Change in appetite and just not feeling very well

[optomistic]

For nearly 3 weeks now i have'nt been feeling very well physically. I feel as if i could do without eating.I have RA for about 16 years and have'nt had this problem before. Loss of appetite and no energy!!! I know these symptoms go with the disease and especially with a flare-up. I do eat (because i know i have to ) but most times i could do without. I'm not losing weight but im not feeling good. I'm a smoker and my want for cigarettes has gone also. (NOT A BAD THING I SUPPOSE) Can anyone identify with this??? x

[rattusrattus]

i feel unwell most of the time and never seem to have much energy.

my tastes have changed a lot too - i used to love black coffee but now i usually vomit it back up, the worse i feel the harder it is too keep coffee down so when you feel like this is might be an indicator of you having a flare?

also, you might be anemic too so ask your doctor to measure your iron levels.

[Janeye]

Hi. I am going through the same at the moment. I'm having a bad flare and my appetite has gone off and like you I could go without eating but know that I have to. I need to as I'm very slim anyway and can't afford to lose anymore weight especially as I am trying for a baby, my body needs some good nutrition.

Whenever I have a bad flare thus often happens to me. As the RA makes you feel generally unwell when it is very active I think that is normal to have a loss of appetite. Being in a lot of pain doesn't fill me with much desire to eat either, I just want to curl up on the sofa and not move. However, we need to get as much goodness into our bodies as possible to help support our immune system.

I'm trying to eat little and often which works better for me rather than trying to eat a big meal. Have you tired this? I also find that homemade soup with lots of vegetables and pulses are a good thing to eat when your appetite is off. Another thing is smoothies for the vitamin c.

I hope this is a bit of help. I'm afraid I don't have the real medical answer for it just what I have experienced.

I hope you start to feel better soon and that your appetite returns.

[Hidden]

Absolutely! For about 3 weeks back at end of April, beginning of May I was very much like you describe, rather worse I think as I had some pretty grim pain and appalling weakness. What struck me as extraordinary was that my need to smoke stopped as I had been smoking for about 36 years. It was as if I was pinned down by a great weight and when I smoked a cigarette that weight got a whole lot heavier. I lost about half a stone.

I haven't smoked since & I think that is all to the good as I understand that smoking really is bad if you have inflammatory arthritis (I have PsA).

I haven't experienced anything like that since but it does seem that it was around that time that I got some joint damage. I think you'd be wise to see a doctor.

But hope you feel much better soon & that this nasty episode helps you kick the habit, if that's what you want.

Christina x

[sylvi]

Optomistic,i think you should go to your dr first thing monday morning. It might be a flare it may not,but unless you go to the drs you won't know.

Sylvi.xx

[helixhelix]

yes, I think you should try to discuss this with your doctor at least. If I remember right, it's not that long since you changed drugs and also since you had a blip on your blood tests? So it may well be that either the change in drugs has meant that your RA is having a bit of activity, or that you have an underlying infection. But to me, any change that lasts more than a week or so suggests that you should get it checked out. i lost my appetite recently mainly due to mouth ulcers, and have been changed onto injectable drugs which has solved it- so could be something simple to sort. But great that you don't feel like smoking! That's the symptom that's worth keeping, but not the rest... Polly

[earthwitch]

That kind of reasonably sudden change really is something that you should report to a doctor. Its all too easy to blame everything on RA when it may be completely unrelated, so it does need to be checked out.

[Caza]

I find the replies interesting,when I told my consultant that when I have a flare I feel really sick,he told me it was unconnected & yet every time I have a flare back it comes,I love strong black coffee & yet just the smell of it in a flare can make me throw up. I also feel really ill & tired but the longest its ever lasted is four days thats with the pills I now take. Wish you better x