Note: This blog is based on lived experience and general information. It is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional.
It starts small.
You’re tired after work — but who isn’t?
You cancel a night out — but you had a long week.
You sleep in on Sunday — because you’re just “catching up,” right?
But then the tiredness doesn’t go away.
It builds until you're bone-deep exhausted just standing in the shower.
Until brushing your teeth feels like running a marathon.
Until you’re sitting at your desk staring at the screen, knowing what you need to do but physically unable to make yourself do it.
And somewhere along the way, people around you and maybe even your own brain start whispering:
"You’re lazy."
"You’re just anxious."
"You’re exaggerating."
But let me be crystal clear:
You’re not crazy.
You’re not weak.
And you are definitely not imagining it.
IBD fatigue is real.
It’s brutal.
And it deserves to be treated like the monster it is, not swept under the rug with an eye roll and a “just get more sleep.”
IBD Fatigue Is Not Normal Tiredness
Everyone gets tired.
IBD fatigue is another beast entirely.
When you live with chronic inflammation, your body is in survival mode 24/7, even on days when your gut feels “quiet.”
Your immune system is revving like an engine stuck in high gear, draining energy faster than you can rebuild it.
You’re literally fighting an invisible war inside yourself. Every. Damn. Day.
And the symptoms don’t always announce themselves politely:
- Waking up feeling like you didn’t sleep at all
- Forgetting simple words mid-sentence
- Feeling like you could nap for hours and still wake up exhausted
- Cancelling plans, missing work, avoiding life, not because you want to, but because your body refuses to cooperate
This isn’t laziness.
It’s survival with a broken fuel gauge.
The Gaslighting That Makes It Worse
One of the cruellest parts of IBD fatigue is the way it's brushed off by doctors, employers, friends, even yourself.
“Everyone’s tired.”
“You just need a better diet.”
“Exercise will give you more energy!”
Meanwhile, you’re silently begging for someone to understand that no amount of green smoothies or pep talks will fix what’s happening inside you.
When the world treats your exhaustion like a character flaw instead of a physical reality, it adds another layer:
Guilt.
Shame.
Self-doubt.
And that emotional exhaustion stacks right on top of the physical — until even getting out of bed feels like climbing Everest in flip-flops.
What’s Actually Happening in Your Body
Here’s why IBD fatigue hits like a truck:
- Chronic Inflammation: Your immune system is in permanent "high alert" mode.
- Anemia: Ongoing blood loss from gut inflammation drains your iron stores, starving your muscles (and brain) of oxygen.
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Malabsorption wrecks your reserves of B12, Vitamin D, and magnesium — key players in energy production.
- Pain and Disrupted Sleep: Tossing and turning from gut pain or bathroom trips at 2AM destroys any chance of real recovery.
- Mental Health: Anxiety and depression, both common companions to IBD zap energy even further.
Your body isn't failing you.
Your body is fighting for you.
And it’s exhausting because it’s doing so without a single day off.
What Helps (Even If It Doesn’t Fix Everything)
⚡ Get your disease activity under control.
Biologics, immunosuppressants, steroids , they’re not just about gut symptoms. They can calm the systemic inflammation wrecking your energy too.
⚡ Treat deficiencies aggressively.
Get full blood panels regularly not just haemoglobin, but ferritin, B12, Vitamin D, folate. Fight for iron infusions if oral tablets don’t cut it.
⚡ Rest like it’s a survival skill.
You don’t have to earn your rest. You don’t have to explain why you need it. Rest is part of your treatment plan.
⚡ Adjust your expectations.
Some days you’ll feel halfway human. Some days you’ll feel like a crumpled sock on the couch. Neither makes you a bad person or a failure.
⚡ Find your people.
Connect with communities (even online) where you don’t have to explain why you’re lying down again at 2PM. Being seen changes everything.
You Are Not Your Fatigue
You are not lazy.
You are not unreliable.
You are not failing.
You are living with an invisible war raging inside you and still showing up.
Still trying.
Still fighting.
And that’s not weakness. That’s strength on a level most people can’t even comprehend.
So next time you feel that creeping doubt the guilt, the shame, the little voice saying “maybe I’m just crazy” I want you to remember this:
You’re not crazy.
You’re a goddamn warrior.
Rest when you need to.
Fight when you can.
And never, ever apologise for surviving.
Note
This blog is based on personal experience and publicly available information. It is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for decisions about your health.
