Fatigue in EM

Does anyone have problems with fatigue related to the EM? I have terrible fatigue. It makes my body and limbs feel heavy and weak. Sometimes I don’t have the strength to hold my blow dryer up to blow dry my hair. Other times I feel like O need to sit down after just a few minutes of doing something.

Hi I do have terrible fatigue Sharon but I'm not sure it's related to my EM but rather my MS. Have you spoken to a doctor about the severe fatigue? I'm wondering if you have something else going on alongside your EM. Can I ask if you know what type of EM you have because if it's secondary EM and you're yet to find out what it is secondary to then it is possible the unknown primary condition could be causing your fatigue. I can completely relate to the fatigue, and holding the hairdryer up is one of the things I find difficult. Some days I feel pretty good and can exercise and other days just dragging myself through a day at work is more than my body can cope with.! I wish you luck in finding some answers.

Tired all the time....don't know if it's the EM or the drugs..maybe a combo of both?

Sharon , feeling as fatigued as you describe sounds like something else is the cause. I would see a doc. EM makes me tired sometimes but the reason is simple - lack of sleep because of the burning pain during the night.

I have got something called polymyalgia rheumatic which appeared out of the blue. I am told that it will eventually burn itself out! One of the symptoms is tiredness. Any effort results in the necessity to sit down and I fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

May not be the same problem but I thought I would mention it.

Regards,

Exmet.

dkel9307 said:

Hi Everyone

My heart goes out to you all.

I have fatigue fairly badly. Like some others, I have multiple conditions, so it is hard to say what is the cause.

If I try to remember life when I had just two diagnoses - EM and Chronic Venous Insufficiency, I think the pain and constant need to have legs elevated was wearing me down. The more the pain was around and the further it spread, the earlier I had to go to bed. Also, I just couldn't sleep many nights. So it was definitely contributing to wearing me down. My EM is every day flares - as soon as my feet are down, and the pain is acute, every day.

After then having Lyme Disease really take hold, the fatigue really set in. I have to nap every day. The fatigue does feel "different".

I would say that it is possible to have fatigue from EM if the pain is around acutely every day and impacts ability to sleep. Else, there might be something else going on. Either way, seeing a good doctor...and leveraging our lovely community...are two ingredients in a sound plan.

Kind regards,

Dkel

Sharon,

I agree with the others that there might be something else going on. I have occasional fatigue where I just can't get out of bed. I usually wind up taking the day off and then sleeping all day and through the next night. I believe this is related to my Epilepsy rather than EM. I'd talk to your doctor for sure.

(I have secondary EM and we have not been able to diagnose the underlying cause yet. We are leaning toward a connective tissue disorder and/or possibly psoriatic arthritis. We've been able to hold steady with a combination of drugs: aspirin, Keppra for my epilepsy, Cymbalta for the peripheral neuropathy, and a mild dosage of Plaquenil thrown in for good measure.)

B



dkel9307 said:

Sorry to hear that, Exmet

Please, are you able to share a bit more about what polymyalgia rheumatic is and what it does?

Very best wishes with everything,

Dkel

Exmet said:

I have got something called polymyalgia rheumatic which appeared out of the blue. I am told that it will eventually burn itself out! One of the symptoms is tiredness. Any effort results in the necessity to sit down and I fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

May not be the same problem but I thought I would mention it.

Regards,

Exmet.

dkel9307 said:

Hi Everyone

My heart goes out to you all.

I have fatigue fairly badly. Like some others, I have multiple conditions, so it is hard to say what is the cause.

If I try to remember life when I had just two diagnoses - EM and Chronic Venous Insufficiency, I think the pain and constant need to have legs elevated was wearing me down. The more the pain was around and the further it spread, the earlier I had to go to bed. Also, I just couldn't sleep many nights. So it was definitely contributing to wearing me down. My EM is every day flares - as soon as my feet are down, and the pain is acute, every day.

After then having Lyme Disease really take hold, the fatigue really set in. I have to nap every day. The fatigue does feel "different".

I would say that it is possible to have fatigue from EM if the pain is around acutely every day and impacts ability to sleep. Else, there might be something else going on. Either way, seeing a good doctor...and leveraging our lovely community...are two ingredients in a sound plan.

Kind regards,

Dkel

I was papering a room and although I did not really feel like doing it, I managed to finish it but the next day I was completely shattered. I had pains in my joints especially in my shoulders and I couldn't raise my arms over shoulder height. I assumed it was the work I had done the previous day but when the pains continued I went to the doctor who diagnosed polymyalgia rheumatic. I have been to various specialists but they all say the same - it will last about 2 years and eventually burn itself out. As I am 86 this does not cheer me up! I am on a steroid called deltacortril which has got rid of the joint pains but has affected my voice so that I sound as if I have a permanent sore throat. I am told by my doctor that it is not known what causes this complaint and there is no known cure for it, only palliatives such as pain killers and steroids to keep it under control.

Regards,

Exmet