Fatigue

I don't have much to offer on the subject except that I've noticed that since I cut down on my sugar intake I've got much more energy. When I have alot of sugar, I wake up the next day feeling very sluggish and am exhausted by early afternoon. Another thing to consider is that maybe you're getting acclimated to your medication, and it's time to be reevaluated and see if the dosage should be changed. Feel better, Pam.
 
This tread has gone on a while, I hope things are going better for you.

I'm a Registered Nurse, and I have to say: if you go to enough doctors one of them will give you a diagnosis. A diagnosis, however, is not always a solution.

Be cautious about sleep aids, prescription or herbal. They have their place, but...I feel that sleep and energy problems are often a very complex relationship of several small things. They can be hard to sort out.

Does the energy drain wax and wane or are you feeling run down all the time, every day?

Early on you mentioned feeling like you wanted to sleep for 20 hours. Did you try it? Sometimes, I feel like I need to sleep a lot and I usually feel better if I can.
About once a month I have a sleepless night (Always seem like it's around the full moon) and I just stay up most of the night. If I can't fall asleep after 20 minutes in bed, I get up. laying there trying to sleep just makes it worse.

Do you nap? Does it help? I have nothing against napping!

I have tried to establish a routine to my bedtime. I can't always follow it, but some breathing mediation often helps...

Good luck to you.


 
Mr G said:
This tread has gone on a while, I hope things are going better for you.

I'm a Registered Nurse, and I have to say: if you go to enough doctors one of them will give you a diagnosis. A diagnosis, however, is not always a solution.

Be cautious about sleep aids, prescription or herbal. They have their place, but...I feel that sleep and energy problems are often a very complex relationship of several small things. They can be hard to sort out.

Does the energy drain wax and wane or are you feeling run down all the time, every day?

Early on you mentioned feeling like you wanted to sleep for 20 hours. Did you try it? Sometimes, I feel like I need to sleep a lot and I usually feel better if I can.
About once a month I have a sleepless night (Always seem like it's around the full moon) and I just stay up most of the night. If I can't fall asleep after 20 minutes in bed, I get up. laying there trying to sleep just makes it worse.

Do you nap? Does it help? I have nothing against napping!

I have tried to establish a routine to my bedtime. I can't always follow it, but some breathing mediation often helps...

Good luck to you.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I sleep alot most of the time. When I sleep less I feel it. I fall asleep quickly and usually sleep soundly. It takes me a long time to get going in the morning. Then I usually have a few hours where I feel I'm at my peak then crash mid-afternoon and never regain energy. I don't use any sleep aids. I don't need them! lol I need energy!

My doc now wants me to have a consultation with a sleep specialist. I haven't scheduled it yet.
 
Hello to all,
I hope you are having some good days, I can appreciate how frustrating this is.
You mentioned lab tests: I am assuming you have had one or more of the basic tests:
  • CBC (Complete Blood Count) this tests the components of blood. screens for Infections, anemia, and leukemia
  • Metabolic Panels (AKA Chem 7 or Chem 10, 14, etc) This screens for metabolic problems like diabetes. Also checks Kidney function. The larger numbers (Chem 14) also check your liver.
  • Thyroid tests
Bring your own copy of these results to the specialist appointment. Don't rely on other offices to forward them.

Mental health is also sometimes involved. Stress, Depression, and Anxiety are all common culprits.

Chiropractors can be helpful if you find pain is interrupting your sleep.

If no disease process can be found sleep specialists usually focus on mechanical problems like sleep apnea.
Be prepared for the basic suggestions:
  • Cut out Nicotine, Caffeine, and Alcohol.
  • Prepare a quiet, cool, dark bedroom that is used only for sleep.
  • Establish a sleep routine
  • It might be helpful to keep an "energy diary" to record successes and troubles.
You may want to try them before your appointment, so that you can discuss the results with the sleep specialist. Saves a follow up appointment.

My background is traditional western health care, but I have to say that there is something to both Feng Shui and Meditation.

I appologize for the long post, but I also hope this is helpful
 
Mr G said:
Hello to all,
I hope you are having some good days, I can appreciate how frustrating this is.
You mentioned lab tests: I am assuming you have had one or more of the basic tests:
  • CBC (Complete Blood Count) this tests the components of blood. screens for Infections, anemia, and leukemia
  • Metabolic Panels (AKA Chem 7 or Chem 10, 14, etc) This screens for metabolic problems like diabetes. Also checks Kidney function. The larger numbers (Chem 14) also check your liver.
  • Thyroid tests
Bring your own copy of these results to the specialist appointment. Don't rely on other offices to forward them.

Mental health is also sometimes involved. Stress, Depression, and Anxiety are all common culprits.

Chiropractors can be helpful if you find pain is interrupting your sleep.

If no disease process can be found sleep specialists usually focus on mechanical problems like sleep apnea.
Be prepared for the basic suggestions:
  • Cut out Nicotine, Caffeine, and Alcohol.
  • Prepare a quiet, cool, dark bedroom that is used only for sleep.
  • Establish a sleep routine
  • It might be helpful to keep an "energy diary" to record successes and troubles.
You may want to try them before your appointment, so that you can discuss the results with the sleep specialist. Saves a follow up appointment.

My background is traditional western health care, but I have to say that there is something to both Feng Shui and Meditation.

I appologize for the long post, but I also hope this is helpful
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. :)
As far as lab tests, I've had a few thyroid tests in the past, all fine. The other two I haven't had and my doc hasn't scheduled any additional lab work.

A couple questions on the basic suggestions. I can understand how alcohol would cause fatigue, but nicotine and caffeine are stimulants. How do they figure in?

I do only sleep in my bedroom. I am curious if sleeping isn't a problem, why would that, and establishing a sleep routine, be important?

An energy diary is an interesting idea.

I really appreciate your input. :asian:
 
Jade Tigress said:
A couple questions on the basic suggestions. I can understand how alcohol would cause fatigue, but nicotine and caffeine are stimulants. How do they figure in?
Click to expand...

Well, I'm not Mr. G - but here's my understanding: nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, and their effect on the body can affect sleep habits up to 6 to 8 hours after they are ingested. They can prevent sleep entirely, or prevent it from being as restful as it should be, which can lead to fatigue.

Also, if you ingest too much of either (or both), you can end up in a cycle where your body needs a certain amount of the substance for true alertness, and when your blood level drops below a certain level, you become less alert/awake - so you ingest more, which increases your alertness, and then prevents proper sleep patterns, which then leads to chronic fatigue.

Jade Tigress said:
I do only sleep in my bedroom. I am curious if sleeping isn't a problem, why would that, and establishing a sleep routine, be important?
Click to expand...

If your sleep patterns are inconsistent, you may not be getting truly restful sleep - if your sleep patterns are sufficiently inconsistent you can throw off your biorhythms, which can easily lead to fatigue. Your body adapts best when you go to sleep and wake up on a reasonably consistent schedule - people who don't get enough sleep during the week and try to make it up by sleeping in on the weekends, for example, often have real trouble getting up on Monday because they've thrown off their body's rhythms. Your body comes to expect a certain sleep cycle, and various rhythms adjust to that - your temperature drops as you sleep, and slowly rises again as you approach waking - but if you go to sleep and get up at different times on a regular basis, these autonomic adjustments don't happen. This also leads to problems with chronic fatigue.

Sleeping only in your bedroom helps to establish a sleep routine. Also, if you're accustomed to sleeping in multiple places, you can give your body conflicting signals if you are somewhere you sleep sometimes, but not always - for example, if sometimes you nap on the couch and sometimes you watch TV (or nap while watching TV - that's even worse) then you are, again, giving your body inconsistent signals about when and where to sleep, further disrupting your body rhythms.
 
I'll do the best I can,
Deep, restful sleep is the goal, not just unconsciousness. This is the problem most people think of with sleep apnea. They sleep, but wake up tired. They never gain enough deep sleep. But, they also don't become awake enough to be aware that they are not "sleeping"!

Stimulants interfere with the deepest sleep: REM sleep. That's the part of sleep where you become more rested. (Also when you dream) In essence, think of the mind as (slightly) awake even if the body is asleep.

The sleep routine is about training your body to sleep. Get your mind to quiet down and let the deep sleep come. In a perfect world, a sleep routine would have you begin "getting ready to sleep" 30 minutes to 2 hours before you actually hit the pillow. Use that time to systematically:
1) Clear up the trials and tribulations of the day. Allow your mind to relax. Meditate.
2) Gain a comfortable environment. Reserving the bedroom for sleep alone will help que your body that it is time to sleep. Cool and dark are also signals that your body uses to know when to sleep. Don't let the room get too warm. Even if you pile on the blankets, a cool room helps. Some people recommend taking a hot shower before bed. It feels good, it's relaxing, plus your body is cooling off as you drift off to sleep.
3) Get your body ready to sleep. Clean up, Stretch out, get your body comfortable and relaxed...

Perhaps sleep isn't the problem. Do you get REM sleep? Do you wake up tired? Do you dream? (I think you mentioned you had a sleep study). That's a different can of worms...

Sleep is not very well understood. It's very individualized. It's really hard to apply good science to it. Unfortunately it is often becomes a detective case...
The Mayo center has a good website about sleep. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/SL99999

I hope this helps
 
Kacey said:
Well, I'm not Mr. G - but here's my understanding: nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, and their effect on the body can affect sleep habits up to 6 to 8 hours after they are ingested. They can prevent sleep entirely, or prevent it from being as restful as it should be, which can lead to fatigue.

Also, if you ingest too much of either (or both), you can end up in a cycle where your body needs a certain amount of the substance for true alertness, and when your blood level drops below a certain level, you become less alert/awake - so you ingest more, which increases your alertness, and then prevents proper sleep patterns, which then leads to chronic fatigue.



If your sleep patterns are inconsistent, you may not be getting truly restful sleep - if your sleep patterns are sufficiently inconsistent you can throw off your biorhythms, which can easily lead to fatigue. Your body adapts best when you go to sleep and wake up on a reasonably consistent schedule - people who don't get enough sleep during the week and try to make it up by sleeping in on the weekends, for example, often have real trouble getting up on Monday because they've thrown off their body's rhythms. Your body comes to expect a certain sleep cycle, and various rhythms adjust to that - your temperature drops as you sleep, and slowly rises again as you approach waking - but if you go to sleep and get up at different times on a regular basis, these autonomic adjustments don't happen. This also leads to problems with chronic fatigue.

Sleeping only in your bedroom helps to establish a sleep routine. Also, if you're accustomed to sleeping in multiple places, you can give your body conflicting signals if you are somewhere you sleep sometimes, but not always - for example, if sometimes you nap on the couch and sometimes you watch TV (or nap while watching TV - that's even worse) then you are, again, giving your body inconsistent signals about when and where to sleep, further disrupting your body rhythms.
Click to expand...


Makes total sense Kacey. :asian:

Mr G said:
I'll do the best I can,
Deep, restful sleep is the goal, not just unconsciousness. This is the problem most people think of with sleep apnea. They sleep, but wake up tired. They never gain enough deep sleep. But, they also don't become awake enough to be aware that they are not "sleeping"!

Stimulants interfere with the deepest sleep: REM sleep. That's the part of sleep where you become more rested. (Also when you dream) In essence, think of the mind as (slightly) awake even if the body is asleep.

The sleep routine is about training your body to sleep. Get your mind to quiet down and let the deep sleep come. In a perfect world, a sleep routine would have you begin "getting ready to sleep" 30 minutes to 2 hours before you actually hit the pillow. Use that time to systematically:
1) Clear up the trials and tribulations of the day. Allow your mind to relax. Meditate.
2) Gain a comfortable environment. Reserving the bedroom for sleep alone will help que your body that it is time to sleep. Cool and dark are also signals that your body uses to know when to sleep. Don't let the room get too warm. Even if you pile on the blankets, a cool room helps. Some people recommend taking a hot shower before bed. It feels good, it's relaxing, plus your body is cooling off as you drift off to sleep.
3) Get your body ready to sleep. Clean up, Stretch out, get your body comfortable and relaxed...

Perhaps sleep isn't the problem. Do you get REM sleep? Do you wake up tired? Do you dream? (I think you mentioned you had a sleep study). That's a different can of worms...

Sleep is not very well understood. It's very individualized. It's really hard to apply good science to it. Unfortunately it is often becomes a detective case...
The Mayo center has a good website about sleep. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/SL99999

I hope this helps
Click to expand...

Thanks again. I'll check out the website and try to alter my "falling asleep" routine. Which now consists of falling asleep in front of the TV then going to bed. I don't have to be in front of the TV to go to sleep, it just feels funny to be climbing into bed at 8pm, lol!

I do dream and remember my dreams fairly regularly, though not all the time. But I remember them enough to know that I dream regularly, frequently, whatever. I dream alot.
 
You mentioned in an earlier post that you have had your thyroid levels checked before and they were fine at that time. What I found out recently is that in the past few years the definition of low thyroid has been redefined so that levels that would not have been previously considered "low" are now recognized as such. Your doctor may not be aware of the new standards -- talk with him/her about it.
A simple home test: take your temperature in your armpit first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. Leave it there for 10 minutes. Record the results for three days in a row just to be sure. (Note: it's best not to do this at that certain time of month, as that can fluctuate body temperature)If it reads less than 97.8, you just might be hypothyroid. If it reads under 96.8, you very likely are.
There is such a thing as subclinical hypothyroidism that won't show up on lab tests. Insist that your doctor take it seriously if you are finding low body temps in the morning.

I am aware of all this because I have two hypothyroid family members.
 
girlbug2 said:
You mentioned in an earlier post that you have had your thyroid levels checked before and they were fine at that time. What I found out recently is that in the past few years the definition of low thyroid has been redefined so that levels that would not have been previously considered "low" are now recognized as such. Your doctor may not be aware of the new standards -- talk with him/her about it.
A simple home test: take your temperature in your armpit first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. Leave it there for 10 minutes. Record the results for three days in a row just to be sure. (Note: it's best not to do this at that certain time of month, as that can fluctuate body temperature)If it reads less than 97.8, you just might be hypothyroid. If it reads under 96.8, you very likely are.
There is such a thing as subclinical hypothyroidism that won't show up on lab tests. Insist that your doctor take it seriously if you are finding low body temps in the morning.

I am aware of all this because I have two hypothyroid family members.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll give it a try. Does all hypothyroidism result in overweight?

I'm supposed to make an appt. for a consult with a sleep specialist but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I have some days where I feel pretty good. Can stay up til maybe 10 or so, can exercise a little bit. Then, for instance, yesterday, I was tired all day, no reason for it. Just absolutely exhausted. I came home from work and after having energy to exercise a bit Monday and Tuesday, sat down and couldn't get back up. I fell asleep in the chair at 7:30! My son called me at 8:30 and woke me up. I fell back asleep at 8:35 til 9:30. Got up and went to bed. Slept sound as rock until my alarm went off at 4:30 this morning. I didn't feel terrible when I got up, but if it hadn't been for the alarm I wouldn't have woken up. Crazy huh?
 
Jade Tigress said:
I know, I know. Well....because it takes time, and energy, and well...I just haven't!

But I know I should. It's all just such a PITA. *sigh* I'll try to remember to do it soon. I guess part of me feels it won't accomplish anything just like the sleep study didn't.
Click to expand...
Excuuuse-es. *Now where's the emoticon for giving the raspberries?*

Girl, stop stalling. Yeah, it's a PITA. :D But so's living with something that sucks away the quality of life, and can be corrected.
 
Ok, I'll try to remember to call next week and schedule an appt. I have a very busy day today. I am tired of this. HA! <---- (Alf voice). I made a funny. :D
 
Don't listen to those guys, they just don't understand how much effort it takes to make a phone call to when you're so busy and tired :p
 
Jade make the call and go see the specialist.
icon6.gif


Speaking of being tired, achey, fatigued that is me all to much lately. Fortunately it is for a good reason in that I have roughly doubled my private lessons in the last month. That is good but my body is having a hard time accomodating the extra work. One thing that I have done to get over that extra fatigue is to try to drink a bottle of water at 8 pm'ish and then to try and get to bed by no later than 10:30 pm. Since making this adjustment my body is feeling better and recovering easier.
icon6.gif
 
Jade Tigress, hypothyroidism does not always mean weight gain but that is a common symptom. The most obvious symptom is the sluggishness and fatigue.
 
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