Is there an RA medication that doesn't make a person tired?

Unfortunately, if there is, I haven't found one in my thirty plus years of rheumatoid arthritis. Now, I think much of that is due to the fact that RA itself comes with fatigue that comes and goes as it pleases and can make deciphering where the actual fatigue is coming from difficult at best, impossible at worst. Still, though, finding the right medicine for you can take a while, so hang in there. Just know you are not alone and if there's anything we can do to help, please let us know. Keep on keepin' on, DPM

I think Daniel hit the nail on the head when it comes to fatigue and RA, ! Unfortunately, it can be so hard to figure out if RA itself or the meds used to treat RA are causing one's fatigue.


That said, finding the right medication *can* help with your overall energy levels, but it your energy may never be what you would like it to be. The meds can help manage the pain and inflammation, which are very draining, so that's how they can help. I bet you know all this, but I wanted to share it, just to clarify.


Please know you're not alone in this and I hope you find the right treatment for you!


Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.

Hi . Like Daniel, my wife, Kelly Mack (also a contributor here), was diagnosed as a child many years ago. Several years ago she started a treatment that brought her inflammation numbers into the normal range for the first time. She said she believes this medication does not make her tired, but, also like Daniel, notes that it is really impossible to tell because there is fatigue that comes from the disease, the existing damage, etc... The difference is that most previous medications, such as methotrexate, left no doubt that they were causing fatigue. Finding the right medication makes so much difference that even fatigue may not seem as bad. That said, fatigue is often the last symptom for people to notice an improvement and often even a normalization in the disease blood test numbers doesn't always help the fatigue. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)

Good information.