What is the relationship between autoimmune diseases and fatigue?

One of the most common symptoms experienced by autoimmune disease patients is fatigue, which is reported by many as the "most debilitating symptom." A survey conducted in 2015 found that almost 98% of autoimmune disease patients suffered from fatigue, with 89% reporting it to be a "major issue" in their lives (similar to our own survey results). 

Yet, fatigue is often not addressed by physicians because it is not always visible and is not something that physicians can "measure or test for." Effective treatments for fatigue are also limited or nonexistent due to a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind fatigue.

One study explored several factors that may contribute to fatigue in autoimmune disease patients. One of the sources of inflammation comes from cytokines, which are small protein molecules that influence immune responses. Cytokines also regulate normal physiological functions, including mood, cognition, and sleep. In autoimmune disease patients, the dysregulation of cytokines disrupts these physiological functions and likely contributes to fatigue.

Another source of fatigue comes from the brain and nervous system. The release of stress hormones from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands is associated with autoimmune diseases and contributes brain inflammation which can induce symptoms of fatigue. Neurotransmitters, which play an important role in producing arousal, wakefulness, and motivation, can also be affected by inflammatory molecules, leading to the experience of fatigue.

While fatigue is one of the first signs of autoimmune diseases, it is often ignored during the diagnostic phase, leading to delays in diagnosis. Moreover, treatment for fatigue remains limited. There are a number of new treatments being tested today for their effectiveness against symptoms like fatigue, but without patient participation, they may never reach the market. To be contacted for relevant clinical trials, please join our registry. Donations are also greatly appreciated! To share your experience with clinical trials, please contact us.

Below is a list of the autoimmune diseases in our registry that record fatigue as a symptom:

• Celiac disease

• Graves' disease

• Crohn's disease

• Autoimmune thyroiditis

• Pernicious anemia

• Ulcerative colitis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Ankylosing spondylitis

• Diabetes mellitus type 1

• Multiple sclerosis

• Polymyalgia rheumatica

• Sjogren's syndrome

• Reactive arthritis

• Psoriatic arthritis

• Giant cell arteritis

• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• Primary idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

• Primary biliary cholangitis

• Post-myocardial infarction syndrome

• Evans syndrome

• Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia

• Autoimmune hepatitis

• Granulomatosis with polyangiitis

• Felty syndrome

• Juvenile arthritis

• Lupus vasculitis

• Polymyositis

• Rheumatic fever

• Primary sclerosing cholangitis

• Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis

• Autoimmune pancreatitis

• Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura

• Addison's disease

• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy

• Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia

• Autoimmune neutropenia

• Takayasu arteritis

• Morphea

• Relapsing polychondritis

• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome

• Aplastic anemia

• Polyarteritis nodosa

• Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

• Anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis

• Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

• Cogan syndrome

• Pure red cell aplasia

• Undifferentiated connective tissue disease