I hope that I can do this right.... I am attempting to post a link regarding a conversation / thread last night regarding pain and fatigue...
http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ 45/7/885
Interesting - only sometimes I'm tired when I don't hurt too badly - and really, I'm not generally depressed about RA. It's interesting to hear the clinical take on RA.I think they got that backwards. Fatigue is lower when RA is treated properly. It seems that is what their study is really proving. Pain is fatiguing. That's certainly true. And, I have less fatigue when my medicines are working properly. But I still have lots of pain even when I don't feel fatigued.
I'm with Fiona on this one. Can we find a Rheumy that has RA and get some real perspective. Or, better yet, can our Rheumys get our perspective. I wish they'd spend some time on these forums and see what it is really like.
But I appreciate the post Olive. I'm always interested in good articles.
I am supposedly in remission and I just had a bout of severe fatigue, I slept for 2 days nearly nonstop. I was just totally fatigued, not so much exhausted, just that I could barely move, sleepy, no energy to do anything, felt like I was in a mental fog of some kind.
I have never been able to understand RA, it is just too complicated. My opinion is that I should not have the fatigue anymore, or flares for that matter, but I do have.
Maybe there's a difference between clinical remission and actual remission. I would think that you would'nt have that overwhelming fatigue or flares either.Hey Fiona, I had a Internal Med Doc that was treating me in between Rheumies whose wife had died from Lupus. He was more understanding, supportive and knowledgable than most others I've seen.
It changes their outlook when it touches their lives. My Rheumy now is very good-emotionally involved. He had tears in his eyes & hugged me when I became able to walk w/o cane.
peace, tam
""Maybe there's a difference between clinical remission and actual remission.""
Intersting, I had never thought of that. Thanks for pointing that out Deanna. Sometimes I wonder about all this remission stuff. I haev all these bumpy brown things on my skin and I still say RA has something to do with your vision, I am slowly losing mine, and have cataracts already.
But the blood work comes out really good, my theory is that you always have RA it is just more active sometimes than other times as it is quite obvious from reading posts. The thing is, maybe the Dr.'s need to change their numbers on the blood tests. If you kind of look at RA with the idea that once you have it you always have it then it would make more sense when you have flares and fatigue when your blood work still comes back within k normal range. I think they need to check into that.
I am not saying that they are wrong, I just think that the Dr.'s need to open their minds to the idea that after all these meds and the blood work comes back ok, that you are considered on a different continuum then you were when on meds. QUite frankly, if I had been able to afford the ENbrel longer, I would still be on it with these numbers and we wouldn't have known all this.....maybe? who knows. I just hate the fatigue and the pain days still. Oh well.
Tam, nice to know your Dr. is so compassionate. As if our lives are not dofficult enough huh? It sure makes it nice to know that your RD cares, it does make a difference in your life doesn;t it? I know it did in mine.
jode
Jode
Yes Jode it feels good to have a doctor cares that much. It's was kind of weird at first. We need the care & support.
Peace, Tam
That was interesting to me since I think, for me anyway, that when the pain was bad, I was ALERT, in agony, not tired. When the pain is at bay, I'm exhausted. I don't recall having pain AND fatigue at the same time. Is that weird?I have felt very fatigued and not hurt much at all....go figure
Susan I have been totally fatigued and in pain several times. Maybe it is because I have cystic RA , dunno. This last time I had some pain but mostly fatigue, at least the "foggies" have lifted somewhat. Must have overdone it maybe or perhaps there is not anything that really precedes it. Tam, sorry to hear that your internal med Dr.'s wife had died from Lupus, it is an awful disease as well. How sad, how terribly sad. jode When pain is less fatigue is less. hummm OK! But isn't less active disease the reason the pain is less? Damage pretty much stays forever... Deanna: I had them checked several years ago by my RD and my dermatologist, they said it was RA related...hmmm I will prob make an appt. with my internist then maybe he can refer me to a dermatologist. You are right, I prob should have them checked again. jode
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