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Fatigue, not depressed

Posted , 6 users are following.

As68742
As68742

I've had a rough year. Last spring I (finally) was diagnosed with AS. I started taking Humira last summer. At first it was a bless, all my backpain was gone. I felt so good. Then the side effects came. Infection after infection. In the spring I had one UTI after another and they found that I had vitamin d deficiency. In June I was hospitalized for a serious lung infection. I couldn't work at all this summer. I've been working for 2 weeks now and the fatigue is setting in.

Today I talked to my mother. I told her I'm so tired I can't hardly stay away.

She said I'm not tired, fatigue isn't a thing. I'm depressed and should get some medication. I started crying because I feel I have no support and they don't understand. When she saw,that she said 'yes, as I said.. depressed'

How am I supposed to make people understand? I'm even started to think that maybe I am depressed, maybe that's it.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • darren1989
    darren1989 As68742

    Posted

    Sorry to hear of your bad time with it at the moment. Like your self I been on humira I used to. E on Embrel but side effects came back. So I been on humira for about a year now  and I never really felt that great. Also been suffering with epididymis which is an infection what can't fight of. Fatigue is a thing I remember when I couldn't keep my eyes open at work. Unfortunately no one will truly understand in less you suffer with AS my family try to be good butt in less you suffer with it no one truly get it. I suffer terrible with knee ankles and have had both my hips replaces at 26 2 years ago. I have just accepted this is my like now just managing pain on codein. But I remember when I was suffering with the fatigue from it my b12 was so low if you ask your doctor to check through blood they can give you injection. I would not accept people telling you how you feel of course you will have bad day and feel fed up i do. But you know how you feel better than any one else. It hard living with AS I am actually stopping work in September cuz I can't handle being at work like it any more. 

    • As68742
      As68742 darren1989

      Posted

      Thank you for your support. I hope you'll get better soon

  • lilian05079
    lilian05079 As68742

    Posted

    Hi As68742

    I agree with Darren you may have B12 deficiency which can make you very fatigued...i had it and the tiredness is not an ordinary tiredness you literally are on your last legs and cannot keep your eyes open...you have to sleep..also get checked for anemia.....did you have your Vit D sorted out?...and i would ask your doc to get a complete blood count to check other vits and mineral such as calcium and magnesium levels etc....feeling extremely tired can make you feel weak and weepy.....best wishes...

    • As68742
      As68742 lilian05079

      Posted

      Thank you for your response. Yes my vitamin water d is sorted out, I'm on supplements (800IU). I've had tons of blood work and they've found nothing else wrong.

    • lilian05079
      lilian05079 As68742

      Posted

      Hi As68742

      Did the bloodwork include Vit B12 they do not automatically check it in blood work..you have to request it..ask your doc for a print out of your bloodwork results....you can request this under Freedom of Information Act....

    • As68742
      As68742 lilian05079

      Posted

      Thank you for your response.

      Yes, I'm now on vitamin d supplements. It's still low and my dr don't want to give too much because apparently you can get kidney stones if you do. So it's sort of been taking care of. I would want a higher dose but I have to trust the drs.

      I will ask them if they've checked the other vitamins.

  • pat38063
    pat38063 As68742

    Posted

    Newly diagnosed (yesterday, even) hopefully starting Enbrel next week.  AS has me so fatigued, can't imagine being more fatigued!  I went the antidepressant route a year ago, everyone saying the fatigue is from depression.  But, I didn't feel depressed, you know?  It took a month or so, but I do feel better.  Still fatigued, but not like urgently fatigued.  If everything checks out with your labs, talk to doc about going on antidepressant.  Maybe it'll help, maybe it won't, it's worth the try?  I wish you well on this journey.

  • ginam6661
    ginam6661 As68742

    Posted

    Autoimmune diseases cause inflammation.  Inflammation causes fatigue.  Try looking up on the internet for articles on this so that you can show them to family and friends to back up how you are feeling.
  • kristy75649
    kristy75649 As68742

    Posted

    I am struggeling with the exact same thing at the moment im 27 and my natural personality is to be bubbly and happy even when im in extreme pain.

    I was on steroids and unfortunately as i have come off the steroids i have gone down hill fast but the steroids made me put on 20kg and im only 5'2 so thats no good for me.

    I have been in bed for 2 weeks no matter how hard i try and do my stretches and move around the pain is constant and only gets worse there is no releif and i have tried everything short of a magic man.

    I had my anti depressants increased but it doesnt help with the fatigue hounestly im bursting with positive vibes on the inside im not sad for no reason i think anyone would be depressed with being a vegetable.

    Do a heap of research and print it out and show your family and say "to be sad/depressed about my situation is a normal response but im sad becauae my condition makes me tired and is excruciating"

    Some people just will never understand but as long as your fair to yourself and understand that the way you're feeling is a normal response to a horrible situation thats all that matters.

    You are not lazy

    You are not a victem

    You are not useless

    You are stronger then you think

    And if anyone isnt telling you this then maybe you need to find people that will

    I hope you feel better and im sorry for my horrible grammer i am on painkillers x

    • As68742
      As68742 kristy75649

      Posted

      Thank you so much. That's exactly what I've been trying to explain. I AM happy, I really am but this disease is giving me one set back after another. After this spring and summer I'm not surprised at all that I'm tired, my body has been through hell, I've still got trouble breathing. But I'm working and I'm trying to live a normal life. But it's hard because when I get home from work I fall asleep. Most days I don't even eat dinner. But I really don't feel sad, I'm just like you, all bubbly and happy on the inside. Sometimes I feel I've had enough and of course I'm not always smiling..

      But I feel like I'm having my downs because I'm too tired to function. I cried when my mother told me to get anti depressants because they don't understand and I don't have the strength to explain anymore.

      It's like I'm getting depressed because I'm tired, not the other way around.

    • darren1989
      darren1989 kristy75649

      Posted

      Hi Kirsty sound like you are having a hard time with it as well. You should give you rheumatoid specialist a call. There is other drugs out there to help with Embrel and humira which are self injection. People respond really well on them. In my own experience they work well enogh to able me to get out of bed but Still take a lot of pain killers. I am 28 and if I didn't have humira I would be bed ridden it gets that bad 

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