Background and Aims

Fatigue is a symptom that people are experiencing both during rheumatic diseases and pregnancy. The reason is unknown and difficult to treat.

To ask pregnant women with rheumatic diseases during pregnancy to grade of a VAS their level of fatigue and to compare it with fatigue prior to pregnancy.

Methods

From Rheumatology Obstetric Combined clinic (ROCC) pregnant women with arthritic conditions attending the clinic were given a 10 cm VAS to grade their level of perceived fatigue during their pregnancy. In another VAS the same patients were asked to grade their fatigue prior to pregnancy and during their disease course.

Results

Answers obtained from10 women. Mean age was 33.1 years (sd +2.4). Age of diagnosis was 26.4 (7.4) while mean ESR was 38.6 (24.1). Diseases were:1 RA, 4 seronegative (1 JIA), 4 CTD, (2 SLE, 1 SJOGRENS, 1 MCTD). From those, 3 were CTA (+), 2 were ANA (+), 1 was RF (+), 1 aCCP (+),1 anticardiolipin ab (+). Mean Disease activity (DA) reported on a 100 mm VAS was 3.9 (3.8), while DA prior to pregnancy was 5.6 (3.8)

5 /10 (50%) had other children, 4/10 had previous miscarriages, 3/10 had associated FM, 4/10 reported fatigue as main symptom at disease onset. 6/10 had Tx, (4/10 on aspirin, 3/10 on HCQ, 1 on Azathioprine,1 was on 1^ST trimester, 6 were in 2^nd trimester, 3 were in 3^rd trimester.

Mean fatigue during pregnancy was 6.28 while before pregnancy was 4.97

Conclusions

Fatigue is increased in pregnancy in patients with rheumatic diseases by 26.3%