I have RA, Fibromyalgia, psoriasis, asthma. What symptoms come from which one. Always pain/tired.
I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with so many challenging conditions. It can be tough to differentiate symptoms when they overlap. Here’s a general breakdown that might help: Rheumatoid Arthritis: Typically causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, especially in the hands and feet. Fatigue is also common due to inflammation.
Fibromyalgia: Known for widespread muscle pain, tenderness, and fatigue. People with fibromyalgia often experience sleep disturbances and cognitive difficulties, sometimes referred to as “fibro fog.”
Psoriasis: This usually affects the skin, causing red, scaly patches. It can also cause joint pain in some people (psoriatic arthritis), which might overlap with RA symptoms.
Asthma: Primarily affects the respiratory system, causing wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Asthma can also contribute to overall fatigue if it’s not well-controlled.
Managing multiple conditions can be overwhelming, so keeping track of your symptoms and discussing them with your healthcare team might help you distinguish between them and find the best treatment approach. If you have any specific concerns or need more detailed advice, feel free to ask! Also, I encourage you to reach out to your doctor for a treatment plan that can best suite all your needs. All the best, Latoya (Team Member)
I know how incredibly frustrating it can be when it just seems like everything is hurting all the time. Not to mention throw in the mental and physical fatigue that comes along with dealing with all of those conditions at once. It can be overwhelming and heartbreaking while keeping you in a state of almost panic at all times. It really does take its toll, you are not alone or wrong at all. The most thing that I can say to help is that eventually, even those of us with multiple conditions like you have, find a routine that works for us. Whether that routine involves diet, or medicine, or a certain schedule you keep to every day, or a combination of the 3, it results in you being able to find the quality of life that you can live with. I know it seems hopeless now but I promise especially with diseases like this things will change. Sometimes they change for the better and sometimes they change for the worse but they do change. It gets hard to be proactive all the time but unfortunately it's the thing we have to do in order to make sure we end up with that important quality of life. As Latoya said if you need any help please reach out. Keep on keepin' on, DPM
Thank you, Daniel and Lotoya. I usually deal with it it all but lately depression is creeping in. I have so many important tasks to complete that should have been done already but I either forget (I have a list) or I'm too exhausted to even start. I've always been the type of person that could always manage everything, even with pain, brain fog, exhaustion, & etc. But not lately. 
Hi
, I just wanted to check in. How are you managing this week? I hope that this community can help you know that you aren't alone. It can be really challenging to go from being the type of person who can manage everything (even with a chronic condition) to then finding yourself too exhausted. So many people understand the frustration and depression that can creep in. Our advocate, Monica, wrote about her struggle with productivity and her feelings around it in this article, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/redefine-productivity. And, you might also appreciate this article from Daniel about the fits and starts of RA and the emotional toll it can take, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/chronic-illness-time. This community is here for you! -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
