tiredness

[Carolsos]

I cannot believe how tired I feel, it feels like I have hit a brick wall and just cannot keep my eyes open, does it go away this tiredness? I am on my 3rd lot of Methotrexate of 10g also 7.5 of steroids prednisone for the pain, folic acid and now vit D also 60gs of codiene and parac for the pain 3 times a day. I work as a Breakfast chef and finish at midday, but when I get home all I want to do is sleep all the rest of the day. It seem such an effect to get motivated, any tips from anyone to get motivated. Must admit I am finding it very hard to take it easy, so guess being tired makes me give in! just wanted to unload my thoughts, thanks for listening. I look on this site and think I do not think I have it as bad as some others, but I guess we are all different with RA. Thanks for listening .

[flowers89]

hi hun i have days where im really tired and others when im fine ,yesterday i fell asleep about 6pm for a hour went to bed at 12,30 and didnt wake up till 10,45 today yet last wk went to bed one night at 11pm and was still awake at 5,30 am even though was shattered,the only meds im on are Hydroxychloroquine 400mg a day,,,x

[sylvi]

Sorry darling i am like that all the time darling. It is a side effect of fibro which is what i have. Tiredness can also be because of the ra or the drugs. There is no winning with these diseases. Hugs honey.xxxx

[Someonesmother]

Oh I so hope the tiredness will eventually stop. I have had it for nearly 3 years and I am yet to find something that works so I am still living in hope, because I am so sick of losing every weekend to resting just so I can go to work the next week.

[stbernhard]

Hello Carolsos, I feel for you. People don't understand the consequences of RA, one of which is tiredness and fatigue. As all people with RA I have been through the mill. I found it very hard to get motivated but found that starting with very small steps, setting myself a target for every week has helped tremendously. Don't expect too much of yourself. Rest is a very powerful healer. Think of something you really like doing, but at times are too tired to get going. Try and do it anyway. If you manage just part of it, be PROUD of yourself. If not, don't chastise yourself, just give it another go another day. Meditation really helped me a lot. To start with that was very hard, because I just thought I'm not the type for this. Setting small goals and achieving them worked best for me. Be the boss of your condition, you set the rules! All the very best and keep us posted. We are here for you.

[oldtimer]

The fatigue is one of the most difficult things to cope with. It's invisible and other people do not understand what you mean as it is more than tiredness.

Planning Pacing and Rest are my by-words.

I don't plan to do more than one activity a day.

I pace myself to do things in small bites - not clean the whole of the upstairs in one go but do it over three days.

I rest after doing something - really rest either in bed or in a chair with my feet up and my head supported.

I know that it is much easier for me me as I have now retired, but if you look at how you manage your day - some things will have to go not done or be done by someone else.

The fatigue varies too - good sleep is important for reducing it and good pain relief helps you to do things without so much fatigue.

[Mistydawn in reply to oldtimer]

Thanks for your posts guys. I work four days a week and am completely shattered when I get home and sometimes feel very uneasy. I also have the odd evening when I am fine. Even over the weekend, I feel lethargic so just end up doing what I can and not pushing myself to do. I am (or used to be) a very active person and feel I am wasting my life away. However, I understand now that if I am tired, it just means my body needs to rest so I am learning to listen to my body. I really don't want to give up work and want to lead as normal life as possible. I do hope this will be possible - I have so much I still want to do with my life...

[2014keffi]

Sadly this will not improve, the tiredness is a huge side effect of the drug cocktail. I ended up retiring early as had to sleep during the day.