newbie | Arthritis Information

 

Hello everyone

Newly diagnosed with RA (October), taking MTX and plaquenil.  Would like to thank all that post as I have found some very useful information here on this forum.  Most importantly, that I am not going crazy.  I am doing fairly well but find (as many do apparently)  that I have good days and bad.  I am currently on a 4 day work week which has helped.  The fatigue gets to me the most.  Does that get better with the meds or is it something you just have to deal with?

Hello,

Welcome to the forum, I am pretty new here also, and have found lots of helpful advice. I also take MTX and Plaquenil. I've been on it two years now. In my experience the fatique has not improved. In fact, it seems to be one of the most constant symptoms, even when not having a flare. I hope that your experience will be different. I don't want to sound so discouraging. One thing I have learned the hard way is not to over do it, and when you have the opportunity to rest. Take it!

Hi Guss: Two medications or more seems to be the new thing.  When I first had this (15 years ago) I only took plaquinel, then later switched doctors and went to MTX? Now, because of an extreme case I'm taking prednisone, a small amt of MTX and Remicade. I'm not familiar with taking plaq & mtx together. It seems like fatigue could be caused by one or both, but others point out it is part of the RA? Can you drink caffeine? Does it help? I drink caffeine in the morning, but not to much. No the fatigue will be a constant issue. Meds, esp MTX will do it, but also just being in chronic pain for long periods of time will do it too.

I was also on MTX and plaquenil for years until it stopped working for me last year. I then went on Enbrel and slowly weaned off the MTX. There was relief from fatigue but I have since been experiencing a flare which definitely tires me out.

Guss- all I can say is keep moving. Exercise helps me A LOT. When by wrists hurt beyond belief, I go to the gym and do some cardio to get my blood pumping. It helps enormously. But use good judgement, if your knees/hips/feet are hurting you may not be able to ride a bike or use a treadmill. Something like swimming might be a better choice. If all joint are involved you will need to rest until you get the RA under control.

Keep working as long as you can as it also keeps you moving. Cutting back on work means more time in bed which means succumbing to this disease.

Certainly there are those of us that are unable to do this due to severe arthritis and advanced damage but being new you have an advantage.Hello!!! Yup and Ditto to what everyone's said so far.  FTIGUE, is annoying Thanks for all the feedback.  I'm taking MTX in pill form and it's not too bad.. feel pretty yukky the day after.  Dr. recently put me on some stuff for my stomache, seems to be helping some.  Other than that the meds seem to be going ok.  Rheumatologist says flares are common in early treatment so trying to keep stiff upper lip (mights as well, everything else seems to be stiff ).  Hips are major problem for me (wrists, elbows, feet, hands, also involved but aren't as hard to deal with).   Like I said early, fatigue annoys me the most.If the pill MTX gets to be too much for your tummy, don't give up on it! If you can handle needles, go to the injectable. Soooo many people on here do well with the MTX. Glad they're working so far!! :) Ugh!  Even when I'm having really, really, good days, I always have the fatigue to bring me back down to earth and remind me of the RA.I'm sure your doc has already said this, but it is so important to get enough rest.  I was regularly sleeping 3-4 hours most nights between work, the kids, and pain insomnia.  The fatigue was so bad that I couldn't drive to work (30 minutes) without the music blaring and all the windows open for fear that I would fall asleep in the car (which I did... frequently).  After one particularly bad day when I woke up driving and realized that I had been really asleep, I decided that something had to give.  Now, I take pain meds and lunestra every night (not just once a week or so) and get 7 hours of sleep.  It has made juggling my life harder, but it has improved the fatigue and at least I'll have a life to juggle....

Good luck to you and welcome to the board.
Hmm, well, I've not gotten a "clear" diagnosis yet (although I think, and so does MsSkittles *wave* that it's the early stages of RA....but I'm going on the "ignorance is bliss" thought process right now. hahaha), but I'm so tired.

For months I blamed it on the fact that my son refused to sleep through the night. But now he is (yay!), and I'm still as tired as ever. I have good days and bad days. Lately, more bad than good. :( THank goodness the weather is getting nice and my daughter can play outside. She's been going stir-crazy since August! (when this started)
Fatigue was a serious problem for me but I've found excercise really helps. Also, I just finished a 3 week detox diet that seriously increased my energy levels. It was no gluten, no red meat, no shell fish, no dairy except probiotic yogurt and goat's cheese, no fruit except lemons,avocados and bananas, no nightshades, and no caffeine, sugar or alcohol. I know! The first week it was kind of hard but after I got used to eating that way I found there were lots of things I could eat. Now that it's over I just want to add chocolate and wine but otherwise keep eating this way, I feel so good. Also, some people find that the fatigue decreases as time goes on anyway. I hope that will be the case for you!

Unfortunatly my weekly dose of mtx srtill knocks me off my ass one day a week.

Fatigue is at its worst when my RA is becoming or is active. Fatigue is the 1st symptom of a flare for me. Evidently the immune system gearing up to attack my joints tires me right out as much as an actual attack.

I must have 6+ hours of decent sleep to have a chance to function well. I get through the day using caffine and small walks /seated exercize to 'keep the blood moving'. Getting enough sleep will help make a flare subside, so do whatever you need to do to be able to sleep well. Having a set bed time helps. Take pain meds if you are waking up from pain. Getting some exercise keeps stress under control, which interferes with sleep. Stop the caffine in the evening. Pay attention to those things that interfere with sleep, and get rid of those things. When I manage 8 hours of sleep a day for a week I do feel better than when I'm just running on 6 hours.

Hi guss - welcome and it's very nice to meet you.  The fatigue was a major problem for me - so first I started taking ambien to help me sleep and that helped a bit and I woke up feeling fresh but by early afternoon I was feeling unplugged and tired - Then the doc gave me Provigil to take and it has made all the difference in the world.  Talk to your doc about it - it has really helped me.  Hugs and good vibes,

I will definitely ask Dr. about Provigil.. anything to get me some oomph!  I was having a good day today, then over did it (as usual) and am feeling the results now

 

I do better at the pacing stuff now but it sure was hard and please note I said I was better at it not that I was a pro at it.
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