I will be logging onto this site after the meeting next week re links between RA and CFS.
I am constantly tired and have to struggle daily (when not at work ) to stay awake during the day. I hope if there is a proven link maybe there will be more awareness and support around this dehabilitating side affect
I suffer the same way, I have been known to suddenly struggle to stay awake at work, also some days I simply cannot get out of bed. It's like I've taken a sleeping tablet but im fighting it!
Awful feeling.. hope you get some answers soon
Yes I agree , for me this is one of the most difficult aspects of RA to deal with and the guilt of sleeping whenever I can,
Good morning i have RA/Fibro/CFS as well. I find the fatigue and being so tired all the time so hard to cope with. Welcome to the site. xxx
Which meeting are you going to? Hope it's very helpful x
Hi Allanah, I am not going as its too far for me I am in Co. Durham but I believe the meeting is in Maidenhead.
But the big nras meetings conferences there's one in June, kim NRAS will know or Clare NRAS There's one in York I'm going to. If you phone nras they have support groups the best one is newcastle xx
My question is what is CFS? Whenever I see syndrome I imagine that is because there are several different contributory factors. Doesn't make sorting it out any easier though!
When I was diagnosed with CFS I was told that it could be a secondary to RA as there was a history of RA in my family. A year later I was diagnosed with RA, more a confirmation really as I was ready showing symptoms and had been for quite a while. So I'm left with both lables mot knowing which came first. I will bee waiting to hear what you're meeting concludes.
Well that sounds interesting, I look forward to hearing some news about CFS which I believe is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I certainly do have a big problem with it too. My husband knows all the signs of it coming on before it hits me and sometimes he says
"go and put your feet up, you looked totally drained". Some answers and help to manage it would be good. June xx
Oh, and a big welcome to this great site dmc12.
thank you and hopefully we will see some news on this site after the meeting as they were advertising for people to attend. x
CFS, Fibromyalgia, ME are all under diagnosed Hypothyroidism, take a look at the American website 'STTM' 'Stop the Thyroid Madness', also website called 'Thyroid UK'.
I 'had' Fibromyalgia, but now my muscle aches, pains and tiredness have fallen away.
wow, thank you I will have a look at this as I was diagnosed with RA when I was a teenager and in my twenties with an under-active thyroid, I took thyroxin for a year and was better then I had ever been. I then moved area and had to change my GP surgery and they took me off thyroxin as they said my thyroid was only slightly under active. Since then (now in my 40's ) I have suffered with extreme tiredness and difficulty loosing weight but have been told that is my RA and steroids. I have also seen on one website that steroids can change thyroid test results to make it look normal so I will have a look at the website. Thank you Donna
Hi dmc, so pleased you posted back. 
When diagnosed with Hypothyroidism (under active thyroid) you get an exemption certificate from the Doctor to fill out, because you have to be on the thyroid medication for life, (do double check this out yourself.)
So I am surprised you were taken off your Thyroid medication. ?
Thyroid patients bloods are anything, but normal and never tell the true picture.
Many thyroid patients find they have absorption/conversion problems so are not getting the right amounts of medication, even though bloods show 'normal', patient is far from normal, this is where you end up going down the route of having Fibromyalgia/CFS and ME, where you never get well, unless you help yourself.
Thyroid patients can get themselves well again once on the correct medication, but it still is one big fight to get back to normal because many Docs themselves find treating Thyroids Patients challenging and confusing, 'cos each patient has individual needs.
In the old days before the blood tests, Doctors diagnosed Hypothyroidism by symptoms only, you were given the Natural Desiccated Thyroid' (NDT) which treated all of the thyroid and you got well, Fibro/CFS/ME wasn't around in those days, so I wonder why that was ????????? think about it ?
My bloods were reading 'normal' (within range) and I had to ask my Doctor for my levothyroxine T4 to be upped as I was feeling tired, muscles aches sharp pain almost like electricity shocks and weakened muscles.Doc said didn't think it was needed due to my bloods reading OK, I was almost in tears, because of my watery eyes I was asked if I was feeling, words to the effect of stressed/depressed. ????? I told Doc I was too happy to be depressed, I certainly didn't want to be given depression pills if I wasn't depressed.
* I did have Brain Fog earlier (the type you get with Hypo,Fibro etc.,) Brain Fog is where you can't concentrate on anything for long, but Brain Fog is not depression. I now know through experience that Brain fog goes away when you are at your correct thyroid medication.
Doc had to check with someone higher for permission to up my medication, my Doc phoned later to say I was allowed to have my meds upped after all and I yelped 'yes, wonderful' down the phone in delight. Depressed ? No. Excited, Yes!
Ask for a 'printout' of your blood results and remember to ask for the blood ranges also , most important.
I am on several of the medical 'Health Unlocked' sites because of our illnesses and trying to get to the bottom of them to get our selves back to 'normal' 
I am also on the 'Thyroid UK' site on here. This is where I post up my blood results for other members to read, they will tell you if you are 'normal' or not.
Go to the top green bar above and click on 'Communities', then click on 'Find Communities' and write in 'Thyroid UK' you will find the forum members site like on here. Like I said I am on several Health Unlocked sites which is brilliant.
RA and dehydration
Friends and RA 
Pregnancy and RA.
RA and getting pregnant
