren't feeling well. Run do not walk to your primary care and let them know what you are feeling. Be honest and ask for help. I waited for so long that I didn't think that I would ever feel good again. My PCP told me that I was not crazy (which is how I felt) and prescribed an antidepressant. She gave me a two week regimen (go to bed at 10p, take a Lunesta, get up at 6:30a, take Wellbutrin) before I went back in to see her. It felt so nice to give someone else control and to know that someone was trying to help me. I really didn't know how bad I felt until I started feeling better. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. The antidepressant did not make all my problems disappear. What it did (and does) do is make me feel like I can face them; that I do not have to hide under my bed to get through the day.
I send all my positive thoughts your way. Take care of yourself.
Andrea
Christina,
I can so relate to how you are feeling. Here lately I am irritated for no reason, grouchy because of the pain and so tired I haven't even posted in a while. I am on lexapro for depression but I don't think it is cutting it....I'm going back to pcp to get raise in dosage or some other one.
I would suggest exactly that babyjeepwoman suggested. Go to your pcp and get some help.....there is no shame in it.
Hugs to you hon
Thanks guys!
The worst part is this mean spirit I am developing. I really hate it and I can't seem to help it. I get mean when I don't eat (i'm sure you all know that feeling)and that is kind of how I feel, except all the time! I think I will go to the doctor and let him know how I am feeling. I was going to go for some provigil, but I think I am tired because I am not happy or maybe it's the other way around. Either way I need to go see him.
Yes, I agree, talk to your pcp and even a counselor if needed. I suffered similar feelings along with my major depression and I am only here now because of a few caring doctors in the hospital. This disease can exact a great toll from us without us even knowing it! Hugs [QUOTE=Happ]Me TOO Fatigue and nastiness go hand in hand - they feed each other. It may be depression. Anti depressants have helped me in a major way.
Exercise helps fatigue. Work your arms instead of your knees. Sitting on one of those big balls and rolling it helps my back and is pretty easy on the knees and feet.
I also find laughter lifts fatigue. I don't know how or why but a big laugh will give my energy a boost for hours. Much better than caffine or sugar.
Found this excellent article on the fatigue we all suffer. It really helped me understand MY fatigue a lot better.The Fatigue Factor
I
often hear, "My family just doesn't understand how exhausted I
am." And it is probably true. I don't think the average person can
comprehend the constant fatigue of inflammatory arthritis. I'm going to
explain the fatigue factor in a very unscientific way, without journal
references to back me up. This is how it was explained to me several
years ago and I hope it makes sense to you.
Pain is pain, everyone has experienced some degree of pain in their
lives. You can probably understand to some extent the pain of arthritis.
I describe the pain as my worse toothache pain x2, and in multiple
joints, not just one tooth. As bad as the pain can be at times, I can
handle it, it's the fatigue that gets to me.
At the root of most cases of inflammatory arthritis is an overactive
immune system. I picture the immune system as an army of tiny little
soldiers. The soldiers' job is to fight off whatever might invade and
attack our systems. Some of us ended up with very confused soldiers,
they attack our own bodies, usually starting with the joints.
Do you get very tired when you have the flu? When you have the flu, your
immune system is fighting off the invading flu army. Fighting takes
energy, fighting makes you tired. When the flu is over and your immune
system stops fighting, your energy returns.
Our immune systems never quit fighting, they are continually at war. On
a good day, those of us with inflammatory arthritis feel much like you
do when you have the flu-tired, lethargic, generally yucky! On a bad day
the fighting sucks up every once of energy we have. We are exhausted
right down to our bones. This exhaustion can stop a person dead in their
tracks. And very often this horrendous feeling of exhaustion can last
several days or even weeks.
So the next time your friend says, "I can't go, I am just
exhausted." She isn't making an excuse, she isn't lazy or lacking
motivation, she is honestly totally exhausted, there is a war going on
in her body! A little understanding on your part would be greatly
appreciated!
Hi, , Of course I know exactly how you feel. I was feeling so bad I insisted that my doc get me a blood test convinced that the meds (two powerful ones below) were attacking me in some way. Negative, the results are fine. I think I'm on a roller coaster of meds, going to doc's, getting tests, and that the meds prescribed for me are "just now beginning to work'!! Like 6 months! That's depressing., I haven't been exercising because of a foot problem, which has been helped with a shot from the foot doc, (BUT , I've had 'it' for months, my RD didn't believe me, that's depressing as I always trusted him!!).....So, my dear I think all of this gets heaped on us. WE are in constant overload.
I'm going to give my body 2 more weeks , take another Remicade infusion, keep on with getting my life back to normal and then, like you, go get help for this fatigue if it doesn't stop.
We get on these super meds and don't know what's 'normal' anymore. I agree with the other posts and listening to your frustration, I believe you need to seek help, asap! You need to satisfy yourself that 'depression' or pre-depression, is the cause. Your family will love you for it!! Let us know how it goes, any info in this department is of great help to the rest of us.
So sorry, Lynda
I know exactly how you feel. Just moments before reading this, I was thinking to myself what a hateful person I was becoming. Sometimes I hate everything, almost everyone and usually I hate my life.oh my gosh! I just wrote this LONG reply and it wouldn't post! frustrating!
Lets try again.
Kathy-Thanks for the article, that makes a lot of sense.
Gail-Glad you are here. This site is so helpful. I hope you start feeling better as well. I think this site will make you feel much better.
Lynda- I hope your remicade starts working and you start getting more energy. I am waiting for the enbrel to kick in. I feel like it is making me worse. I have been on it for 3 weeks and in 2 weeks i have gone from minor pain to not being able to get out of my car. I haven't had a flare up in 10 years. I just find this odd. I even asked my doc if this is a disease modifying drug maybe it can modify it in a bad way. I wonder if anyone has had an adverse reaction.
i think part of my anger (at least for the past 2 weeks) is thinking that I am doing something to make my ra worse. Does this sound nuts?
I think i need to go to the RA doc not my pcp and talk about both of these things.
Sorry, I know nothing about Enbrel, but I think I had some similar feelings at the beginning of the remicade. Everything I did seemed to bring on more pain. I took Boniva for my bones, that caused pain, I took my mtx and that seemed to make me feel worse???Then after 6 months of Remicade I finally am feeling like the doc knows what he's doing.
how frustrated you must be with the enbrel, maybe someone else takes it and can make some suggestions.
Christina , I think you must follow your own body's messages. Go to the RA doc and ask 'what the heck is going on" ? Let us know, Lynda
Thanks Lynda. So the remicade is finally working for you now?
I will let you know what happens. I am also going to do some research and see if enbrel has made anyone worse.