Is fatigue Lupus related?

[suzannejayne]

I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but I have always had a good nights sleep, I sleep for around 7-9hours a night but in the daytime fatigue is awful and I have to have a nap in the afternoons or I'm really ill. I am being tested for Lupus but I was just wondering if fatigue is a common symptom of Lupus? I think I have doubts about my fibromyalgia diagnosis I was given years ago as most people don't sleep well with it and I always have. (there are other things too but wanted to keep it short) lol TIA

[Ianrussell69]

Hi I was told maybe 2 years ago I had a high probability I had lupus then told I had lupus I've now been told I have uctd the Meds are the same the Fatigue is the same I find the fatigue and jelly legs hard to deal with but what I'm trying to say is try not to dwell on the what ifs it made me panic thinking I've got lupus

[milkwoman]

Fatigue is a symptom of many disorders, lupus being one of them.

[Kevin53]

Fatigue is major issue. Keeping a simple diary or even scoring days out of 10, may help you find mechanisms to reduce the fatigue. Excercise can help, swimming, walking the dog ( or borrow one), Pilates, Yoga etc. Best wishes Kevin

[mcglada0 in reply to Kevin53]

I would say be careful with the exercise if you're suffering from fatigue. I love Pilates but after a session my pain is so bad that I wonder if it's worth it. I also like walking but seem to suffer bouts of fatigue with this as well. I don't want to give up exercise but o think I'm going to have to be careful not to overdo it. The pain and fatigue just isn't worth it! X

[justjan2 in reply to mcglada0]

My doctor said not to push myself and I don't.

[Kevin53]

Yes be careful, it’s a case of gently pushing the two barriers pain and fatigue simultaneously and if you monitor your progress you will see improvements in both. Take care Kevin

[chrisj]

Fatigue was a huge problem for me before a diagnosis of Lupus. I still get tired mainly through lack of sleep but I'm much better in the day than I used to be and thats down to hydroxy and pacing myself

[Bebe76]

If you think your symptoms are worsening and/or have new symptoms that you feel might be related to lupus or another autoimmune disease, it is worth speaking to your doctor. It is possible for someone to have negative tests at one point, then go on to develop lupus later on. So you might need to get re-tested. Also, it is possible to have both fibromyalgia and an autoimmune disease. However, as others have mentioned, fatigue has many causes (for example, low iron).

[suzannejayne in reply to Bebe76]

Thanks to everyone that replied. Yes I have a appointment with rheumatology in a couple of weeks as I had a positive ANA years ago and I suffer a lot of swelling and inflammation so I was referred. I had another ANA a few months ago but it was negative so I will have to wait and see. I never had this much inflammation in the past 10 years I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I try and do small things during the day but everything I do wipes me out for the rest of the day although I still try otherwise I'd never leave the house

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK]

Hi suzannejayne ,

Fatigue is a very commonly reported symptom of lupus, experienced by around 90% of those with the disease. Of course, lupus isn't the only possible cause of fatigue but perhaps the tests you are undergoing will help to confirm a diagnosis soon.

We have a blog article about lupus fatigue with tips for managing it. You can read this at lupusuk.org.uk/managing-fat...