Autoimmune Diseases and Fatigue

@lindalm - Here's a video of the Epley Maneuver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4S4CbuN6QA

I am curious, do you have good magnesium and potasium levels? I get restless legs, feet and calves ect if i dont take lots of those two suppliments and STRETCHING REALLY HELPS for me.
Lol, i also sleep with 5 pillows!

I recently found that you can become low on magnesium if you are taking Nexium, or similar. Besides PT stretches, including those for piriformis, I find that massage for edema really helps as I am lying down for bed. Gentle massage from toes to torso for painful areas on legs; works for arms too. (directions on you tube) I put cbd salve on the most painful areas. ice/moist heat also helps, elevation and a daily walk. I suspect that some of it may be spine or other dislocated joints that the PT stretches really help. Anecdotally, I've heard that pickle juice or tonic water help. I have a posturpedic mattress with a topper - 3 lb density. One pillow, between knees, and sleeping with knees bent seems to be a better position.

Hi @oobie97, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thanks for sharing what helps you with restless leg syndrome. There are a couple of other discussions you might be interested in following to learn what others have shared.

- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/periodic-limb-movement-disorder/
- Peripheral neuropathy, RLS and PLMD: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/peripheral-neuropathy-rls-and-plmd/

Do you also have fatigue along with restless leg syndrome?

I have been struggling for a while I'll loose weight then start to ache, not sleep and stop exercising. I function mostly, I have just been diagnosed with Sjogren's, I had previously been diagnosed with IBS with constipation, Fibromyalgia, Hidradenitis Suppurativa and osteoarthritis. The boughs of fatigue are the worse as they then make my other issues go through the roof. I have nights where sleep is rare and then I will sleep then about once every 4 to 6 weeks extreme fatigue where all I do is sleep, left work yesterday and have mostly slept since then. it has no pattern and is extremely frustrating.

@sesass63 - Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!
Do you experience more fatigue nowadays, related to the diagnosis of Sjogren's Syndrome?
Fatigue is very common with any autoimmune disease.
Fibromyalgia is not autoimmune-as far as I know- but often coexist with autoimmune diseases.
Fibromyalgia is a sleep disorder in itself. You can sleep for hours, but still wake up exhausted. Non-refreshed sleep.
I assume you have a Rheumatologist, correct? They also deal with fibromyalgia and should be able to take care of your sleep difficulties with special techniques as well as possible medication.
Would you mind sharing what treatments you have had?

I just got Diagnosed finally March of this year. I have bi weekly Chiropractic appts, and monthly massage. I do have a rhuemotologist she put me on Naproxen and Hydroxychloroquine. I'm trying to excersize at least 3 times a week buts it's a struggle. I have weeks where I feel half way normal even though sleep is very hit and miss. Then out of the blue around the 6 to 8 week mark sometimes sooner I have 4 to 5 days where all I want to do is sleep. Fatigue and brain fog galore.

I’m so sorry to hear how you struggle to get decent sleep. Is your joint pain better since you started on the medications? Hydroxychloroquine may take some time to get full effect, but it seems like a good choice.
I have fibromyalgia as well as 2 of my children. The main problem is getting solid sleep. With good sleep many of your symptoms will improve. Can you ask your doctor to recommend a doctor dealing with sleep problems?

Recently I have been working to get a handle on my genetic difficulties. I have several, and some are worse than others. But there is a lot I have learned. 1) NO! genetic issue only touches a person in only one spot. I would not say that every issue touches everything, but see it this way. I have a "sparse hair" gene, so the hair on my head, arms, beard, legs, crotch, every place is getting thinner every day. If I had a big ego about my looks, this would bring psychological issues, bugs crawling up my nose and in my ears, sexual problems, everything. It probably also touches many other places. 2) I also have Purpura, attached to my Gelsolin, and covering my face, my feet, my legs, my toes, my abdomen. 3) I have recently picked an overview of my limited genome, and I have several thousand pages of lists of gene copies, impacts, etc. What I am trying to say is that we must keep an open mind on our own genome, recognizing that something like Retinitis Pigmentosa might arise from any or all of genetic issues known to be involved, and then even some more we do not yet recognize. 4) There is so much information out there now that one will never have complete knowledge of it all. 5) No matter what one learns, and from what source, every doctor on earth will tell you that you have it wrong somehow, and that doc or researcher is probably right. 5) Here is where you have to be your own best doctor. Learn and keep learning, listen to everything you can gen, and finally make up your own mind how to handle it. After all, you are the one who has a private set of genes, syndromes, genomes, etc.

I guess I am not as smart as I once was. Or maybe I was not as smart then as I thought I was. I remember setting out to count to a million. I think I reached 68. I counted fingers, toes, ears, noses, past girlfriends, and who knows what else. Anyway, I just have been working with my GSN Overview from Sequencing.com. It counts genes, variants, etc. etc. there are 37 data points for each transcript on this overview, and there are about 40 transcripts, etc., on each page, and I have about 9,000 (Yes, 9,000) pages these little buggars. That eventually works out to something like 3 million characters, I think. I can just imaging God sitting there on the throne looking at each one of these, and saying to Peter, "Hey, Pete, I believe we should make this bowel GSN variant a little more sloppy for oldkarl. He needs some excitement. Take care of that for me, would you, please?" This overview is great. Now, if I can just figure out what to do with it.....