Hope at last if you feel TATT (that's Tired All The
Time): Unique NHS service launched to combat long-term fatigue
•
New research shows one
Briton in eight is affected by long-term fatigue
•
Symptoms manifested by
conditions including arthritis and sleep apnoea
•
A new fatigue clinic
in Newcastle will treat patients and carry out research
PUBLISHED: 22:03, 31
October 2015 | UPDATED: 00:28, 1 November 2015
The first NHS service for patients who complain of
being tired all the time – or TATT – has been launched. The move comes as new
research shows that one Briton in eight is affected by long-term fatigue, which
is separate from the condition chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as ME
or myalgic encephalopathy.
The symptoms often begin in a person’s 30s, according
to new research, and are manifested in a range of conditions from rheumatoid
arthritis to sleep apnoea.
In some cases, tiny changes in the autonomic nervous
system, leading to a drop in blood supplies getting to the brain, heart and
muscles, may be responsible, according to experts at the fatigue clinic which
is part of the Clinics for Research and Service in Themed Assessments (CRESTA)
in Newcastle.
Fatigue is an umbrella term for a range of problems,
including tiredness, reduced energy levels, muscle weakness, memory problems,
anxiety, dizziness, and palpitations. The symptoms that patients have are not
helped by sleep or rest.
Although fatigue is commonly associated with CFS/ME,
which is believed by many experts to be a neurological condition similar to MS
or Parkinson’s and affects about 250,000 people in the UK, work at the
Newcastle clinic and other centres shows that it is far more common as a
symptom of other conditions, and that in some cases, there may be no
identifiable cause.
Up to 70 per cent of patients with rheumatological
diseases suffer with fatigue, and it has also been linked to lupus, Sjögren’s
syndrome, chronic infections, thyroid and liver conditions and restless leg
syndrome.
The scale of the problem is shown in a new study in
the journal Sleep And Biological Rhythms, based on a sample of 1,200 people.
It found that overall, 13.6 per cent of people,
including 20.9 per cent of women, had suffered with fatigue for at least one
month.
‘Fatigue, whether it is a side effect of a chronic
disease or chronic fatigue syndrome, is increasingly being recognised in the
UK,’ says Katie Hackett, Arthritis Research UK research fellow at Newcastle
University and a member of the CRESTA team.
The fatigue clinic is part of the Clinics for Research
and Service in Themed Assessments (CRESTA) in Newcastle (above)
Research suggests patients believe there is a lack of
medical interest in fatigue, and while there are many CFS services across the
NHS, there was, until now, no service aimed at those who suffer with other
causes of fatigue.’
Gill Turner, 51, from Newcastle, has been treated at
the clinic for fatigue associated with Sjögren’s syndrome, an auto-immune
disease characterised by excessively dry eyes and mouth, plus muscle and joint
pain and profound fatigue.
The clinic has
made a real difference to my life. They recognise that fatigue is a real
problem that needs to be treated
Gill Turner, who suffers from long-term fatigue
She says: ‘Fatigue became a big problem about two
years ago. I felt utterly exhausted all of the time, even after plenty of
sleep, and I had muscle ache and my body felt very floppy and immobile.
‘The problem is that all the treatments in the UK are
geared up to people with a clear diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, which I
do not have.
‘I have had physiotherapy and occupational therapy as
well as having various specific tests. One of those tests finally showed a
genetic illness which helped to explain some of my symptoms.
‘I have also been given advice about managing my
problems and day-to-day coping with the fatigue. There is also a network of others
attending the clinic, called the CRESTA Champions, who are in all in similar
situations. The group is encouraging and reassuring.
‘The clinic has made a real difference to my life.
They recognise that fatigue is a real problem that needs to be treated.
‘The clinic has not only shown me that I am not alone
– but previous symptoms which had never been really acknowledged were finally
explained.’
It is hoped that a TATT service can eventually be
rolled out nationwide across the NHS.
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