I know that the majority of our immune system is generated in the stomach. I have noticed for the past year, that shortly after I eat (usually within 30-60 minutes) that the mind numbing fatigue sets in. And also the amount of food I eat seems to increase the depth of the fatigue. When I awake every day I feel very good, and I have coffee, but I usually don't eat for several hours. And then when I eat, boom, the fatigue hits shortly thereafter. I'm also seeing a correlation with the intake of food, and the worsening of the swelling and inflammation in my sausage toes. One other oddity with my sausage toes is that from September thru May, I have varying degree of inflammation and swelling in my toes (usually pretty bad) and then in June my toes look and feel normal all thru the summer. I think that there is still some small degree of inflammation as if my feet get hot and sweaty I can feel the inflammation trying to flare up. This has happened for the past five years and I can't figure out why. I wonder if anyone else in PSA land has similar experiences?
Alaska Miner, it’s not very often the folks here don’t have stories to tell! I can’t say I’ve noticed anything nlike that, but we are all different. I wonder if it could be a blood sugar thing? Have you mentioned it to your doctor? Let us know what you find out, OK?
I’m also wondering how things played out with Enbrel. Are you still on it? Did you manage to get some financial assistance to pay for it? And how are things with you, aside from the fatigue after eating?
I must have been about 30 years old .... just about young enough to go to parties that lasted till dawn. So this particular one I'm thinking of wasn't that well-attended but it was okay & there was a table absolutely groaning with fantastic home made food. Which I proceeded to eat .... and eat .... and eat until dawn. I don't know how much I put away, probably the equivalent of 5 or 6 dinners. No swollen belly, no indigestion.
Fast forward nearly 30 years. Well now. I guess that kind of blow out wouldn't be on the cards anymore now that I'm in my prime. But the fastidiousness of my flipping body is something else. And I do blame PsA. I have to eat kind of 'clean' foods in order to avoid that sinking feeling ... in relatively small amounts (for me) and also to eat slowly. But I can get away with treats ... moderation is essential I find. Sadly.
Interesting topic, I have always wondered about this myself. I find myself getting tired after eating as well, tests for diabetes always show no. I have tested several times because of thyroid issues and family history. I attribute the fatigue to sitting down. I find if I sit more than 20 mins (some days at all) I start to nod off. Lunchtime, dinner, at the computer you name it. This is one symptom that I have dealt with way before being diagnosed. You add food and that increases it.
Hi Seenie, I am still on Enbrel and it worked well for the first nine months, and it seems to be losing it's effect for the past seven months. I did not qualify for any assistance on the cost, but my out of pocket costs for the year are about $5,000 so it was not too difficult to bear. I still have a lot of pain and stiffness, fatigue, and those darned sausage toes, but I feel that there has been a 50% improvement overall.
All my blood work has been normal so I guess the fatigue is just the PSA thing. I'm really baffled with my sausage toes getting better in the summer, but a three month reprieve is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. I'll try to convince my GP to put me on another biologic.
This could well be way off beam .... but is there a chance your vitamin D levels might be building up from May onwards so that you feel the benefit for a while from June? I know that vitamin D is important in all sorts of ways and some degree of deficiency is common, I'd imagine that it is one of the many factors that impact on PsA symptoms.
alaska miner said:
Hi Seenie, I am still on Enbrel and it worked well for the first nine months, and it seems to be losing it's effect for the past seven months. I did not qualify for any assistance on the cost, but my out of pocket costs for the year are about $5,000 so it was not too difficult to bear. I still have a lot of pain and stiffness, fatigue, and those darned sausage toes, but I feel that there has been a 50% improvement overall.
All my blood work has been normal so I guess the fatigue is just the PSA thing. I'm really baffled with my sausage toes getting better in the summer, but a three month reprieve is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. I'll try to convince my GP to put me on another biologic.
Physiologically speaking, digestion triggers insulin release, which increases melatonin and seratonin levels in the brain, which leads to fatigue. Your body's energy and blood flow are redirected to deal with digestion as well.
It's not uncommon for people with autoimmune issues like PsA to have more than one autoimmune disorder. I had extreme exhaustion after eating before I was diagnosed Celiac and went gluten-free. I have a friend with PsA who had to adjust how much sugars/carbs she ate at meals after she discovered she was pre-diabetic.
Eating processed foods can increase after-meal tiredness, so eating "whole foods" (foods as close to their natural state as possible) is recommended for those in whom this is an issue.
I’ve always struggled with fatigue after eating starchy foods. If I eat salads and predominantly vegetable meals I feel fine when I’m well. I am type 2 diabetic which was diagnosed several years ago and pre diabetic for more years than I can remember. My fatigue is really bad because of a fibro flare, so ill be extra careful with my meals at the moment