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Exhausted and Fatigued

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/9/2012 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hey guys! I don't post here very much, but I've been having some problems and I thought it might be worth a try to get everyone's input.
Just a little background about me - I'm 20, I was diagnosed with UC at age 14. I take four Lialda (4.8 g) and three Imuran (150 mg) daily. I've been flaring since mid-August. I recently finished a small round of Prednisone (started at 20 mg, tapered down from that) that seemed to help. (Every time that I have taken Prednisone previously, I started at 40 mg and tapered. I was kind of skeptical that the 20 would really heal me.)
So, my problem right now is that I am tired an fatigued all of the time. I had some blood work done and was checked for anemia, which I was told that I didn't have. I started taking a B12 supplement, but I haven't noticed any results.
Have any of you noticed chronic fatigue? What was the reason behind it? Have you found anything that has helped you?
Thanks so much for reading! :)

Post Edited (Gracie_x3) : 12/20/2013 10:57:23 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/9/2012 5:41 AM (GMT 0)
I'm guessing that if you're taking three Imuran pills a day you're on 150 mg daily, not 15 mg. They usually come in 50 mg tablets.

First of all, coming down off of Prednisone can leave the body tired as it rebalances itself.

If you are fatigued for a long time though, then it is probably something else. Having UC does at times leave me very fatigued. A lot depends on how sick I am. Even on Remicade and being in a kind of remission, I am fatigued off and on, on a consistent basis. I get sick with other things easily, and my body takes longer to fight them off. Some of this fatigue may be a side-effect of Remicade though.

If you're flaring badly, fatigue is common because the body needs energy to heal itself, so it takes that energy away from you!

After saying all of that though, the Imuran may just be making you tired. I was on 6mp (same as Imuran essentially) for around 6 years, and I felt that it made me tired. My doctor said he hadn't heard of that happening before, but if you go to the side effects of Imuran, you will see tiredness as a symptom.

My guess is it's the Imuran... but it's always difficult to tell.

I don't have any insightful answers on overcoming fatigue, unfortunately. I personally am trying to balance the side effects of the medicines with my future in mind. If I get really sick with UC and I've stopped Remicade, I don't have many options before surgery. So I deal with the fact that I'm probably feeling ill and tired a lot from the Remicade. I am going in tomorrow to talk with my general physician about pain management, as I've found I'm better able to get through the days with the help of pain medicine.
Posted 11/9/2012 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
Ditto Thoreau
Posted 11/9/2012 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
if you've been having diarrhea with your flare you have lost too many electrolytes and may be experiencing fatigue from that. or it could be the attack from the inflammation on your body that hasn't resolved totally yet. or it could be that your body is using a lot of resources to heal from the inflammation and just doesn't have extra energy. it is probably more than one thing. sickness is such a stress in every way on the body, mind and soul. I hope you feel better soon.
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