Re: Debilitating Exhaustion

February 25, 2007

i have had exactly what you describe with my RA. Maybe typical with

the syndrome.. nto sure

>

> I don't know what's causing it and it's sporadic. I usually feel

fine once I'm up in the

> morning (the getting up is difficult). Mid to late afternoon I'm

so fatigued that I can barely

> move. Yesterday, I was out with my husband and this morning, I

have what I can only

> describe as debilitating fatigue, breathless at times....

>

> I've had RA since November, I'm on MTX injectible, Amini-3 (Folic

Acid/Vitamin Supp,

> Vicoprofen for pain and an occasional Ambien to help me sleep.

>

> Three weeks ago, I fell down outside a supermarket and tore all

the ligaments in my right

> ankle and left knee. Both are braced, but the pain was incredible

and triggered a

> Fibromyalgia flare. My doctor increased pain meds to Vicoprofen.

>

> I'm also tapering off prednisone - I'm down to the last 1/2 mg.

and take my last one

> tomorrow.

>

> Perhaps it's a combination of everything, but the level of

exhaustion is scaring me,

> especially the occasional breathlessness. I feel like I'm dying.

My husband thinks it's

> prednisone withdrawal..... I'd like other opinions....

>

February 25, 2007

My name is , I am 28 years old and have RA, Fibromyalgia,

Asthma, Migraines, Reynauds, and all the other lovely things that go

with all of those... I am a newbie to this group, but not a newbie to

RA. My rheumie and I have been changing my " cocktail " for about five

years trying to get to the bottom of the fatigue. My cocktail

includes: 200mg Plaquenil 2/day, ibuprofen 4/day, ritalin 4/day,

Humira injection biweekly, Advair 50/500 2/day, singulair 1/day,

prednisolone as needed, vicodin as needed, with rescue inhaler and

Migraine meds when needed. I have tried the anti-fatigue drug

provigil, and have tried anti-depressants also. The thing that I

have found that works the best is Ritalin. He has me taking 20 mg

evey 4-6 hours as the fatigue returns. It has done wonders! I was

falling asleep driving, I would sit down and just fall asleep. I

went into the office one day in tears because I was so frustrated

that I could not even play with my little girl. She was about six

months old when the RA started and just turned five last week. I was

determined to make the problem better, and I had to push to make the

doctor see how bad it was, but it was worth it. I have had much more

energy and have had more quality time with my daughter. You have to

remember that you are probably twice as exhausted from your body

trying to heal itself from the trauma of falling. Keep your head up,

and it will get better (a least one thing will get better before

something else breaks on you...) Gotta keep our sense of humor

through it all, right...

February 25, 2007

I had such problems getting up in the morning last year that I thought I was

going nuts in '05. I kept asking my doc to check my TSH and I was mystified

that it was normal. I'm hypothyroid, but I've had good control. Lo and behold

in '06 I was dx with RA. That explained the fatigue that I'd had for so long.

Enbrel really helped get me going again. I can get through the afternoons much

better. It's not total remission, my knees are still squishy and I'm on 4mg

pred indefinitely, but Enbrel has me up and around again. It's tough getting

out of bed, but once I hit the shower, I feel like me again, and that's a big

improvement from that morning stiffness that made me afraid to put my feet on

the floor.

Also, if I could send a word to our friend who is feeling depressed. It's

normal to feel down and hopeless from time to time, but what you were describing

sounds like clinical depression. It's nothing to ignore, nor should you feel

embarrassed. It's a real medical dx that responds to medical interventions

(such as meds and counseling). Please mention your disturbed sleep,

tearfulness, and lack of attention to self care to your doc and get help asap.

You don't have to suffer alone. RA is a tough dx to bear, you have to face it

fully armed, and you deserve to feel better.

Squeezes, K

Faith <fmt2002@...> wrote: i have had

exactly what you describe with my RA. Maybe typical with