Fatigue Question | Arthritis Information

From reading alot of the previous post I realize most struggle with fatigue. I was wondering how most of you cope with this problem. It seems that I am in a constant battle to keep my eyes open alot of the time. A few friends were joking and said I needed to take the 5 hour energy drink so I could at least have 5 hrs of not yawing or closing my eyes. Not that I would try that but some days definetly a thought. Any suggestions as I do get plenty of sleep at nite thanks to my meds but I feel like I could stay in bed a week to catch up.

Any thought or suggestions you have would be great.

When my RA was out of control I really had a lot of fatigue. The only thing that helped a bit was exercise. I would be really, really tired after exercising, but the next day I would have more energy.

I only got better after I added Minocin to my drug therapy. Now I have the energy of a normal person.Keep your body moving. I know it is contrary to what you are feeling but I find that if I just lounge around I find it hard to get out of it.Fatigue is the worst. NOt only do you hurt.. but you're exhausted!! On the days you can nap.. do it.. You may think you're getting enough rest at night.. but when I was flaring I needed 10 or more hours!! that meant going to bed at 8 pm to get up at 6 a.m!! But it was worth it!!

Best to you!

Babs

I know how you feel I struggle with fatigue everyday. I don't know how to fix that. I talked to my doctor about it and he said it is your RA so I guess I have to except it. I don't like it but I guess I will get threw it. My daughter suffering much more then I she just had both breast remove due to cancer and she is only 36 she has a rough road ahead of her. She start's her chemo this oct. 20. God Bless mY child so I should not complain of the things I am going threw look at her. Thanks for listening JoanAngel

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter, sometimes things like that put our problems in perspective. My prayers will go out to you and your daughter. Because I am sure your pain for her is far worst then your RA pain.

For me the fatigue was worse than the pain. I fought fatigue for years and years and sometimes I'd win but most of the time fatigue won. You got good advice about keeping on the move. Exercise, walk, and the one thing I've found to help more than any other is water exercise. I love the movement in the water. Do stretches several times a day. They help to keep you a little more limber.

Before I started a biologic I couldn't walk 10 feet and was nearly bedridden from pain, swelling and inflammation. Because of inactivity I developed a pulmonary embolism and nearly died. That was 4 years ago and believe me when I was released from the hospital

I started to exercise. It didn't matter how painful it was. I took a pain pill but I kept my body moving and I slowly got better when I started 2 dmards and a biologic and am now in clinical remission.

You have to find a way to work through the fatigue and pain and keep moving. Lindy

I start off with a 16 ounce can of Monster energy drink, green can, with my small brakfast and ra meds every morning. Hessalina is absolutely right. Keep moving. I think that the best way to beat fatigue (and the hardest part) is to get up and get going. Becoming lethargic and lazy is very detrimental to ones health. (been there, done that and still paying for it). Muscle starts to deteriorate, more pounds of fat are added and each of those add to fatigue. Get up and get going. If not life will just become favorite t-v channels for every hour. Get up, get out and get going.

LEV

Strategic use of caffeine (an 8-oz cup - not those behemoth starbucks/dunkin donuts cups!!!) and a couple of tylenol about 30 minutes before starting out enabled me to get moving on all but the worst days - even if it meant just getting enough energy to walk up and down the block, or go to the gym and "walk" slowly on the elliptical, or splash around in the warm-water pool.

You gotta keep moving.
Since no one has mentioned it, RA and anemia can go hand in hand and hopefully your dr is checking all that in your bloodwork. I had anemia of chronic disease leading up to and during a terrible flare. Once the flare was brought under control the ACD went away, but all I did was sleep. And you can sleep for hours and hours at night, but it may not be good sleep, so you're not waking up refreshed. Some nights I toss and turn and have to take a stronger pain reliever. When I started remembering dreams again, I wondered if maybe I hadn't slept well enough to dream for a long time.Yeah, so I'm reading this post while yawning my head off. :)I take a multi Vitamin once a day and that helps a lot. Also I take a nap on days when I am just too tired. I also ride my stationary bike and that gives me energy and strength.[QUOTE=angel58]I know how you feel I struggle with fatigue everyday. I don't know how to fix that. I talked to my doctor about it and he said it is your RA so I guess I have to except it. I don't like it but I guess I will get threw it. My daughter suffering much more then I she just had both breast remove due to cancer and she is only 36 she has a rough road ahead of her. She start's her chemo this oct. 20. God Bless mY child so I should not complain of the things I am going threw look at her. Thanks for listening Joan[/QUOTE]

I'm so sorry to hear your daughter had both her breasts removed. I will keep you all in my prayers. You are right what she is going through is much worst than this.