How Common Is Depression Or Anxiety With RA?
How Common Is Depression Or Anxiety With RA?
How common is depression or anxiety with RA? I am having terrible attack like episodes which leave me unable to get out of bed! I'm not one to complain to all just my husband...lol! Poor guy! It starts with after an hour of sleep I awake and when I get back to sleep I have awful dreams until I wake for good about 5 am. Then I begin to get super hot and then the chills! Super hot again and then chills! I try to get up but I seem to be in a fight with myself about doing it. If I do make it out of… read more
I share some of this and have been on Lexapro for years now. My GP put me on it to stop the night sweats the soaked so much I would have to get out of my pajamas. It worked. It's an anti-anxiety /depression med. I call the sweats/chills an RA flu. Happened to me in a restaurant once. Was gone by the time we left, it was intense. Yoga breathing exercises help me to calm pain. Have been having more thermal attacks lately. Not sure why. High Blood sugar can cause this too. Might want to see if you are pre-diabetic. I had the sweats/chills when tested positive for diabetes and they stopped when I went on Melatonin pill. That was a temporary diagnosis as the diabetes went away after I lost a few pounds.
I think our bodies are just exhausted from all the attack mode this disease puts our system in. Reducing stress, good sleep and moderate, safe exercise is key to feeling better. I have a hard time getting the exercise in but have to find a way. I've resorted to dancing in bed under the sheets. No, not that! Dancing, dancing, dancing, lying down to sitting. It's weird I know, but so is RA, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, Shogrens, and a few more autoimmune issues. Would win a bone popping/cracking contest.
Hope this helps you. Best of luck!
Hmm from those temperature changes you describe I'm just wondering if it has anything to do with depression or if it's not something simple like menopause? I never had hot flushes and straight after feeling cold during depressed times or anxiety attacks. Just breathing problems and feeling sick and faint. I have learned to control my breathing to stop that before it can develop. As Gingermay said it might be a good idea to have a journal where you write things down in short and see if there is any pattern of those attacks and any stress related situations. It's great to let your hubby know about this at least. So it's off your chest. I do fight depression with creativity and my "happy place"; it's just to close the eyes and imagining being in a place I love and that is soothing to my mind. If you want to speak about things that are weighing you down - I'm happy to listen :)
@A myRAteam Member sounds like major anxiety to me. Definitely talk to your dr. I see a therapist and psychiatrist to help with my depression and anxiety. Best wishes!
A myRAtea...
It is very common because you are continually in pain which effect every thing you do and you get frustrated
I have been having sweats. If I sleep on my back I sweat at night. In the day I have sweats so bad that my hair gets soaked and my upper body sweats to soak my shirt.
