Really really tired all the time

Just diagnosed in Jan 08.  Came out of nowhere.  Never had symptoms and I'm 35.  Ended up with a 9 day hospital stay.  After finally tapering off pred and starting 12 pills of asacol a day I'm back in a flair.  I had 4 wonderful days of formed stools (just like back in the day) and then the D started again.  Now I'm back on the pred starting today.  Since I have been diagnosed, I've just been so darn tired all the time even if I do get enough sleep.  With the D I'm sure my body is not getting anywhere the nutrients it needs so that may be a contributing factor. Is anyone else experiencing this?

 

It sure does.  I a 4 yr old and a 9 month old.  I feel like its impossible to be the father I want to be right now.

It's a feature of IBD in general, my GI says that even for patients who are in remission commonly still complain of being more tired then the average person.

:)

Glad to hear other people suffer this symptom as well. I have become pretty depressed about being so tired all the time.. Going to work and coming home and going straight to bed.. only to wake up.. have supper and go to bed again just doesn't seem like a normal life !!!! Its worse now that I am coming to what I hope is the end of a flare up... but even in remission I have energy problems.

Ditto.............hubby (and I) get so discouraged over this.  Seems like I never have the bed made!!  The open floor plan in Florida makes it "out there in the open" and a pain to always be looking at an unmade bed...lol. Sp I just shut the door and I don't see it.

Most times I just neaten it up and pull it together so he can easily slip into it and not be fooling around with all the pillows etc to unmake it.  More important for him to get the rest.

His doctors say the same thing - goes with the disease - I'm sure all his meds add to it to.  I find when we have things to do, errands to run, seeing friends for the most part his psyche kicks in a bit and he has more stamina. Afterwards he is pooped out though. If he is in the house with nothing to do then he is resting in bed or on the recliner on the lanai.

As a younger person with families and jobs and other obligations it has to be so difficult to try and push yourselves when the body is not willing.  Every day I hope and pray some major breakthrough will happen to help all of you out there trying to live your lives with this literal PIA.

 'm tired all the time as well, even when my iron levels are normal. I have to take naps everyday, especially during the school year b/c I am completely worn out after classes. It sucks--I wish I could have my normal energy level back

I concur. Boy, but when I get that spark of energy and feel good I go nuts, lol. I realize that is what I should feel like all the time though.

I am extremely tired all of the time. I blame it on UC because I was never like this before, however, I wasn't like this when I was initially diagnosed in 06. It seems like over the last few months I have become more tired.

I just found this web site a few days ago, and it has been wonderful!! I had my first flare in fall 2004 right after getting married. It was cleared up (with pred) by Christmas and I was convinced I would never have another one. I never wanted to ever have to take pred again! Life was good for so long.
I had a perfect pregnancy and only took my maintence med - Dipentum while pregnant. After my pregnancy my GI and I talked about coming off the Dipentum with the posssibility that I didn't have UC due to the fact that my blood work was inconclusive. I was only off the Dipentum 4 months before my second flare started. Now I have a 15 month old daughter and still haven't gotten my flare under control. I'm SO tired all the time! I started 6MP 5 weeks ago and still haven't seen any results. I was so depressed to start 6MP because now I can't have another baby for at least 2 and a half years because that's how long my GI wants me on 6MP and I don't want to chance a pregnancy on that. I'm very depressed with the tiredness, uncertain family planning, and I still have this thought of...what if this is not UC and I'm on this serious medicine for nothing. My blood work during my first flare was inconclusive for UC and the blood work he ran during the second flare was negative for UC but he says based on what he sees on the colonoscopy it's UC. I have never told anyone besides my husband and parents about my medical condition because I feel so embarrased. That's why I'm so glad I found this web site! I thought I was the only person that keeps a basket of toys in the bathroon so my daughter will have something to do every time she follows me in there but I'm sure some of you have done similar. I saw someone mention hormones causing their flares and it dawned on me that I went on birth control just prior to getting married then I had my first flare and then after having my baby I went back on birth control and got my current flare I've been dealing with for the past 9 months. I'm really wondering about that now.

I'm sorry to hear that so many suffer from this fatigue. I have only had that as a symptom last year when I was really sick and got extremely anemic. With normal blood levels back, I don't feel extra tired, and I've been in this flare for a year now. Like so much with UC, I guess it really varies from person to person. I'm curious about the UC blood work you mentioned. I've never heard about any blood test for UC. What is the test specifically? I was diagnosed back in 1989 from my colonoscopy, and then again last year when my 15 year remission suddenly ended, they confirmed the diagnosis of UC with a colonoscopy.

gilbernick,

if you're consuming sugars (soda, candy, cakes, cookies, fruit juices, etc.), try eliminating them completely from your diet and try reducing your starch intake...I can't guaranteen anything but it worked for me (and others here), so maybe it's worth a try.

NBT

Oh, definitely. My boyfriend occasionally jokes that he's dating an old lady because I fall asleep early always; if I lay down I'm out. And I Just never have the energy to do the things I used to... Like exercise! It's kind of a catch-22... I know exercise will make me feel better and have more energy... But I don't have enough energy to get up and do it!!

Count me in on the nap list. I think some of my fatigue is disease, some of it is stress and some of it is just getting older. Kids never appreciate the value of a good nap : )