Thanks for the article link.

Right now my major issue is fatigue. I am focusing on pacing myself throughout the day.

Nancy

Very interesting. Sure hope this research & findings take hold or grabs attention in the USA.
We sure hear enough here on this support group to know fatigue is a serious problem.

I can see where it would cause or contribute to depression.
Pain alone can lead to major problems there. Add fatigue & brain fog to the pain & after while it just gets to you.
I find it strange how doctors don't discuss other symptoms & problems RA can cause for patients.
For example my cousin has RA also. Yet when I mentioned to brain fog she replied "you have that to?" She was not aware that it was linked to RA.
She just gave up her job. As she could not handle it anymore.
If I did not know so much of how I feel was linked to the diseases I'd think I was simply loosing my mind. Which is how I felt before my DX.
I love the sharing here. Knowledge is power.
Sammy

I felt the fatigue before diagnosed as well. It lasted several weeks. Thought I was losing my mind or severely depressed but had no reason to be. It is a difficult feeling to explain...so much more than "tired". This article really helps explain it. Thank you for posting!

That's one of the best articles I've read about RA! I guess I really chewed it up being that my fatigue/fog has been much more debilitating than my pain for some time.

And as I've said before - when I see my Rheumatologist every three months, who is one of the heads of a large Arthritis Research Center, just kind of looks at me when I tell him about how bad the fatigue is. As the article suggests, I am going to really emphasize the issue a lot more at my next visits.

The survey results were very interesting - quite a high percentage of RA sufferers are plagued with the fatigue at serious levels.

Coaltrain,
I too suffer terribly from the fatigue and extreme muscle weakness. It's not just feeling tired, it is a total lack of energy or strength. It is hard to explain to others and even the docs don't seem to get how much it affects our lives. Just yesterday I told my rhuemy by email how much the fatigue was getting me down and she seemed to be floored by it. She is an excellent rhuemy but somehow she just didn't process the info. She told me it is a combination of the meds..(I am on Predisone,MTX and Humira). and the inflammation from the RA that causes the fatigue. She cannot do much about until she gets my inflammation under control. And even then there is no guarantee that the fatigue will get a lot better. So what do we do?? Just take it one day at a time.

Yes free2beme - so hard to explain. Along with the symptoms you explain I have a terrible lack of ambition - to the point I just can't make myself even do some simple tasks. I hate that! I am back to 2-3 mandatory 1 hour naps every day now that the Enbrel quit working. And it's not like I want to take a nap - my body just shuts down and my eyes shut. My wife will catch me fall asleep while reading on the porch chair all the time and tell me to go lay down.

Thank you for this article - I've had chronic fatigue for many years - all before I was diagnosed with RA - (as well as sleep apnea) so I can relate and the information is very useful. I am seeing my rheumatologist in a month so I appreciate having this beforehand.

People really don't understand fatigue - it is not just being tired and needing a good night's sleep. The article shows just how much it affects every aspect of your being - it is so interrelated.

Again - thank you -

Thank you for the link to the article. I was just diagnosed today and haven't begun taking any meds so I know my fatigue is not a side effect of a med. I told my rheumatologist today that sometimes the fatigue gets so bad I feel like I need to lay down wherever I am (she nodded and agreed that it could get that debilitating). Sometimes my muscles feel like they are made of lead and every part of my body is exhausted. Right now the fatigue is causing more interruption to my life than the pain is.

Great Article! I sure can relate to it.

Lin