So. Tired.

Member

Since last fall, I've been fatigued on a near-continual basis. My doctor couldn't see any physical reason why, so I asked for an anti-depressant, figuring it was stress-induced. I went on Lexapro (and then Zoloft) with no improvement. In fact, I started sleeping ~16 hours/day and felt even more drained. During this phase I quit my job (couldn't manage to go two blocks away to show up for work) and all-but-quit running/riding. Constant nausea had me swigging sodas again, too, which I'm sure does nothing beneficial for my energy levels. :/

My first follow-up, doc tells me, "Well, if you find a cure for fatigue, let me know. We'll make a million dollars."

In March, I tapered off the Zoloft, hoping to need less sleep. I'm back to 7-8 hour sleep cycles, but I'm still freakin' tired. I'm most tired after I've had an IBS (Spastic Colon) attack or after I've eaten. Regular exercise is still elusive...recovery from any activity takes. so. long.

So...last week I went back to the doctor to ask about anemia. My main reason for worrying about this is that 3/5 times I go to the Red Cross to donate whole blood or platelets, I get turned down because my hemoglobin level is too low. Doc set me up for blood work and I got my results back today.

Glucose 102
TSH 0.993

He said they'd check for thyroid trouble and anemia, so I guess I'm in the clear since the paper I got said, "Satisfactory."

No idea what to do now except to make an even better effort to consume the right nutrients (I probably undereat, if anything) and to take "baby steps" as far as exercise is concerned.

I'm not asking for medical advice, or anything. I think I just needed to vent a little. I trust my doctor (very reputable physician in our area) -- I'm just tired of being tired. I need to make a concentrated effort to log my calories and ease back into an exercise routine, I'm guessing.

[Little family history: I'm adopted (@12), so what I know is hearsay and memory. My real mom had trouble with blood sugar dropping, I recall. When I was sixteen, she died. My adopted mom told me that she spoke with a hospice worker who told her it was Leukemia. I've made sure my doctor knows this, too.]

Thanks for lettin' me b!tch. Wink

[edited for typo]

Member

I hope you get better soon. Your lab numbers are fine.

I can give oyu a bit of help that you won't get from any doc. COq10.

Take 100mg once/day. It is expensive, but it is worth it. It increases the ATP production at the mitochonrial level and will increase your energy.

Side note: You may not see any difference for about a month. It takes that long for the ATP production to be at an increased value.

Good luck

Sheldon

Member

Thanks for the tip -- I'll check it out at my local health food & supplement store.

crazy cat lady

Member

Cool to know, Cheryl -- that does take a load off my mind. Now, why didn't my doc or the nice assistants at apheresis tell me this before! Heh.

If nothing else, I'd like to get my iron consistently up so I can donate platelets more frequently. For 10 or 15 minutes extra on the machine, I give double the platelets of the average donor.

Gone Fishin

I don't have anything to offer from the chemistry end of things, but having just attended a fatigue lecture, here's a few notes I took:

Common factors in Fatigue:
(1) Unrelieved pressure (academic, stress, anxiety, etc)
(2) Rotating shift work
(3) Irregular schedules
(4) Use of stimulants
(5) Dehydration
(6) Long hours of work
(7) Television
(8) Pursuit of leisure time (parties, tv, compressed work week, travel, any activity intruding into traditional sleep time)
(9) Quest for more capital (overtime, moonlighting, school, etc)
(10) Sports pressures
(11) Late evening meals

Strategies to fight Fatigue:
(1) Have a regular daily schedule and stick to it!
(2) Get adequate sleep regularily, 8-9 hours per night
(3) Exercise 30-60 minutes every day
(4) Take brief breaks to relax & stretch throughout the day
(5) Learn to control your life and your stress
(6) Eat more lightly when you are tired, avoid late evening meals (after 6)
(7) Drink plenty of water
(8) Don't put into one day what should take two
(9) Rest one day each week for your health and sanity
(10) Take a restful vacation annually
(11) If you suspect a sleep disorder, see your doctor

...so I guess it's just me, but I'd recommend before going door-to-door doctor hunting, I'd say to try and limit the fatigue factors and pursue the strategies and be sure some of those aren't combining to be the cause here.

The Pinball

wow, i hope you get an answer soon. it's so frustrating when even the MDs appears answerless.

i'm glad you're off the A/D. having experienced them myself, they were a sleep inducer and energy robber for me. i couldn't believe the return to a normal energy level once that stuff was out of my system. they do have their place i'm sure, but i'm confused as to why he prescribed them for fatigue.

i'd eliminate all refined sugar now. i would try really hard to stick to whole foods only, no white flours, processed stuff and no soda, diet or otherwise. um, no juice--it's loaded with sugar and will cause an insulin spike and crash.(most) JUICE is not a health food, it's junk. it's all common sense and i'm sure you've already done this but i'm looking at it from a dietary deficiency POV. a friend's recent bloodwork revealed a B12 deficiency so now she gets shots to bring that level within normal ranges.

get back on drinking tons of water, even if you're not exercising. i swear dehydrated bodies are tired bodies, at least mine is.

try eating more small meals throughout the day and always include a protein if you're eating a starch. you might be needing more protein -- are you a vegetarian? lean protein on a regular basis really helps with my energy levels too.

enough rambling. the IBS may be draining you of nutrients -- you may not be absorbing stuff the way you should.

hope you can get a handle on this. chronic fatigue would be no fun.

too bad

Member

Li'l update. No great strides, i.e. still not "up to" exercising on a routine basis. Work schedule seems to be helping me "distribute" my energy better. I'm making a point to eat more often -- instead of one big-arse meal in the late day (only time I used to get hungry), I'm eating at least twice per day. Sometimes three meals! I'm also working on snacking healthy-like, too.

I've realized a couple of things: my liquid consumption (mostly sodas) has kept me full, and I used to eat like I was going to be punished for it. Often, I was hit by nausea, vomiting, bowel disturbance, or yuck belly after meals. Bit of a vicious circle, this whole not-eating-enough thing. get your mouse off of me

Heh, by eating more, I've already lost a couple of pounds. Razz

Also, I survived a thirty mile bike ride, in my relatively poor physical condition.

I bought some Co Q-10 (100 mg) today, and will give that a go, too. Other supplements (can I count this as a meal, too? Wink

) are S.S.S. Tonic (like Geritol with Iron, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Thiamine, but with 2% more alcohol, for some reason), Peppermint Enteric-coated gels, 1000mg C, and 400 IU E.

Member

Could be physical, could be mental. Much like jrjo listed. Stress could be a factor, everybody perceives and reacts to stress differently. It looks like you are taking the physical aspects head-on and if that ends being a dead-end, perhaps yoga, meditation, or dare I say, a therapist, could help you out.

Best of Luck.

Member

I am a pretty anxious person and I do tend to "stress out." I would not doubt that the mental aspect of stress is taking its toll. To be frank, there were periods of my life that were freakout-hell bus rides. I think all that's behind me, but I am at a new full-time job with a "flexible" schedule and I do try to cram too much activity into my time off.

I've already started reducing the number of errands/tasks/chores I do in the few hours I have between waking and returning to work. Seems to be helping. I've also found a quiet spot at work (i.e. hide in the locker room) to spend my breaks so I can stretch and clear my mind without being assaulted by the breakroom television and rumor mill or hanging outside to have my brain broken by the smokers that want to discuss politics or their larvae. Twisted Evil

My husband and I both were taking weekly Yoga classes at the gym -- those tapered off last fall when I started getting so tired and recovery took so long. I do miss that class, for certain, and should be able to take a morning class. We've let our gym membership go into 90-day default for the summer.

Re: therapy -- I tried it for awhile in college after a so-called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder incident and bi-polar (manic depression) diagnosis. I was on a Lithium/Prozac cocktail at the time, and that part of my life is such a fog, I don't recall how much it helped. I was required to talk to the county mental health doc to get my meds, and he was an over-worked bundle of stress himself. I won't rule out therapy totally. Just not ready for it right now.

Realization: I think the keystone to my worries is the fact that I've had a sort of "artist's block" for eight freakin' years. I used to pretty prolific with my drawing, painting, and mixed media, but now censor myself so heavily that I can produce nothing. That's a big ol' can of worms that needs to be opened sometime, especially if I want to pursue making art for a living.

So. Tired.

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