I'm always tired! This isn't a new thing, either. Even long before my step daughter moved in with us, I was exhausted all the time. There's really no reason for it, either. In theory, I get enough sleep and I know I eat well. I used to work out on a daily basis, but even then I was tired. I'd like to get back in to it but...I just don't have the energy!
I wake up at 5am five or six days a week. Then I work in a local vet clinic for 7 to 8 hours cleaning up messes, wrangling and walking dogs, doing laundry...basically anything that makes the vets and techs jobs easier. Then I head home, hang out with the family for a bit, make dinner, give the kiddling a bath, put her to bed, take a shower, and hit they hay myself, usually around 9pm. Rinse, repeat.
I wake up tired, I go to work tired, I go to bed tired. I'm tired of it! Does anyone have any ideas? Hints? Pills, supplements, magic potions? I need more energy!
Get tested for food intolerances. I was shocked when I found out I'm gluten intolerant. But after a couple of days, I was a new person. Amazing. Also try vitamin B supplements and probiotics.
Dr. Oz just had a segment on his show about women that were exhausted. There were many possible reasons and he also gave some fixes to help out. Pre-diabetes, low testosterone, sleeping with a pet in bed, prescribed and over the counter medication side effects, these were just a few of the things listed. Go to his web site, doctoroz dot com and see some of the ways to find out what it is and how to reverse it.
Oh, the vet work, I've done that and it is very tiring!
But, I also suffer from fatigue. It is amazing how much it can plague your life. I have a natural remedies book that is very well researched by experts.
Fatigue can often be caused by a lack of something in your diet. For me, I have a Vit D deficiency and get anemic easily, I am also hypoglycemic... all things that contribute to fatigue. Depression, stress, thyroid problems and other medical conditions can cause chronic fatigue, so if it is persistent, than you should go for a blood test to see if there are underlying causes.
So, other than getting plenty of rest, exercise, and eating healthy, (healthy pairings of carbs+proteins together), nuts, veggies, fresh fruits and lean meat, there are some additional supplements you can take. Eating small, healthy meals every 3-4 hours will also help.
"Take B-vitamins to drive energy production. Also add magnesium, alpha lipoic acid, L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10 to your supplement regimen. All of these vitamins and minerals increase your energy and aid in fighting fatigue symptoms naturally. Consult with your doctor before taking any supplements."
http://www.livestrong.com/article/341116-how-to-fight-fat...
http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/your-guide-to-never...
Hi M.,
Definitely go for a well check up/physical and mention this to your doctor. It could be many things. Here's just a few things that come to mind:
Low iron
Low blood sugar
Not getting to stage 4 sleep (maybe due to sleep apnea)
Your thyroid is not regulating properly
I get so exhausted for two or three days out of the month but that's just because my period is about to start. Oh... I can't even imagine having to feel exhausted DAILY like you seem to experience. Good luck and really.... you should have tests done to find out what's causing you to be exhausted so often.
Yes!!!! Have your thyroid tested. Diagnosing my low (hypo) thyroid changed my life.
I'd make an appointment with your doctor. It could be many things, but a common cause of chronic fatigue is hypothyroidism.
Do you think you might have a sleep disorder? I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea much to the surprise of all of my doctors. They all thought I didn't fit the mold for sleep apnea. Normal weight, female, fit, etc. Turns out I have a pretty bad case of it. I am doing CPAP therapy and feel better than I have in probably 15 or more years! I used to be tired all the time. Each afternoon I felt like I was going to go into a coma. Each night I had to talk myself into surviving until I got the kids to bed. Some nights I had to lay down at 7pm and make my husband take over for the rest of the evening. Now I have tons of energy, no brain fog, can function well until well into the late hours after getting up at 6:30am. I do my best to get 8 hours of sleep with the CPAP and I'm much more productive during the day.
Try to get your insurance to pay for a sleep center test if at all possible. It's so worth knowing what you are dealing with.
i second the vitamins. i became depleted after my celiac disease kicked in and robbed me of vital nutrients. vit B, vit D, and iron helped a ton. also getting my thyroid levels in order. (btw, my levels came up in the 'normal' range but it was NOT normal for me. a good ND/MD will listen to how you feel, not just go by labs.) if you do run a thyroid panel, make sure you're ordering the right things. check out http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork/
good luck. there is nothing worse than waking up tired. my hubby would tell me that i need to get more rest but it didn't matter how much i slept, i would still be tired :(
You've received some excellent advice. Start with your doctor, a complete physical and lab work, it could be a number of things that can be treated so the sooner you find out the sooner you can hopefully get over the fatigue.
Have a full blood panel done - not just the cursory one they do with a routine check up. I had extreme tiredness and "the blahs" after my baby was born. I thought I had post partum depression. Turns out my thyroid had quit working and I had no iron stores - low Ferretin, which is different than being anemic. My available iron was fine, but the more extensive blood test showed the low iron stores as well as the Thyroid trouble. Also, be sure you're getting at least 15 minutes of daylight/sunlight without sunscreen for your Vitamin D levels.
Having my Naturopath listen to me about how I felt (something MDs aren't in general good at) was tremendously helpful. As a mom we never just get to think about ourselves and talk about what's been going on, and doing that in my first visit made me realize, hey, this isn't normal for me! Or at least it didn't used to be. Discussing my life and feelings helped lead her in what to investigate. Don't ignore your body. You should be feeling well! Blessings.
Have you had your thyroid checked? If I am not on my medicine, it costs $4, I get tired and have a hard time functioning. I would have it checked. It makes all thie difference for me!
I was in such a funk last year and am a completely changed person now. I began using Arbonne's Essentials nutrition and weight loss line and an completely a different person. Vitamins, Energy drinks, protein shakes, prebiotis and probiotics....all formulated without gluten, vegan certified and have amazing results. I lost 45 pounds and have more energy now than I have had in a super long time. If you would like further information on what help transformed me, please let me know.
Your adrenals may be burned out. Can you see a naturalpath? Some ideas: L Carnatine and High Potency B Complex, with 1000 mcg of Vit C all help adrenals repair themselves. I would get tested with a saliva test kit and see if you can get some help. I say this from personal expeirence. Mine were so burned out a year ago I was getting physically sick. I feel so much better now. And I never took the heavy duty stuff either! HTH!
I hope you feel better soon.
Green tea is restorative too.
M.
My Dad had the exact same symptoms and it turned out that he was depressed. He didn't feel sad - his depression simply manifested as fatigue. Might want to be worth exploring with your doctor (along with all the other great ideas in the other posts) if you feel that might be a possibility.
Good luck
D.
Taking Vitamin B-12 supplements when I was pregnant really helped me get over the exhaustion. I assume it would work if I weren't pregnant as well. haha Good luck!!
Unfortunately, there are no magic potions. You need to get a really good doctor who understand fatigue-related illnesses. This has been going on longer than 6 months, so you could have chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency or just vitamin and mineral deficiencies. I would recommend an experienced MD who can do a complete blood workup and evaluate you for many different illnesses (look beyond just the basics). Don't take "everything looks fine" or "you just need to get more sleep and exercise" as a good enough answer. Never ending fatigue is a symptom of many illnesses that are difficult to diagnose. But don't stop researching and looking for a good doctor until you get some answers.
Have you tried to take a B complex vitamin? I was feeling realllly tired and when I was organizing my house I found a bottle of b vitamins and dicided to give em a try, and they really helped! Also, if your needing a pick me up for the day, try ginseng pills(over the counter). Paramedic father in law gave me a few to try because I was falling asleep standing up and had to go to work and it was way better than coffee and I didnt feel jittery or weak. Good luck love.
Get your thyroid checked-- it sounds suspiciously like you could be hypothyroid.
I've had extreme fatigue for years. I was recently diagnosed with extremely low vitamin D and B12 levels. I currently take both. My thyroid is fine but to top it off I've been given the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. My fatigue is severe and changes in diet nor does getting more sleep change the fatigue. I'm looking forward to seeing any answers given to help your situation.
You mentioned you eat well - I know one thing that makes a difference for me is the simple carbs...I get into a vicious cycle if I don't eat my whole grains/lean proteins...then I crave sugar/white flour 'stuff' (quick energy)...and the whole sugar high/crash thing happens....no good. Anyway...just a thought...you may already be really good about avoiding the simple carbs :). I have a good friend who was feeling the same way and ended up going to an allergist and found out she was allergic to a few things...another possible thought. Could your sleep be...'not good' (for lack of a better way of explaining it)...Do you have a decent bed? Are there lights shining in your windows or nightlights on? I remember reading somewhere awhile ago about how the body needs it really dark to produce melatonin. I go through periods where I feel exhausted all the time too...my heart goes out to you...I have such a hard time functioning on a pleasant and sane level when I'm tired! I hope something works!
First, consider seeing a doctor and telling him/her you are tired. It could be anemia or something else.
Try Vitamin B complex. Make sure it has vitamin B 12 in it. That is the one that give you energy.
Try fish oil... Sounds bad but it isn't.
Try vitamin D oil make sure you get the right kind. I can't remember which kind right now. Do your research.
And get a SAD light. Makes a big difference. Sit under it it starting at about 30 minutes a day. But do your research.
I drink coffee in the morning and again around 3 pm. This takes the tired out of me. I can sleep anytime, in any conveyance or a couch. I usually sleep for 20 minutes before dinner which gets my energy up for the night evening.
Yoga does help me maintain on about 6 hours of sleep but then that too takes time.
