1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Exhausted all the time.

Posted , 8 users are following.

ruth03300
ruth03300

Yesterday I got up and had breakfast. I was exhausted and went back to bed for two hours then I got up and emptied the washing machine and put a line of washing out, then went back to bed and slept until 5 pm. (Six hours) Then I made myself something to eat and flopped I to the armchair and fell asleep. Does anyone else experience this with RA. I take Methotrexate 10mg, Naproxen, and folic acid. I have some pain but the fatigue is far more worrying to me

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest ruth03300

    Posted

    Yes, at times I have that kind of fatigue. It's hard to communicate to others because it's waaaaay past being tired. If it happens very often you need to tell your doctor.

    • ruth03300
      ruth03300 Guest

      Posted

      Thankyou. Yes this happens a lot but GP doesn't seem to understand just how debilitating it is. I wondered if I was just being over dramatic.

    • Guest
      Guest ruth03300

      Posted

      I don't think you are being over dramatic. It sounds like you may need to change doctors. Any doctor that deals with RA very much should be able to understand fatigue you are talking about.

    • ruth03300
      ruth03300 Guest

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I will see my Rheumatologist at the end of August. I suppose what I am trying to do is gauge whether what I am feeling is normal and whether I should just shut up and get on with it, or, tell the Rheumatologist in the hopes of some treatment.
  • Blue16
    Blue16 ruth03300

    Posted

    Yes, yes, and yes!!! I am extremely fatigue each day and I yearn all day. It's like I never fully wake up or feel like I never geet enough sleep. I take pain meds and still feel the pain.

    • ruth03300
      ruth03300 Blue16

      Posted

      Thank you so much. I am not the only one then. Some days just lifting one leg in front of the other is hard. I really thought I was a wimp.
  • Gloria814
    Gloria814 ruth03300

    Posted

      I don't know how long you have been on MTX or when you were diagnosed.   that drug can make you quite fatigued but the RA also causes horrible fatigue.  Initially that was my only symptom for a long time --then came the pain.   I don't have the severe fatigue I used to so hopefully you will experience that.   I do need to rest a lot though and many nights go to bed at 730    

     

  • treezsh
    treezsh ruth03300

    Posted

    Hi Ruth, oh my heart goes out to you, I was joking with a friend that I got out of bed, changed the sheets to wash them then got back in for a rest! At least the linen was clean! The fatigue in R A is simply the worst case and I sometimes think it is worse than the joint pain. Methotrexate certainly made me feel like that, the biological drugs seem to be less likely I think. Although I have found if I have just 2mg of cortisone per day as well as my biologic drug, the fatigue is much less. I know all the risks with steroids but its quality of life, and with fatigue like that there simply is no quality really. All I would say is it does pass and for whatever reasons things improve until you can forget about it...until the next time, thank goodness my memory is awful as it still takes me by surprise! Well, youve got to laugh sometimes eh?
    • ruth03300
      ruth03300 treezsh

      Posted

      Thank you. I remember when I told my work colleagues I was retiring, on of them said "but what will you do,you will be so bored without work?". We!l I don't get bored, I am never awake long enough

  • clare32950
    clare32950 ruth03300

    Posted

    When I read this I thought did I write this and I've forgoten?....the fatigue makes me very forgetful. Glad to know I'm not alone

  • Guest
    Guest ruth03300

    Posted

    My dear ruth03300,

    i am afraid to say it is part and parcel of the condition, i also wake up tierd and drained , i also nap in the afternoons sometimes 2/3 hours a t a time, my body feels like i have a hangover without the uset tummy and head ache. I uesed to cycle over 22 kilometers a week and a real gym bunny go 4 times a week, and after an exhusting 2 hours in the gym i was very tierd .....and i have this feeling every day now total exhaustion. I no longer take MXT...I have never taken Napproxen, so i have no idea of any side effects , i am now on biological self injections, but changing the medication make no differance, fatigue is part of the condition. Try not to worry about it , it will ony make thigs feel worse. I try to occupy myself as best i can before i feel the need to nap. Keep as well as can be expected.....Andy.

    • Guest
      Guest

      Posted

      Hello again.....in my last comment i said 22 kilometers a week......that should be 200, i bet you must think i was lazy...lol.....Andy.
    • ruth03300
      ruth03300 Guest

      Posted

      Hey 22 kilometres a week sounds great to me! Thank you for your comments, it is truly appreciated. I can honestly say I thought I was alone in feeling so dire so it has helped me a lot. Like you I did so much before and it hurts (yes hurts) to find I can't even go for long walks any more. Oh well it looks like me and the mobility scooter are going together well acquainted. At least I can wear killer heels on a scooter!

    • Guest
      Guest ruth03300

      Posted

      Hey ruth03300,

      In my last comment i stated that i cycled 22 kilomters a week.........that should have been 200 kliomters a week, and i too use a scooter to get around the supermaket, i too have a wheel chair i put in the boot if i know i will be out for a while as walking and standing is so painfull. Yes it is hard to adjust having had such a very busy life....and another thing that hurts is havng to go to see these bloody DWP people that have to keep accessing me all the time, it is such a pain to get there ....what is the matter with them , surley they must know what the condition is like ....heatless, totally heartless. Anyway rant over....have a good week end. Andy.

  • lorraine74484
    lorraine74484 ruth03300

    Posted

    I am so sorry about your fatigue and am glad I am not the only one. I have been on 1mg MTX injection once a week along with a smattering of other meds. I just can't get past the chronic fatigue. I wish I could get past that. It is one of the most dabiliting parts of RA

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.