How do you deal with Fatigue?

[Lizzy613]

Hello!
I've been experiencing a lot of fatigue lately, I'm not sure what's causing it exactly (Crohn's? Recent Concussion? Poor sleep? So many wonderful possibilities!) I'm going to ask my doctor to check my B12, vitamin D, Iron, etc next time i see her, but in the meantime, I'm looking for ideas on how to cope with this? I'm a student at uni so there's often work I can't just skip or put off, or classes I need to be awake for. What sort of things do you do to stave off this overwhelming fatigue during the day?

 

[nofun]

In my case it is mostly low iron and general fatigue related to an active flare. I like staying late in the evening, but I noticed that if I don't get enough sleep I don't have much energy the next day. What really helped me with the fatigue is learning to do power naps. It was a game changer! One power nap of 23-27 minutes, and I wake up completely refreshed. I also gain about 1.5 hour in the evening when I don't have to go to sleep.

I don't have a place at work where I can nap, but I just do it in the car. Even in winter when it is cold I bring a sleeping bag to cover myself up - it takes too long to warm up the car with an engine.
At the beginning I couldn't fall asleep, but now I trained my body and it only takes 1-2 minutes. I also experimented with the duration. If you read about power naps, the trick is to not to sleep too long as you get into the deep sleeping cycle. 23-27 min works best for me.

 

[Mountaineer01]

A bi-weekly B12 shot helps me, along with a large dose of D3 every other day. Just like with anything else, relief wasn't instant, but after a month or so of this treatment combined with Humira, my fatigue really began to improve. I can't say I'm 100% of what I was pre-Crohn's, but I'd say I'm probably about 70% or so.

 

[deekay45]

Hello ive just joined this forum is it USA based? Im from the UK. I was diagnosed with crohns just over 2 yrs ago. Symptoms extreme fatigue loss if appetite overall abdominal pain. An mri scan showed well developed crohns. I now take 2 vit D3 every day each tab is 1000iu. Im also having Vedolizumab infusions every 6 weeks. My energy levels are back and i am reasonably well for now. Good quality vit d3 is what will stop fatigue. Hope this helps.

 

[Scipio]

My impression is that this forum is UK-based, but there a lot of us yanks here too. Some Canadians and Aussies also. Anyone who can write in English is welcome no matter where they live.

 

[Mountaineer01]

Hello ive just joined this forum is it USA based? Im from the UK.....

From what I've seen, it's a mix of UK, US, Canada, Australia. Haven't noticed anyone from New Zealand or South Africa, but it doesn't mean they are not here.