Tiredness= IBD symtoms or vice-versa?

[EosinDude]

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I have Eosinophilic gastroenteritis which is very close to Crohn's. In fact, I am being treated for Crohn's (Pentasa, Entocort, and low fiber lactose free).
Here is my question. Does tiredness bring on symptoms? Or does symptoms bring on tiredness? I can go through most of the day and feel pretty good all day. But then late in the day, early evening, I start getting very tired and my intestines start bothering me. I start feeling campy with occasional little sharp (but dull and quick) pains in various places. These are not great big waves of pain associated with a flareup, the kind that would send one to the hospital, but enough to be uncomfortable and bothersome. I often find myself much more tired than I should be during the day, but my evenings are pretty much useless because I am ready for bed at like 7PM. Can anyone shed some light on this? If you have any questions, ask away.
Thanks,
Rich :confused2:

 

[BWS1982]

Hmm, I kinda see fatigue AS a symptom, not a causal/effect related element to it. Fatigue is common with IBD, as the disease leeches nutrition away and it puts stress on the body, among other reasons.

I get a little more tired than usual too, but then have slight issues sleeping at times (prednisone).

 

[Methofelis]

I'm pretty sure it is a symptom. I'm almost always exhausted (three kids and two dogs will also do that to you :tongue: ) but I have a lot of trouble sleeping with the Prednisone, as mentioned above, and just from general discomfort. I'm pretty sure most people here will agree to being rather tired folk.

 

[D Bergy]

I work shift work, so it is always hard to assess how much of my tiredness is due to that and how much is due to Crohn's. Even when off from work for a couple of weeks I still have some fatigue.

This has always been with me and led me to believe I may have a hypothyroid problem. I still suspect that may be the case, but have not been diagnosed as such.
The Crohn's and the thyroid may be linked somehow, but that is just the hypothesis I am playing with at this time.

Dan

 

[soupdragon69]

I have exhaustion and fatigue every single day. It varies as to depth in relation to what I have on and how well I slept the night before. Add to that my current nutritional state depend on how my gut is behaving and its not really any wonder. Can be physically exhausted and mentally full of fizz which is the harder one to deal with.

 

[EosinDude]

I have been struggling with fatigue for years, but it has gotten much worse since my last flair up this past August which led to my diagnosis. I guess I am hoping that most of my immediate problems are not being caused by the disease, but my the medication. My first flare-up was on Christmas Eve 2003 (emergency room). Then I had 2 or 3 since then but not particularly bad. Then this one last August, (very bad and led me to where I am now). But between 2003 and August, I was OK. So that is why I am kind of hoping the medicine in causing problems like gurgling, dehydration and such. And if so, I would like to manage by eating right and avoiding foods that cause a flareup, something I didn't know anything about before, and drinking lots of water an Gatoraid.

I read the post on this forum and it scares the crap out of me. No offense, but I don't want to be like all of you! I am not quite at Crohn's yet and I don't want to be! I am a librarian and I spend my day in front of a computer. My job requires lots of thinking and brain work and I am finding myself with a clear rested mind and able to be productive about 3 days out of 7. I can't do that. To make matters worse, I am being considered for a tenure track position at another university that has a lot of demands including publishing (and writing is hard for me to begin with). I am so scared of starting a new job and then not being able to meet their expectations because of physical limitations. I know I am capable, but damn this tiredness and intestinal symptoms. It's all bringing me so far down.
Thanks for the input and I welcome more.
Rich

 

[drew_wymore]

Hey Rich

Tiredness is definitely a symptom. As others have said I wouldn't consider it a cause/effect with flare ups or pain but a byproduct of the disease itself. I've found myself recently sometimes sleeping upwards of 14 hours some days. If I'm active for a whole day I'm usually a mess the next unless I plan my day very carefully and don't go nuts the whole day and make sure I eat right and get plenty of fluids etc. And there are the flare symptoms .. that I think would tire anyone out. A lot of folks here take vitamin supplements, myself included and they seem to help. My best advice is take as best care of yourself as possible, seems like common sense. Vitamin supplements etc, avoiding stress as much as possible ( which seems to trigger both tiredness and flare symptoms in me ). Someone else might be able to chime in with more info but I have read quite a few people who get B12 injections and it seems to help with energy, I haven't gone that route myself yet though.

 

[Kittee]

I hear ya. I am exhausted every evening.

 

[Indy]

Tired

I feel really tired on evenings. I sleep virtually the whole weekend.:confused2:

 

[Kev]

Well, not to dispute anyone else... cause I think we all make generalizations, and we all seem to have slightly different versions of the same disease... but I think.. No, I ASSume that tiredness is both an indication of inflamation, and an effect from it. for example... you get the flu... essentially your body is constantly fighting the bug.. and you have 0 energy. There isnt' the cornucopia of drugs to blame like there is with IBD.. tho I'm not doubting they play a role too.. Lets see, you have 6 - 7 metres of small intestive, involved to some extent or other... plus a couple of metres of large intestine, how good or bad it is is anyone's guess. and this is the area that breaks down N absorbs the fuel we need to keep our bodies going. It's sort of a 2 fold stanglehold.

Just my guess...