Tired

Oh my gosh...I am sooo tired alllllll the time. I am pure exhausted if I go to work.
I have RA, and am on amitryptiline,and plaquenil and take vitamin D too. I am tired all the time. Even when I go to bed early I am still tired when I get up. Summer is here and my job is cashier at a local grocery store, and so my hours pick up now that summer is here. By the time I am done for the day, be it 5 hours or 8 hours I am done like dinner....I am sore and tired beyond belief. I eat well, and be sure to eat healthy as I have kids and try to set good example of course. People I have read in here say that plaquenil is supposed to help lessen the tired feeling....so I was wondering if anyone had the opposite effect? Or maybe if I should go see dr. again?? last time I went and told them I was always tired nothing happened , she just asked me if I snore??? when I told her I believe I do she asked if I quit breathing, when I told her I didnt....topic seemed to have been dropped. It seems like I can never ever catch up on my sleep even when I get "naps" or to "sleep in" as much as a mom gets to of course.
Anyone else feel tired alot? any ideas how to help myself as last time I asked a doctor I got nowhere....
sorry to whine but ...I'm tired and I hope someone out there understands as everyone here seems to want me to suck it up and "get over it"
Have a good evening all....I'm going to bed. Thanks for any input. :)

I totally understand what you are talking about. I feel totally exhausted all the time. My doctor asked me if I was sleeping well? Well, of course I told him no. How can you sleep well when your back hurts and your neck hurts and your hip hurts. Its hard to get to sleep, hard to stay asleep. Well, he generally assumed that if I slept better I would not be so exhausted. I complain about it every time I see the rheumatologist. He doesn't seem to take it seriously.

I feel the same way you do. When I work, that's all I can do. My kids are grown, now, so I at least don't have that additional responsibility. I don't think sleep will totally do it. I don't know what will. I have been interested in taking plaquenil, but at the present time I don't have any insurance, so I'll have to forgo any medication changes. I'm lucky that all of my meds have been covered by patient assistance.

Hang in there, and keep bringing it up with your doctor. Good luck. I know how overwhelming it seems. It feels like working takes all you have, and that there is just nothing left of you. Fatigue really lowers your quality of life. I think it is worse than the pain.

I guess being tired with RA is very common...I too get exhausted easy, I wonder if your doctor
knows about this and doesn't really have a clue as to what you could do...maybe go to
a food health food store and look into a supplement, (not an energy drink)...
well wishes to you, keep us posted...Maybe more protein in your diet would help, maybe try
greek yogart (sp?)...

Thanks Chartreux and couchtater for your responses.
I dont wake up from snoring in the night, but sleep apnea could be part of the problem....but when I asked my rhuemy or my doctor never got anywhere, thinking I should make another appointment and try again. I just get an attitude and frustrated when I have to practically beg or FORCE by screaming at them for them to listen....so I try to figure things out myself so I can go in and say THIS IS WHATS WRONG NOW FIX IT....
Thanks for your input Trust me I am taking it all in and using it. :) have a great day

momto3 thanks for your input to my problem. I have tried pred, and am in all honestly trying to stay far far away from it. I dont like how it made me feel, or what effects it had on other functions of my body. I really dont want to become dependant on a steroid either....as I am dependent on the plaquenil I guess cause I definitley know when I have forgotten to take it cause I dont feel as "pain less" (not free) the day after I forget.
Thanks again and have a great day

Hi Tayisa..I wasn't suggesting for you to take pred, I was simply saying that is the only thing that I have found that works.  I used to take plaquenil before it started to bother my eyes and I had to discontinue use. Plaquenil was a great energy booster, that is for certain!  Your other medication tends to have a sedating side effect, that is most likely why you are more tired.  It is difficult to take those types of meds, and not feel some sort of tiredness from them.

I have been fatigued for years...I was undiagnosed for a long time. I am seronegative. The fatigue has gotten really bad this last year. I though if/when I got my RA under control, the fatigue would ease. I guess not...???

I was exhasted last year when my RA wasn't so well controlled. I'd have to take a nap between my morning and afternoon class a half hour power nap and then come home and nap too before I could face dinner and kid's homework etc.
But this year even though my sleep is still not great I have boundless energy. I feel like the energiser bunny, I could run all day. The new combination of meds has worked for me. I'm sure its the disease, when I flare I feel terrible, I can't get out of bed, can hardly stand up. I think we foget it doesn't just affect joints but organs too like our heart, liver and kidneys.
Not that I can give you a solution only that I feel 10 years younger now than I did last year. There may be a combination of meds out there that does the same for you. Best wishes, golitho

Thanks Golitho and there's Hope. Your posts are really appreciated. I am glad (selfishly) that there are others out there and I am not just being lazy...BUT DEFINITELY NOT GLAD TOO!!

couchtater, Thanks soooo much. I wish there was a way to explain the pure exhaustion to some people who just dont understand. I have read the "spoon theory", and thought this was a good way. I have used it to explain to some people.
Hope you are having a good day. ((gentle hugs)) and thanks again

I tell my kids I need a nana nap! Even though I don't have any Grand kids.

Thanks couchtater,golitho and carmen. Great Ideas!!
Carmen, I am to skip 2 days of taking my plaquenil a week, and I have not taken my amitriptyline on that day .... didnt really seem to help with exhaustion..but that certainly was a great idea.... thanks for helpin out.