Exhaustion

[victoria sponge]

Why do we feel exhausted?  Is it normal to feel completely exhausted one day and fairly normal another day?  Why would that be?

[Piebird]

For me the fatigue is the worst symptom ! Have you had your B12 levels checked? I feel a lot better when mine is at the high end of normal. B12 shots have changed my life. I dont absorb the pill form.

[Katybarstool]

Victoria

It was one of my major symptoms. It's much better since I started on Plaquenil 2.5 years ago, and reduced my working hours. It still gets me now and then, ut not everyday, like it did.

Kathyx

[Joe S.]

Have you read "Spoon Theory"?

[Karina]

The fatigue was my first symptom, and I didn't know what I had for manny years. You feel like crying, that's how bad it is. I still don't know how to manage that.

[LisaMarie]

Last year, I was literally falling asleep at my desk within 2 hours of the start of my work day.  I could not keep my eyes open at all.  I had bouts where I would sleep for 18 hours a day and still be tired.  But two days later, I would have a great deal of energy and could work a full day, come home cook supper, do some housework and not feel like going to bed until 10pm.  It was sporadic.  It happened a lot for me.

Now that I've been on Plaquenil for over a year, I've been much better.  About once a month (usually right before my period) I will have a sleepless night followed by an 18 hour sleep.  Then I'm back on schedule.  I'm not quite where I think I should be, but at least I feel somewhat functional as a employee, wife, and mother.  I don't like to plan too much in advance because I never know when I won't have the energy to add something to my day.  So I've learned to be more spontaneous and enjoy those good days.