Re: question about fatigue

[Guest guest]

Flexeril leaves you with a "hangover" in the morning. I've taken it several times for back problems, and while it helps you to sleep, it certainly doesn't help the fatique problem. It left me groggy all the time.

I haven't experienced fatigue as part of RA either. When I'm working, I'm chronically tired, because I just don't get enough sleep(too much to do), but that has nothing to do with RA. It's one of those things that I either live with or I arrange it so that I can get more sleep.

----- Original Message -----

From: Harold Van Tuyl

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 2:32 AM

Subject: Re: question about fatigue

I don't see fatigue as being a real part of RA but many (perhaps most) people with RA also have at least some form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. They come together so often that some people feel fatigue to be a symptom of RA. How much fatigue people have with RA varies so much that I hesitate to say that anything is "normal". I'm not troubled with that but I think some people take Flexeril and get some help with fatigue. I'm so uncertain that I will gladly defer to others who know more about it. I hope you get some relief some way. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: Vicki

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 8:26 PM

Subject: question about fatigue

How much fatigue is "normal" for RA patients. I usually fall asleep every afternoon for an hour. I work nights so sometimes I have to fight to stay awake at the cash register and on the drive home(which takes 20-25 minutes). Ill take my 5 yo shopping for a couple of hours and come home and collapse on the couch for an hour. I always feel tired. I take Enbrel twice a week and 6 MTX tabs once a week. I am being treated for depression but changing those meds hasn't made a difference on the fatigue.

I am waiting for test results from my GP on diabetes( because of obesity) and on thyroid tests and she is also testing me for Hashimoto's thyroidism. But if that all comes back fine, any ideas on what else it could be.

I have sleep apnea so I sleep with a breathing machine so that really isn't a factor anymore.

Any ideas?

Vicki

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[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/2/2005 10:27:25 P.M. Central Standard Time, hoyt91@... writes:

How much fatigue is "normal" for RA patients. I usually fall asleep every afternoon for an hour.

Interesting you should bring this up. I was beginning to think I had narcolepsy due to the

fact that I would fall asleep as soon as I sat down, and this was before I was diagnosed

with RA! I've been that way for *years*. I also had a lot of aches and a roving pain for years and high Sediment rate that my doc didn't do much for.

I wasn't until I started taking Enbrel a few months ago that I do not get tired anymore.

My RA doc said that I would have more energy with it, but I was beginning to think that this

lack of tiredness was a side effect from the Enbrel, but that's not the case. The fatigue is

from the RA.

I had to skip Enbrel for a couple of weeks as I developed bronchitis, and I noticed that I was

getting more tired without it.

I've had no idea what "normal" is anymore, as I had felt so bad for so long.

I think normal is not being in pain all of the time and sleeping on average, about 5-6 hours

every night. (between the hours of 12:30 and 5:30 am).

Becky