Fatigue is Disabling

[hippie4lyfe]

This whole summer has been spent sleeping, feeling dizzy and not going many places or just having flares. Ugh. Just when something gets better something else goes wrong! If I am re-gaining my energy I have a flare-up, if my flare starts going away, I lose my energy. There seems no way to win

I don't know if this whole fatigue/dizzy spell thing is normal. It has been weeks, and one doctor says my iron stores are low, the GI says they are fine and its just the pred withdrawal. I don't know who to believe. Either way I can't imagine with all my pills and supplements that this is normal. Lately I have been sleeping upwards of 12 hours per days and I am still dead tired, in pain, and dizzy.

Is this very serious fatigue normal? How do I cope with this? I am starting school in a few days and I am deathly scared that I won't be able to go through with this.

In addition to the fatigue I started flaring yesterday, so I have blood in the stools again :depressed: that probably is causing additional loss of nutrients.

please help!

 

[Isla]

Even when I was not flaring I was still sleeping 10-12 hours and waking up tired and remaining tired. I thought it was due to Crohns, and as Pen pointed out it is VERY easy to blame everything on Crohns. My fatigue had nothing at all to do with CD it was asthma. I didn't realize I wasn't breathing all that well. My only clear sign was when my allergies lost control and I literally had a hard time breathing. Otherwise I notice it only as fatigue, not my lungs are inflamed.

In YOUR case I would venture to guess it is both coming off pred AND low iron. Low iron you can help by taking supplements or eating iron rich foods however; there isn't much to do about coming off of pred. Though I would caution not everything can be attributed to Crohns even if it all points to it - it very well could be something else.

I was utterly shocked I had asthma. I thought, I am bleeding from my butt and from periods - of course I am tired. Boy did I get a piece of my life back when I started to treat my asthma!

Good luck on feeling better and figuring it out.

 

[hippie4lyfe]

Isla thank you, its probably a few factors, I wouldn't blame it all on CD (although its fun to blame that evil disease). It is probably a combo of low iron stores, CD, and coming off of pred.

Wow, your entry got me thinking. A woman with crohn's having periods and losing additional blood, yikes. That must be an extra scary time.

I have been reading about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (i seem to meet all the criteria), the docs have no clue what they are talking about and don't know why i feel so fatigued. If things don't change soon, I think I shall diagnose myself with CFS. Not that there is anything I can really do about that, but atleast I will feel better knowing what the heck is going on.

 

[soupdragon69]

Yep I can identify with this.

So far I have been diagnosed with underactive thyroid, unstable asthma, severe crohns, 5 skin diseases/problems and now looking at rheumatoid arthritis.

A few weeks ago the rheumatology registrar said "you have massive autoimmune issues and we need to get you sorted out". I talked to my gastro cons a few days after that, my GP and my Occ health cons and they all nodded in agreement.

Seems they all knew they just never voiced it. I always thought the extreme exhaustion was just because I am in such a manic job and everyone complains of feeling shattered and sore so I thought it was normal!!

Its like I am giving my body permission now to feel exhausted and also to ease up on myself - stop pushing at times when I know I should rest - and recognise there is a REASON I feel so c**p.

All the health problems I have along with big food intolerances cause extreme exhaustion. Yes I work full time but I literally havent had a life for many years. I come home and sleep on my days off. I have to work because there is only me to look after me so I have no choice.

Dont jump to conclusions hippie try and figure out a cause. Fight until you get answers. Yes I agree steroids are draining too - I end up on them for my asthma more than my gut and last year had a total of 5mths worth between the two. Now that the remicade is finally helping me I am on steroids for my"rheumatoid" arthritis"!!!! Arrrrgggh cant win can I?? ;-)

Anyway, I have waffled long enough. I am off to rest as had my remicade earlier today and tired. Keep fighting and hang in there. Remember however many things have similar symptoms and doctors are there to fit the pieces together so deciding what you think you have could be to your detriment in the long run...

Thinking of you

 

[Babe123]

i can relate as far as the fatigue goes. t his summe has been a bum for me. i havnt had the energy to do anything. alls ive wanted to do is sleep, sleep and more sleep. just as im feeling better im ill again.. its very frustrating. i also have asthma

make sure your school knows how you are feeling so that they can be understanding. my college teachers know everything thats up with me and they are very understanding of it.

x

 

[Agent X20]

I came to the conclusion, just a couple of days ago, that I have two types of fatique.
1) I've never slept very well... ever... my brain is always ticking away when I go to bed. Sometimes I just feel really tired, but still able to function at work or doing stuff at home.
2) Sometimes I'm totally washed out, can't concentrate at all at work and spend the day in a zombie state trying not to fall off my chair. I don't know whether it's the Crohns, the drugs, or whatever, but it's definitely different to 1)
I work 4 days a week and I often have 50/50 between 1) and 2). I just have to do what I can when I can!