Exhausted all of the time

[Chris Madden]

Newby here....

Hi folks! I am new to this forum and just posted a ridiculously long post in the intros about who I was and realized probably nobody still reads that stuff! Soooooo here goes: I need a Rheumy that will listen! I have Psoriatic Arthritis or maybe Fibromyalgia, been diagnosed with both! Taking Humira 40mg Pen each week now. However, pain is getting rough again and I am so doggon tired!

I know I know, HOW TIRED ARE YOU?

I seriously can sleep every day all day and most of the night. It is insane. I am taking B12 shots weekly now too as my B12 and D were very low. Those were okay last regular doc visit a month ago, but I am exhausted all of the time. Weekends after my Humira shot, I literally don't get out of bed. It is getting to the point where I am getting depressed! I want to go and have fun too, but am too tired. I hurt a lot and refuse to take pain meds unless I absolutely HAVE to. This weather isn't helping. My joints ache, but so do my muscles and my entire body. I just want to curl up and sleep where it is warm and coccoon like.

Nice to meet you all!
Chris

 

[sassy13]

Re: Knock Knock....

Chris,

Boy if there is anyone on this forum who can relate to you, it is certainly me! I have psoriatic arthritis, Fibromyalgia, CFS, and an autoimmune liver disease called PBC.

I am so sorry to hear you are having so much trouble with fatigue. To me, it is by far the worst. Then add pain on it!
Fatigue is what keeps me from working and on the couch or bed frequently.
My Dr gave me Ritalin for fatigue and it has helped. I take long acting Tramadol for pain. How long have you been on Humira? Just curious because when I started Enbrel it took a few months to notice a difference. I'm on Remicade now, but that is going to change, because my out of pocket will be 9,000$ per year. I just cannot afford it. I don't know what I will end up on next.
Do you take methotrexate too? I'm on it and it wipes me out for a day. But it does help with the pain because it decreases inflammation.
Also, Celebrex is good as well as Lyrica.
Please take care of your depression. I sure hate to see your situation compounded by it. I speak from experience! I take Prozac. I tried Cymbalta, good for pain, but it made my depression worse.

Do the B12 injections help? I have been reading up on it and it sounds like there has been some success with it and CFS.
I went to my rheumatologist yesterday and he gave me the name of a doctor in the UK that has done research and treats patients with our problems. Her name is Dr. Sarah My hill. I looked it up amd went to her web site. She is certainly leaps ahead of others and it makes sense too, not a quack. I have read through, but the amount of info is overwhelming.
Also, even though I gave some ones name, I'm not advertising for anyone. It really ticks me off when you see postings on here and you know they are just taking advantage of our situation!
1sweed is great about getting rid of them. Just be careful.

I need to read your bio. Sounds like we have lots in common!

 

[1sweed]

Re: Knock Knock....

Hello Chris, welcome to the forum. Many of us do read the introductions because it helps us know more about you. Sometimes it takes me awhile to get around to everyone, but I generally try to get in a big hello before too long.

This forum is filled with lots of good information on dealing with the symptoms of fibro in ways that are not harmful to the body, but do work. Medication is something everyone has to use and so members talk about the kinds of meds and what works, and what did not work for them. They speak about the side effects and things to watch out for.

We have a topic section for most of the symptoms, as well as, a venting spot and down at the bottom of the page is the off topic section. This forum is a great place to make new friends that can provide support when your having a crappy day. Please share your opinions and thoughts, in answering others questions.

Glad you found us and I hope you stay around for a longtime.

 

[Chris Madden]

Re: Knock Knock....

Thank you for the Welcome! I am learning and enjoy reading the messages!

 

[Chris Madden]

Re: Knock Knock....

I do not take the Methotrexate any longer. It just made me so sick! The only nausea meds that worked with me was the Promethazine and of course that just made me more tired! Ugh. I do take Tramadol for pain regularly and Cymbalta, but you are right, I don't think it is working for depression. The B12 have helped some, but honestly I don't know if they are doing much for my energy levels. I truly could stay in bed 24/7 if given the opportunity and sleep at least the majority of that. It is so different from the me I used to be.

 

[sassy13]

Re: Knock Knock....

Chris,
Me too! It takes me hours to get moving in the morning. I used to be scrubbed on a case at 730 in the morning when I was working, I cannot imagine trying that now! I'm not used to this yet. I still fight and hope to get back to my old self, but I guess I need to accept this someday!

 

[Trellum]

Re: Knock Knock....

Welcome to the forum, Chris! Sorry to hear you're extremely tired, I was in the same situation some months ago, but ever since I started taking several natural supplements I feel much better. By the way, I'm down the same road, I only take pain meds when is really necessary, like for example when the pain is too much to bear.

Have you tried a B complex? I take that and it seems to be helping loads! It has B12 in it, plus other useful vitamins. I use a generic brand that works great. Sorry to hear about your joint pain as well, the only thing I do about that is endure it the best way I can. As long as my wrists don't hurt is all ok. I hope you feel better soon, Chris!

 

[sagar]

Re: Knock Knock....

Hello,
I don't think you need to take any medicine or any shots. Coffee is the best alternative for tiredness and increase your immunity and fertility level.

 

[Jennyflower81]

Hi. I've struggled with extreme fatigue for the past few years. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last summer, and this past December I was diagnosed with EDS. EDS causes fatigue because of weak connective tissue. It makes all of the joints too loose and unstable, so basically all of my muscles are working so hard just to keep my skeleton together. I think the bodily fatigue is just as bad as the mental fatigue. I get brain fog and cannot concentrate. People get frustrated with me, because I can't communicate well if I am distracted. I was recently prescribed Provigil, which is a drug given to people with chronic fatigue. It does wake me up, but has some side effects, so I don't take it every day. I have found that D-Ribose is helpful, especially if I take it with green tea extract. Exercise helps too, even though it would seem to make you more tired, it actually improves blood flow and cardiovascular health- giving you more energy.

 

[cpefley]

I take Vitamin D and B12 as well. I have the Epstein Barr virus, and that is what my doctor thinks makes me so tired. I don't know what to do about it. I came home and went straight to take a nap after I picked up my kids from school today.

 

[links56]

I Have been in the same situation, For me the pain makes me less active than I should be. Then I get depressed because every thing I do hurts. Then I can't hardly sleep Which starts the cycle of pain again. And It just keeps repeating itself. I would try to focus on getting actual good sleep. Sleep is a big factor in these conditions. Good luck trying to find a doctor that cares and doesn't think your a seeker or anything,

 

[wander_n_wonder]

Yeah, feeling tired all the time can be so bothersome. I hate it and I hate it seeing it in other people too. My sister is suffering from fibromyalgia too and each time I visit our ancestral home and I see her feeling and looking tired all the time, it's kind of contagious. I really feel so sorry for her condition. I think she's too young to stay in bed all the time. There's a lot of things to discover in life.

 

[Trellum]

Fatigue is hitting me really bad lately, I feel so sleepy during the evening, but kinda restless at night. There is a big chance I could be pregnant, so that could be the reason I feel so exhausted lately! I really hope I am wrong and I'm not pregnant, because being sick was bad enough for me! Being pregnant would be just too much to handle!

 

[JessiFox]

I've been really struggling with the fatigue as well. Sometimes it's even worse than the pain...at least you can grit your way through some pain, the fatigue is just awful. All my body wants to do is curl up and hibernate, all day and often all night, too. It's so disheartening trying to explain to people that you really, honestly do want to do more/spend more time with them/etc. but just simply can't muster the energy. I wonder if the B12 would be helpful to me...I'm really just getting started looking into all the different possible solutions. This thread has a lot of good information, though =).

 

[Tigressa]

I can relate and I"m so sorry you feel this way. What I can say is don't try to fight it. It's better to accept the way your body is at the moment because fighting it will only result in losing more energy. Once you accept the situation, you can focus on trying to create a routine around your fibro/cfs. I wish you all the best