Crohn’s and colitis patients talk about how they deal with extreme fatigue

Posted in Tips by On March 20, 2020. 1 Comment

If you spend much time talking with other people who have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the topic of fatigue is bound to come up.

Put simply, many of us feel exhausted some or all of the time. Scroll down to read what our Twitter followers had to say about fatigue and how they combat it.

Of course, everyone gets tired sometimes, whether they have inflammatory bowel disease or not. The difference here is that the lack of energy is way beyond what’s to be expected after a long day. The fatigue that sometimes comes with IBD can be extreme, and it is not necessarily relieved by sleep or rest. It can have a major negative effect on all aspects of your life, including work and relationships.

More than 75 percent of people with IBD feel fatigue during a flare, Crohn’s and Colitis UK reports.

Why does IBD make you feel so tired? During a flare, fatigue can simply be the body’s reaction to inflammation and being sick, according to the IBD Clinic at the University of Alberta. Some other factors that come into play include sleep problems, anxiety and pain.

Some Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis patient also develop anemia, which can further sap your energy. And the digestive symptoms of IBD can lead to nutritional deficiencies that drain your energy, Crohn’s and Colitis UK notes.

Unfortunately, it’s not always clear what causes fatigue in a given IBD patient. The exhaustion sometimes continues even after other symptoms are under control. (Some researchers estimate that close to half of IBD patients in clinical remission still deal with fatigue.) That may be related to lingering inflammation, according to the IBD Clinic. Or it could be connected to IBD treatments.

So what can you do about it? For starters, get tested for any possible nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B-12 or iron, and correct them if need be. Other than that, most measures come down to self-care. Recommendations from Crohn’s & Colitis Australia include:

  • Stay as active and fit as possible. This isn’t always easy, but the better shape you are in overall, the more energy reserves you’ll have.
  • Take a look at what you’re eating. A diet that includes a good balance of complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, along with plenty of fruits and vegetables and protein, is likely to help you maintain your energy levels. Simple carbs of the type found in cookies and cakes may provide you with an energy boost followed by the “sugar blues.”
  • Avoid overdoing it. Learn your limitations and try to manage your responsibilities at work and home based on what you know you can do. Try to make time for breaks and for activities that help you regain your energy, such as yoga or massage. Remember to put your health first not only when you are in a flare, but all the time.

Don’t be afraid to cancel plans and rearrange your schedule if necessary!

On Twitter, we asked: “Do you ever experience exhaustion due to your IBD? How do you deal with it? (Please say whether you have ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s.)”

Below is a sampling of what our followers said. Be sure to join the conversation on Twitter.

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  1. Michael Thyfault

    Oh my, I too have fatigue from Crohn’s and all the meds. I do try to walk everyday, but currently can’t get out because wet gas explosions hit me sometimes every 15 minutes. My GI doc doesn’t have a clue, no meds seem to help. I’m hoping when I finally get a Fecal Transplant and new biome after 6 rounds of C-diff that might help. I had a childhood with a heart issue, now resolved. I was told that I couldn’t take enough antibiotics and took more of them than candy in the 70’s and early 80’s. They didn’t know better, so I have no angst. But after all the antibiotics for C-diff I don’t have much of biome, not matter how manny probiotics I take and I take a lot of them.