I have mentioned this many, many times before. Everyday, I am so tired. I can't figure out what it is all about. My doctor had ordered every blood test under the sun and everything is normal. My thyroid is low but I am on medication for it. I take supplements. (Fish oil (high quality from my optometrist), Vitamin B Complex (100mg/mcg.) with Folic acid, Vitamin D (3000 IU) and a multi vitamin. Everyday I take an anti-depressant (Cipralex 20mg) and the aforementioned Synthyroid (.05 mg).
My symptoms are extreme fatigue no matter how much I sleep I get, difficulty losing weight despite following Weight Watchers, muscle aches, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, hot flashes and irritability.I am considering adding Ginseng and Magnesium to my supplements to see if it makes a difference. I will not take Hormone Replacement Therapy as I truly beleive this was the reason my mom had Ovarian cancer. (For those of you who are new to my blog, my mom died in September 2011 after having O.C for 6 years.)
The reason I am not rushing out to my doctor's office is because I have done it before. In fact, I have been to more than one doctor and it is always the same. "Here, take this ant-depressant." My current doctor is the most understanding and has gone out of his way to try to find out what's wrong.
So, I am going to start asking other women their story about what has helped and what hasn't. Maybe the answer is I just have to live with it. There are a lot of books and information on the Internet and it seems this is very common. Is this peri-menopause? Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Am I just lazy?
Now it is your turn. Please tell me what has worked for you!
O dear, I'm sorry you're going through this. I think you can at least be comforted by the fact that you have run all the tests and you're fine. Do you get regular exercise? That, which in turn will also improve stress levels and the quality of one's sleep, can be very helpful I think. Also, I know quite a few people who report feeling more energetic when they switched to a more vegan diet (I personally have a pescetarian diet); certainly I believe it is healthier. Set aside more deliberately peaceful, quiet time -- pray or meditate -- and drink more water. You're in my prayers, dear friend; hang in there :)
ReplyDeleteAre you taking anything that would affect your potassium levels? I went to the ER with fatigue, muscle-twitching, skipped heartbeats, and a feeling like I couldn't catch my breath. I had hypokalemia due to a blood pressure medication, and had to take giant horse pills of potassium for a while.
ReplyDeleteAt first the ER doc was about to dismiss it as me being nuts, which was kind of the impression the nurse who took my vitals gave me. They ran the potassium test on a whim, since my BP med was supposed to be "potassium-sparing," which meant it should not have depleted my potassium.
Here's a link: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hypokalemia-symptoms.html
I assume you're not looking for any kind of "medical" type response because that would be unwise of any one of us to "dispense" it - even verbally.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm guessing that you're asking advice about what helps the mind, body and spirit. For me, it's getting out regularly. Walking accomplishes good, gentle exercise, getting you out in the fresh air and to me, the most important part - it allows you to connect to nature.
I think most of us are too disconnected from the real world - especially we city-dwellers. I can feel myself relax and genuinely feel more in synch with the better aspects of life when I'm out there in the midst of it. I can accomplish that in about a half hour each day in any weather except for the very nasty. It makes the world of difference. And sleep comes easier when I do walk.
I hope you find your path to feeling better.
I agree with what everyone has said so far. When we hit our 40s, everything slows down. We ache, we twitch, we can't sleep, we are tired. Ugh, it's totally disgusting!
ReplyDeleteTry your food first. Limit white foods, sugars, starches, and replace with green or colorful foods that crunch when you bite into them! (I'm not talking Cheetos!) and regularly exercise. I know your ass is dragging, but it's going to be dragging anyway, right? I find my body works the best when I am on a regular routine of things, I poop at the same time when I eat at the same times etc. I know that when I sit around, all I want to do is sit around more. Brain fog is common in perimeno, it's kind of like pregnancy brain. Hormones are crazy.
Limit your caffeine, especially after lunchtime, and try doing peaceful things before bed. Low lighting, quiet time, fresh or cool air in the room. Cotton or bamboo pjs. (Bamboo sheets are supposed to be the best for hot flashes but $$$!!) it will help with the sleep.
I've had every symptom at one point or another. And every month is different. You're not alone though! Doesn't that just warm your cockles?!
Have you done a sleep study?
ReplyDeleteBirdie, I also think that you are pushing yourself really hard while you are still recovering from major surgery. You don't seem to have taken a break at all. Also, did they give you pain meds while you were recovering? Because omg, those will make you tired beyond belief!
ReplyDeleteAll good advice there I think. Make sure you get plenty of fruit and veg. Cut back on red meat and animal fats. Start some gentle exercise. And get fresh air and natural light every day. It worked for me.
ReplyDeleteIf all that fails, in a couple of months try changing your antidepressive.
And tell yourself how great you are. Because you are you know. X
I am frequently so tired I feel sick (thank you MS) and also take medication for a low thyroid. I had hoped that the thyroid medication would stop me looking like the Michelin woman but it hasn't yet.
ReplyDeleteTime? It is really only two blinks since you had surgery.
Being outside also helps me - but it isn't a cure all. Or not yet.
Hugs.
It is still too soon after major surgery. Give yourself a little more time. The days are getting longer, and the sun will be out more; that will certainly help.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had something to offer - if you find something that works for you, let us all know. I get crushing fatigue sometimes - and usually gain weight easily at those times.
ReplyDeleteBirdie, I went to hormonal ups and downs, heart palpitations (I felt like I was having a heart attack every night, migraines, gain almost 40 pounds and no matter how much exercise I did it was not going away, bad moods, crying incidents, knees problems, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhat work for me was a change of attitude, a not-so-rigurious diet and lots and lots of physical activity (no necessary exercise), meditation and over the counter vitamins supplements. All of the above has being done with my doctor supervision and lots of blood work and a variety of other test.
Please always check with your doctor before taking any our advice since none of us are your doctor!
With Love,
How long have you been taking the cipralex? It can cause fatigue.
ReplyDeleteAre you waking in the night? That could cause fatigue as well. I know when I have a lot of hot flashes I'm not sleeping well. I wake up unrefreshed because I've spent all night almost waking up to move bed covers.
I take anti depressants, Effexor, but only take a 1/4 dose because I don't like the side effects of the higher doses. Being outside helps me feel so much better.
Have you ever had a sleep study done? If there's apnea or allergies that reduce the effectiveness of your time asleep, that would be one explanation.
ReplyDeleteYou do NOT have to live through it. No way! There is so much you can do with diet. This is what I teach people in my SAD To SEXY classes, but if you message me- I'm more than happy to share a good book/resource list with you as well. Different things work for different people, so you have to kind of drown out the noise (ie other people's opinions), do some experimenting & let YOUR body do the talking. Keep the faith! NAMASTE -xo
ReplyDeleteMy mom was going through a depression/tired episode this past winter. The doctor suggested some iron supplements and she is doing better. Lord it must be horrible to know something is wrong and yet the doctor can't find anything wrong. Perhaps another doctor? I hate to even mention it but has anyone checked for Lyme's disease? Best wishes. ((hugs))
ReplyDeleteI am tired all the time as well.. MS... bleh. I have meds to help with that.
ReplyDeleteI have officially entered the menopause phase of life this past month. What a blessed mess that is.
The one thing that helps me sleep, stops the aches and pains, and makes me forget the hot flashes... well, it's the one thing that I can't mention here because it's unseemly to be partaking of illegal substances even though they really shouldn't be illegal...
I tried wine and such but that only made me more irritable and sort of enhances the hot flashes....
I hope you find some things that work for you!
Life's a bitch eh?
Hey Birdie...
ReplyDeleteI am back on hormones...but the gel form...not ingested...I rub it on my inner thighs....really helps me cope...no flashes...sleep like a rock...
Just sayin'...
Cheers!
Linda :o)
Wish I had an answer for you. I went though a period a year or so ago when I just felt incredibly tired all of the time. Never did find out what was the cause but lately (touch wood) I seem to have perked up a little. I probably should be taking meds for depression and anxiety but find it hard to do so as I get anxious about side effects. Sometimes I manage this well with exercise, diet and meditation but often I don't do so well with this and probably could do with meds to avoid these peaks and troughs.
ReplyDeleteI was exactly the same. The very best thing I did was give up on doctors and daft anti-depressants. Why are they the only thing doctors seem too give women over 40? Stress can cause a lot of what you have, stress is the worst thing as it can cause hormones to increase and produce for too much, that causes a lot of your problems. Good luck.
ReplyDelete