How do I beat this severe fatigue?

Hi, !

Dealing with fatigue is just . . . rough. You can give the Actemra more time to see if it's working for you, but please don't hesitate to talk to your doctor, especially if the side effects are outweighing any benefits you may experience. While you definitely want to minimize joint damage and inflammation, hence the Actemra, it sounds like you were doing pretty well staying active before starting Actemra and it stinks that that is no longer the case.

If the fatigue is more RA related and less related to Actemra, well, our members have shared a plethora of stories and tips for managing the unending fatigue that RA can cause. Here's one popular piece on the topic with dozens of member comments at the end of the article. You might check it out -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/morning-fatigue. And here's a a conversation from our forums on the topic of fatigue (light on tips, heavy on commiserating, if that makes sense) -- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/fatigue-2; I really hope your fatigue is short lived and that you can get back to exercising and actively playing with your puppy very soon! And, again, please talk to your doctor, if you haven't done so already.

Best, Erin, Team Member.

I completely understand where you're coming from. It can feel disheartening dealing with managing RA and then having to battle the draining fatigue that comes with it. Not only this, but not being able to exercise which usually brings you so much relief and joy makes it even harder to cope. Fatigue is a beast and can be so hard when trying to overcome it. My advice to you would be to try shorter, gentler exercises like stretches or short, low-impact activities. Even 5-10 minutes can make a difference and help ease you back into activity. Also, be kind to yourself and rest when you need to. You’re doing your best; sometimes that’s all you can do. Hang in there! Kindly, Latoya (Team Member)

My community memebers here have provided some good tips and resources. I did want to add my two cents as I've been living with RA the last 19 years and the first several years I dealt with bad fatigue from the biologic I was on (Enbrel). In terms of working out don't underestimate the power of walking, getting sunlight every morning first thing you do waking up, and gentle stretching. Drinking water with lemon and Celtic salt helped me feel more awake as they have natural minerals your body needs that the medication can deplete which is why proper supplementation is a good thing to look into. Of course always communicate with your rheumatologist about the fatigue. It can be caused by various things and we aren't allowed to give medical advice here. Sometimes being low in b12 makes fatigue worse, or something else underlying that an integrative/functional medicine doctor can help you look deeper into. These things helped shift my fatigue immensely. There are answers you just need to ask and look for them by testing things out. Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out to us anytime you have a question, concern or need to vent. -Effie, team member

I had RA for eight years and started a new medication and ended up with next day severe fatigue that was an expected side effect and so I rested and reduced my work hours using a partial FMLA leave. I also researched the fatigue caused by the med and took a recommended dose of folic acid suggested by my rheumatologist in combo with that medication. As time went on the fatigue got worse and worse until I was tired all the time and my doctors said nothing more could be done and send me to a therapist gor depression who suggested I see a different doctor. I went to a new primary doctor who did blood tests and sent me to a liver specialist who told me the med was damaging my liver and to stop immediately. I stopped it and started feeling better three weeks later and my liver is also doing better 6 months later. My RA is worse but the fatigue is back to ordinary RA fatigue.