I Am Sooooo Tired...

I hope it's benign, but lupus and MS and other autoimmune disorders can cause severe fatigue. Good luck.

I had a blood test last week because of the same problem. Nothing was found, so I tried a new diet (Engine 2) that is all vegetables and fruit. I also take an iron supplement, even though I'm not anemic. Things are 100% better! There's a book on that Engine 2 if you want to try it.
I'm sorry you feel so blah and hope you feel better. Hate being tired!

I have narcolespy. I am tired all the time. If your doctor has ruled out everything else I would check into that. It doesn't matter if I sleep 4 hours or 12 a night I am always tired. This is a horrible feeling and I drag almost every day due to it. However, I do take medicine called Provigil for this. Once I wrecked my car with my baby in the back seat I decided that I had let me being tired go to far and decided to get help. I urge you to do some research on this before you go to the doctor. Chances are they will want you to do a sleep study (I did this as well and have sleep apnea) to check for sleep apena. It isn't a horrible thing just was kind of hard to sleep in the hospital. I woke up 90+ times inbetween 10 pm and 5 am. Now I have horrible insurance and can't get the help that I need so I suffe on a daily basis.

You have taken the first step in the right direction of making a doctor's appointment. Please don't let people tell you it is just because you have kids because there is a huge difference.

R., I am so sorry you are going through this. Unfortunately, I can understand exactly how you feel.
The other posters have given you fantastic advice, the more questions that you are armed with at the doctor, the better!

I suffer from Adrenal Fatigue. I take natural supplements especially for AF, and if I miss a day, I am an exhausted wreck.
Before I was diagnosed, I was exhausted all the time and even getting showered and dressed was a chore. I bawled all the time. I didn't even have to be sad. I would have normal conversations with my husband and tears would be streaming down my face. SO CRAZY! I hated it.

I hope you find exactly what the answer is, and that you can get on the road to having energy again soon!
If you don't get an answer from your doctor, definitely try a naturopathic doc. I don't know what I would have done without mine!

I felt this way for 2 1/2 years and kept pushing myself because with twin girls and a full time job, someone had to do it and I couldn't count on the hubby. He has been dealing with his own issues.
Turns out it was depression, doc said postpartum although I'm not sure. I could have slept all day, everyday.
My aunt has chronic fatigue, but in my opinion, doctors just give that diagnosis (and the fibromyalgia diagnosis) when they are not sure what is causing the problem.
I have had two friends who went gluten free and all their symptoms of fibromyalgia disappeared, but their doctors wont believe the two things are related and neither woman is willing to go back to life with gluten to prove it to them!
I had mono for most of my 9th grade year. I know that I had no energy, but I didn't really feel like sleeping either.
Hope you have a good doctor that can help you figure it out soon so you can feel better.

Ask about adrenal fatigue, too. And possibly chronic fatigue syndrome.

I would ask for a sleep study. Several years ago I had a the same thing going on. It seemed like I was asleep, sleepy or trying to figure out when I could sleep next all day long. Many days I spent my day on the couch and about 20 minutes before my girls would get back home from school, I would force myself to go take a shower so I could say I at least did something that day. My husband could not figure out how I could go to bed at 9 and wake up at 7 and still be tired everyday. When I first went to the doctor, he automatically decided that I was depressed and put me on medication. I told him I didn't think I was depressed or if I was I was the happiest person who was ever depressed. After a couple of months on the meds, I went back for a follow up. There had been no change in my level of sleepiness. He finally decided to send me for a sleep study. We found out I had severe sleep apnea. The test showed I slept for about a minute at a time before my body would wake up enough to tell me to breath. So I have been using a CPAP machine for about 7 years now. It takes a week or so to get used to it but after you get a couple of really good nights of sleep it is so worth it. Some people have asked how I can sleep with the CPAP and I tell them that it is important enough to me that if I go on a trip, I will pack my CPAP before I pack my toothbrush or deodorant. Also it doesn't look very sexy but you don't have to put it on until you are actually ready to go to sleep. Also I think my husband put it best when he told me I look sexier with the mask on than I would lying in a casket. Sleep apnea is very serious. It can lead to you falling asleep while driving, weight gain, and heart problems because when you sleep is when your body especially your heart repairs itself. If you are not sleeping well, then your body is not repairing itself.

Hopefully your problem is nothing serious but if it is sleep apnea, take it seriously because more is involved than just being sleepy.

If it does happen to be sleep apnea, I would be willing to talk you about any questions your may have or tell you about what my experience has been like.

this was me several years ago. it was a combination of depression and what i believe to be a low-functioning thyroid. traditional medicine couldn't find anything wrong, but in despair i went to a chiro/homeopath who gave me my life back.
look outside the box. and don't take no for an answer.
good luck!
khairete
S.

I really believe it is the thyroid, before your appt just ask if they can do some bloodwork on you (you will need to fast) so she has the results when you meet with her. I felt the same and my Dr. is tweeking my thyroid medicine and I feel alive again. What a horrible feeling to walk around exhausted and really have no explanation for it.

Depression? Hepatitis?
Those are the two things that have made me exhausted in the past.
Depression for me is seasonal. Happened first time about five years ago. Did exactly what you said-woke up, got rid of kids, went back to bed.

Hepatitis if you eat a lot of seafood... I used to eat crab all the time-my parents had a creek house and caught it weekly. I got so tired I could barely stand up, lost weight, eyes started turning yellow, pee very dark....I ended up in bed for six weeks. Getting up to turn on the light was enough to put me back to sleep for hours.

Good luck! I sure the doctor can help you figure it out.

(For my depression I found exercise and massages make a HUGE difference. Now I am proactive over the winter season and can feel when it is coming on and head it off.)

Thyroid is a really good starting point, as is anemia.
Good luck.

Don't rule out auto-immune disorders like fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis. And mental illness such as depression and anxiety can cause extreme fatigue as well.

It sounds like you have everything covered that you need to be tested for. Let us know. Any chance you had mono too?

I would definitely ask to be tested for mono. A friend of mine, in her 30's, had mono recently and described feeling this way. It all lasted about 2 months. She also had sore glands though. I also saw a doctor Oz a long time ago. There was a discussion about a virus that women are especially prone to. It kind of sounded like something very long term. I can't remember the details but maybe do a little research on his website. I do remember him saying that they are constantly tired and fatigued. Another thing worth checking out. I'm so sorry you are going through this. How frustrating it must be. I hope you find relief soon!

Lupus?

What you said about wanting to cry made me think of the spoon theory by Christine Miserandino. You should read it.

My husband went through this last year. In addition to the things you've mentioned, he also dd a glucose tolerance test and went on the diet for hypoglycemia (which did help, but we don't know that that was it--gcc test showed no issues, but it doesn't always pick up reactive hypoglycemia.)

He also did some cardio tests. They didn't find anything (and tests were rather expensive, even with insurance) but we do know some people who had similar symptoms and blockages were found. They got stents and felt tons better.

My husband is feeling tired again, but he's also gone back on carbs and forgets to take his new vitamins (he thought it may have been a deficiency.)

This sounds worse than I was but I did discover I'm intolerant to wheat and dairy. Cutting those out made a HUGE difference. Since you're this out of control tired, it probably is something more medical but eating wheat and dairy now also disrupts my sleep so I do have days like yours when I cheat. So if all else fails, try to get tested for food intolerances. I was SHOCKED I had them. Never have stomach issues like I though was the symptom of food intolerances. For me it's being tired and my legs feeling like lead. Try some Vitamin B too.

Depression? I wish you good luck and all the best!

fibromyalgia & celiac disease

chronic fatigue syndrome can get serious and you could be lacking major B vitamins as well as iron.

CFS manifests itself in both of the above mentioned disorders, so i'd look into them and inquire about them as well.

and yes, like others suggested, Adrenal Fatigue is common, especially in mothers. I was diagnosed with it and I have tons of energy! (until 8pm lol then I'm DONE) but it takes a good vitamin regimen and diet to get yourself out of AF. and as UNrealistic as it sounds- you have to slow down in order to get ahead.

yep,was just like you was checked and found out i was seriouly lacking in vitamin b and d am taking a prescription vitamin d as well as supplement from store and have started b12 shots. so worth it to ask on having these 2 checked.

I was gonna say Mono?

And you do know that the more you sleep the more tired you become? There is such a thing as too much sleep.

I hope you get it figured out. It is very unpleasant to feel so exhausted all the time!

I had Adrenal Fatigue for most of my life and didn't know it. Most doctors don't know about this as the condition has only recently been discovered. I have an excellent book "Adrenal Fatigue The 21st Century Stress Syndrome" that you can order online. Adrenal fatigue can cause depression. If you get on a drug for depression, then you are simply treating the symptoms, and get into a vicious cycle of trying to find the "right" drug for you, or your correct dosage, or a cocktail of drugs, which of course the drug companies profit from enormously. Adrenal fatigue can be fixed with diet but it will take a lifestyle change and commitment. It would be far easier to "pop" a pill but disastrous in the long run. Cyndi Lauper recently wrote about her withdrawal and fight with prescription drugs. Get informed, don't just do what your doctor recommends. If he recommends a drug for depression, then he is getting his info from the drug reps who want to sell more drugs for the drug companies. Good luck!

My energy level has dropped sooo much in the last 2 yrs. Finally went to Dr. Schwartz in SA. I am now on thyroid meds and slowly getting my energy back. The 1st year, I went every 3 mos and now at 50 mg med and hopefully won't have to go back until December unless I feel I need to. I am also about 30 lbs overweight and find it really hard to stand up as much as I used to-like going to the grocery store, Walmart, mall, etc. So i know I have to lose weight but the thyroid affects it also. I just know now that I can't go for hours like in the past and try to keep trips to less than 2 hrs walking and sit more at the malls!
There is a site called Stop the Thyroid Madness that talks about how hard it is to treat this since many doctors tell you your blood test shows "normal". Do some research before you go in so you will know that "normal" is not normal for everyone.
I really like this doctor but his office is busy. I waited 2 months to see him but glad I did. If your other dr. doesn't work out, try him.
Also, sometimes just the stress of having to get my girls ready, their moods not matching mine, etc. would have me worn out before leaving the house-that is also thyroid mood swings and the legs-exactly why I limit myself now.
Looking forward to the day when my thyroid stabilizes and I can stand up/shop for hours on end again!! And depression is part of thyroid but I wouldn't classify it as depression per se-more of just an overwhelming feeling and just too tired mentally/physically to deal with things.
Hope this all helps cause Iknow I rambled!!