I'm tired. I'm sick and tired of being tired. I wonder if I am depressed.
I have been struggling with some chronic autoimmune arthritis stuff for about 4 years now. Most of that time, I have been on meds that have helped considerably. By that I mean, I only have to live with a mild amount of chronic pain. But lately, things suck! I am feeling so tired all the time, in more pain than usual. So I went and b*tched and moaned to my rheum. She poo-poos me but checks the usual labs. Low and behold....my inflammation markers were doubled! Maybe I'm not crazy after all. So she suggests increasing my methotrexate dose to 'nip things in the bud'. I do this....
Now I feel like sh*t because my stomach is all tore up....awful pain and dizziness as well after taking the increased dose. I stick it out for a couple weeks then go back to the original dose. I am feeling better. Not quite my usual 'cheerleader personality' (this is said with full sarcasm) but better.....
for a few weeks.....
Then it starts again....only it starts with what I call a 'spell' - signs of infection (low-grade temps, occ chills, fatigue, generalized achiness) with no obvious reason. These normally last 2-3 days every couple months or so then disappear. This time it hangs on for a couple weeks...again no obvious sources of infection. I go to see the rheum for my regular appointment. I'm told not to take my meds until I'm seen. So I am now a week past when I should have taken them last. My rheum checks urine culture, draws bloods....
and here I sit waiting on results. They called and left a message to call them back at 4:55pm. Guess when the office closed? 5:00pm. Guess when I called back? 5:02pm. F*ck.
This sucks.
5 comments:
This may sound weird and kooky, but what do you have to lose? Try the Blood Type Diet. I have recently started it (even tho I don't feel crummy), and realize I feel better when I eat "right." The impetus for me getting on it, is to encourage my husband to do the diet, and *he* has a lot of problems -- constantly tired, no energy, allergies, achiness, etc. The woman who turned me on to the Blood Type Diet sounds a lot like you -- in fact, a few months after being on the diet, she called her mom and in the course of the conversation said, "I feel good," and her mom demanded to know what she was doing differently, because it was **the first time in her life** that she had ever said she felt good (she was about 25 y/o). She and her husband are different blood types, and when her dh tried to eat according to his wife's type... well, let's just say that he refers to that time as "when my wife tried to kill me"; but when he eats according to his own blood type, he feels well. It sounds hokey, but it works for them, and I've even seen a bit of improvement in my husband (although he still eats "wrong" stuff when he's out). It's worth a shot!
-Kathy
Interesting...I'm supposed to be a vegetarian. I'm so not seeing it!
Have you had your vitamin D level checked? Vitamin D is essential for a strong immune system and can keep inflammation levels low. The test you would need is a vitamin d 25 (OH). Check out www.vitamindcouncil.org for more information.
Most people with auto-immune disorders have low levels of vitamin D.
Or start supplementing with about 5,000iu daily and have your level checked in a couple of months with hopes of getting your level between 70-100 and then adjust your dosage accordingly.
Our practice has been recommending it for all of our pregnant women. I think there was a break-out session on Vitamin D at the ACNM convention last year.
I love your blog and hope that you start to feel better!
Sylvia
Thanks for the suggestion - will check it out. But I am thinking that since I live in AZ, I get plenty of Vitamin D. Even though I use sunblock when out at the pool I don't use it when just out and about.
Ask your rheum about subq or IM for the mtx. They switched me to that when PO was tearing up my GI and it helped a lot.
-lpnmon (also dx with RA.)
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