Rheumatoid fatigue
What to do about RA Fatigue. Every couple of weeks or so I have day or two that I feel absolutely exhausted and run down. Makes it really hard to concentrate. Anybody else having this?
, you are definitely not alone in having those really exhausted and run down days. I hope some of our community members here can share any tips or tricks, or just commiserate, with you. RA fatigue can be such a frustrating and challenging beast to deal with and figure out. I thought you might be interested in this article about RA fatigue, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/ra-fatigue-complex-poorly-understood As well as this article from our advocate, David, with some of the things he does to try to combat some of the fatigue, https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/routine-manage-fatigue. RA fatigue really is such a frustrating symptom, please know that you aren't alone! Sending gentle hugs. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member) 
After a flare about 3 weeks ago, I find my fatigue has increased. I start my day ok but after a couple of hours getting to work I'm super tired. It is difficult to function as my brain does not want to work. I've been leaving like 1/2 day and going home and just sleep. After I rest I feel pretty good, however it last at the most 4 hours, then I'm tired again. One think I DID notice when I reviewed by food log. I've not been preparing meals during and right after my flare. I'm just now getting back to my regular diet routine, and will see if that makes a difference.
Thank you so much for sharing. This is very relatable and you’re definitely not alone in this feeling. It’s hard to prepare meals or do much during and after a flare. I hope you take note of what you have been able to do and start to gain strength & have some relief soon. -Effie, team member 
Hi
. I hope getting back to your routine helps. Do you find that your treatment regimen is controlling your RA or are you experiencing flares with regularity? I want to share with you this article from our contributor Kelly (full disclosure - I'm her husband) on how to know when to change medications: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/when-to-change-medications. While fatigue happens and is often the most difficult symptom to control, you shouldn't have to deal with this sudden level of increase. Hopefully, your doctor may have some thoughts on this. Hoping you get some answers soon and please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
My treatment kept me a a few aches and pains. I hadn't had a flare this bad in about 4 years. I had switched from Humira to Enbrel about 4 months ago (or so). Thank you for the article !
did humira stop working for you ? And is embral working?
I started embral 8 months ago,and it's helping, somewhat.
I have been on both Enbrel and Humira and, unfortunately, neither of them ended up working for me. They always petered out by the time 18 months passed. It wasn’t until 20 years and 8 more medications before we found the right biologic for me, Kineret. It is more of an obscure one, but it has worked for over 10 years to help control my illness! I know it takes a while and the waiting stinks but keep on going, you may eventually find the right combination of drugs to get this pesky illness under control! In the meantime just know you are not alone. Keep on keepin’ on, DPM
My fatigue can hit out of nowhere! I can be having a pretty good day, then I sit down to read a lesson and before I know it, I am fast asleep! Overall it does not appear to be associated with my infusions or my daily meds. It just hits for reasons unknown to me. Perhaps it has something to do with what I eat? I need to get better with my food diary.
Hi
. Some community members do find some relief from diet and that some foods cause more RA issues. I can tell you that for my wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), diet matters, but mostly at the margins. She wrote about her experience with monitoring nutrition here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/diet-holistic-approach. Of course, everyone's experience is different and it may be worth it to try to find what foods help and/or hinder your RA control.
I also want to note, since you mention the fatigue coming out of the blue, to check with you doctor to make sure there are not any comorbid issues (autoimmune conditions love to piggyback on each other). Hoping you can get some answers and relief soon. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
