And I don't suppose that PsA fatigue would respond any differently.
Thanks for sharing this Sybil. That’s not too surprising. When my fatigue was at its most extreme I continued walking, but it was very challenging and not energizing with such extreme fatigue. With moderate fatigue I could see this being more successful.
Sybil, when I think back of how I felt before taking Enbrel, I remember how awful my fatigue was. My arms and thighs were always sore and weak, too. I do think it helped to keep pushing through that, because it probably would have gotten worse if I just sat around and did nothing. I know the stiffness would have gotten worse, because it would set in quickly just from being idle for a couple minutes!
So, for me, I do think the movement (and exercise-for quite awhile I was getting p.t.) definitely helped. It's sort of, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't, though!! :-)
I think it helps to have the evidence in front of us. It's a long time since I've had bad fatigue and that was alongside real difficulty walking, needing to hold onto someone for support etc. Just to have known that the indignity and inconvenience might be worth it would have helped psychologically I think. I'd go for a swim, with help .... it hurt, it was a bit humiliating and I had no idea at the time whether there was really any point. I hope I never get in that state again but if I did, knowing what I know now, I'd look for different ways to keep moving in the knowledge that there was likely to be some incremental benefit even if I felt worse initially.
I do agree that with more moderate fatigue and less active disease the benefits of exercise are much more obvious and, of course, much easier to achieve.