Fatigue

Does everyone suffer from fatigue with pmr?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is very very unusual not to.

[4683Louise]

For me, yes... noticably. I expect everyone to say pretty much the same thing. I imagine differences between us come with the degree of fatigue and how we each cope. Timing, med dose, length of time at given dose, etc, during this season has made fatigue seem to change for me as well- right now I am 7 months in to PMR (5 months of pred. at 15) and 1 month in to my Dr. suspecting GCA (pred. at 60). My first several months were not terribly bad in the fatigue department- Prednisone saved me. I went from nearly being a 'functioning cripple' to pain-free. I am a retired school teacher and have fun with "hobby jobs" to get me out of the house and keep me out of trouble 😂. I now work in retail and walk up to 4 miles a day on a concrete floor, before PMR with no problem. Post-pmr and my job did not get along quite as well, but enough that I kept at it. Thankfully, at this very moment I'm on a month long vacay, having visited my kids in CA and now my sister in FL. Most days here I have nothing to do but sit on the beach and let the scenery of the surf cleanse my mind and spirit. And yet, it seems the more rest I get, the more tired I am. So, fatigue... yes. It has definitely taken a seat at the table and is one of the constant players in this new game. 😝😵😴

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

The majority of patients do, but it seems to affect some more than others - look at PMRpro’s post for how to deal with it -

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk......

[SheffieldJane]

I think it is safe to say that they do. Mine comes and goes, it can be real swooning exhaustion at times. Keeping children’s hours helps with a little nap after lunch and it is vital to pace your activities and to save your energy for special things. Sometimes it just plonks on you out of nowhere, caused by nothing, just surrender and go to bed.

[Rosedail]

I was lucky in that fatigue was not a frequent issue for me. However, I noticed that when I got depressed (not clinical depression but rather sadness or frustration over my inability to live as I had expected to live), the fatigue was far more apparent. Thus, I would guess that managing the fatigue is best done not only by napping or resting, but also by treating yourself and being really good to yourself. Get the massage if that helps. Eat that bowl of expensive fresh berries if that's appealing. Ask for help when you need it. Limit your obligations to only those that fulfill your passions. Above all, forgive your body Maybe I'm just reminding myself of all those things, as I'm a bit out of sorts today