Aggie,

Stress can effect just about anything, including arthritis.   You don't
say what kind of arthritis you have, but if you have constant pain, that
can leave you feeling exhausted much of the time.   Also, the
inflammatory arthritis'es can also come with a great deal of fatigue
especially if your arthritis is not well controlled.   So, you are not
imagining things.   If you can, try to lay low and allow your body to
rest and relax a bit over the next few days.  Feel better!

Donna G

Absolutely!!  Stress -- lack of sleep -- ....
This packing for our move is killing me. but don't tell
John -- it will just give him a reason to stay in NE.
Duckie

AggieO wrote and asked:

From the Arthritis Foundation:

To be successful at controlling pain, people with
arthritis need to recognize that many factors influence the
degree of their pain.  Stress conttibutes to pain, as do
fatigue and drepression.  If you are under much stress you
may tense your muscles and have difficulty relaxing.  Such
tension increases the degree of pain that you experience.
Likewise, if you're fatigued, your body may respond with
increased pain because its tissues aren't getting the rest
and repair they need.

Depression feed pain, often because you focus considerable
attention on the pain itself rather than on more positive
aspects of life.  Pain, in turn, may feed each of these
factors and increase their effect on you.  The result may
be a continuous cycle that is difficult to break.  This
cycle is referred to as the pain-stress-depression cycle.

....control pain with medications, resting, exercising,
keeping a positive attitude, and protect the joints.

Depression makes people tense, causing loss of sleep
and to focus more attention on the pain, fatigue, and other
stresses.  Fatigue and increased tension cause still more
pain, which feeds the cycle all over again.  A person can
become trapped in the negative cycle and may need help
to break out of it.

Hi Aggie.  Yes to both questions, unfortunately.  I have Fibromyalgia and 2
types of Arthritis, and stress overload and weather changes are my worst
enemies!