Autoimmune something: Struck with extreme fatigue

This is exactly how it started for me. I’ve been told almost everything under the sun. It’s sickening what these doctors do. I will NOT take gabapentin although it really does help you sleep it will cause severe issues to other organs you really don’t need now so try another sleeping alternative. I have swelling in my lower left leg down to my toes. They look like sausages. I have lost all mobility in my wrists and to turn a page in a book I just find some days I cannot move my fingers. I have had these tests ran also. I am in the same boat you are. I was also told in the ER ( I went because my breathing was so bad it felt like my lungs were stuck together and the pain throughout my body was way beyond their stupid pain level of 10 chart) anyway I see a psychiatrist who has prescribed me klonopin and vistaril for my many mental illnesses on top of all this. I can so relate to you. I also have COPD as I am a smoker also but the nicotine or some toxic chemicals in those cigs really do help the pain. I can’t drive anymore, my vision went from 21/20 to 21/-131 in just a few months. I have severe cataracts. I have osteoarthritis in my spine from my c3 vertebrae in my neck to the middle of my spine where a 3 cm mass was found. I also have been to every specialist and nobody will help me. The findings are there! As with you also. I have decided to just go on until I can’t anymore. I cry everyday. Almost all day. Horrible excruciating pain day and night. I cannot write well anymore nor lift much. I am a farmer so this really put a damper on my life. What is odd is that it came on so fast! I was doing Zumba and my right foot bunion area started to hurt. Thought I did too much of a workout so I tried to continue but I couldn’t from the pain. From day 1 of onset of pain and to where my condition is now has worsened drastically in 11 months. I’m told no matter what I do, what meds someone may prescribe I only have maybe 10 more years to live. I’m in agony. I understand your situation. It’s so bad. These doctors are awful! By the way since we are on the Mayo Clinic site don’t they treat rheumatoid arthritis? I’ll check it out because I’ll seek Mayo out as my next facility. Thank you for your story. Finally I know I’m not the only person who feels like they have the flu 24/7, fatigue, swelling, off the chain pain in EVERY JOINT AND BONE.

One treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is weekly shots of methotrexate. Which did help but I also have psoriatic arthritis. BUT: The methotrexate will damage your kidneys as is what happened to mine. I stopped the methotrexate but am now consumed with horrible pain throughout the body and the psoriatic arthritis has my finger nails falling off (agony) and the rest of my body responding to pain as well. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. It is easy to give up now but what keeps me going is my cat and dog. They are old as I am (83) they are 14 years of age. They need me to help them with their passing then my turn will come. But, I still smile (when I can). As hard as it is. Good luck to all of us. Peach

I used to take weekly shots of methotrexate for RA. I didn't know it could harm the kidneys; I just knew it could harm the liver. Anyway, my rheumatologist died and I quit the methotrexate since there was no other rheumatologist in the area (Montana). I was sent to a rheumatologist in Duluth where I now live when my sed rate was found to be very high (normal crp, though). He started me on a low dose of methotrexate tablets and then the COVID came along after a month and I quit the meds since I didn't want to face a pandemic with a suppressed immune system. I don't want to try biologics since they can make one susceptible to lymphoma. What I would like to try is medical cannabis since it apparently has anti-inflammatory effects. After I get a COVID vaccine I may ask for medical cannabis. He could throw me out on my ear, although so far he has been a nice man. Inflammation is dangerous, too. If I could just get my sed rate down I would be happy--the RA is just something I live with and tolerate pretty well. I also have Hashimoto's for what it's worth.

This is exactly how it started for me. I’ve been told almost everything under the sun. It’s sickening what these doctors do. I will NOT take gabapentin although it really does help you sleep it will cause severe issues to other organs you really don’t need now so try another sleeping alternative. I have swelling in my lower left leg down to my toes. They look like sausages. I have lost all mobility in my wrists and to turn a page in a book I just find some days I cannot move my fingers. I have had these tests ran also. I am in the same boat you are. I was also told in the ER ( I went because my breathing was so bad it felt like my lungs were stuck together and the pain throughout my body was way beyond their stupid pain level of 10 chart) anyway I see a psychiatrist who has prescribed me klonopin and vistaril for my many mental illnesses on top of all this. I can so relate to you. I also have COPD as I am a smoker also but the nicotine or some toxic chemicals in those cigs really do help the pain. I can’t drive anymore, my vision went from 21/20 to 21/-131 in just a few months. I have severe cataracts. I have osteoarthritis in my spine from my c3 vertebrae in my neck to the middle of my spine where a 3 cm mass was found. I also have been to every specialist and nobody will help me. The findings are there! As with you also. I have decided to just go on until I can’t anymore. I cry everyday. Almost all day. Horrible excruciating pain day and night. I cannot write well anymore nor lift much. I am a farmer so this really put a damper on my life. What is odd is that it came on so fast! I was doing Zumba and my right foot bunion area started to hurt. Thought I did too much of a workout so I tried to continue but I couldn’t from the pain. From day 1 of onset of pain and to where my condition is now has worsened drastically in 11 months. I’m told no matter what I do, what meds someone may prescribe I only have maybe 10 more years to live. I’m in agony. I understand your situation. It’s so bad. These doctors are awful! By the way since we are on the Mayo Clinic site don’t they treat rheumatoid arthritis? I’ll check it out because I’ll seek Mayo out as my next facility. Thank you for your story. Finally I know I’m not the only person who feels like they have the flu 24/7, fatigue, swelling, off the chain pain in EVERY JOINT AND BONE.

Cannabis will do nothing to slow or stop the disease.

I used to take weekly shots of methotrexate for RA. I didn't know it could harm the kidneys; I just knew it could harm the liver. Anyway, my rheumatologist died and I quit the methotrexate since there was no other rheumatologist in the area (Montana). I was sent to a rheumatologist in Duluth where I now live when my sed rate was found to be very high (normal crp, though). He started me on a low dose of methotrexate tablets and then the COVID came along after a month and I quit the meds since I didn't want to face a pandemic with a suppressed immune system. I don't want to try biologics since they can make one susceptible to lymphoma. What I would like to try is medical cannabis since it apparently has anti-inflammatory effects. After I get a COVID vaccine I may ask for medical cannabis. He could throw me out on my ear, although so far he has been a nice man. Inflammation is dangerous, too. If I could just get my sed rate down I would be happy--the RA is just something I live with and tolerate pretty well. I also have Hashimoto's for what it's worth.