Chronic Fatigue

prettysenshi

Hey everyone! I know this has been brought up before, but I'd like some advice on my own situation. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Vitamin D deficiency and chronic fatigue syndrome...all of which make you tired. The issue is working out actually makes me feel worse (even if I am fueling myself properly) and the amount of effort that has to go into working out and meal planning is beyond me right now. I was on adderall for CFS but had to stop because it was causing my teeth to decay (from dry mouth despite trying prescription and biotene to counteract). Basically I'm right back to where I was before...

I had previously gone from 211 to 160 and then to 180 (where I'm at now). To give an idea of how bad the being tired is, I can sleep 7 or 8 hours (sometimes a lot more 12+), wake up, and am tired enough to sleep within an hour. It's that bad that when working out if affects my form as my muscles and everything feel fatigued. I want to get back to 160 but everything is 10x's worse then it ever was before and all of the doctors I've been to have no idea what the issue is. They run tests and everything comes back normal.

They tell me I need to work out and I'll feel better, but I feel WORSE, as in, can't breath and feel as if I can physically no longer support myself (even if walking for long distances).

Any idea's on how to over come this? It isn't as simple as pushing through because I physically can't. Should I try losing the weight and while doing this get my conditions under control? Then start working out/toning up?

ew_david

You can just focus on your diet to lose weight if exercise isn't possible for you at this time, but at the very least, take a short walk.

ana3067

Are you not on any medication now? Otherwise sleeping after 10pm makes me tired unless I get like 10+ hours of sleep in. I can function on 7-8 if I go to bed before 10. Don't have CFS but this is something that affects my tiredness levels. Lack of proper sleep also makes me unable to lift weights very well.

Ellaskat

I deal with chronic fatigue caused by chronic Lyme disease. Which for me means, that I can't do consistent exercise. So I don't focus on that. I focus on diet. I've lost over 12 pounds in then last 9 weeks, and I only had 18 total pounds to lose. I have found it helpful at other times to focus on trying to be active for 15 minutes a day. that seems to give me energy, and then makes me want to do even more. I'm hopeful when I'm doine losing weight in a few weeks that I will return to exercise, starting with 8-15 minute daily sessions. It's worked for me in the past, so i'm hoping it will work again. Losing weight makes me a little tired, so I decided I can't focus on both weight loss and exercise, so i'm doing the loss first.

RodaRose

Do some very light exercises three or four times a week for twenty mins -- like slow walking or easy yoga. Get out side in the sun if you live in a place with sun.
Play around with your diet. If you have not done so, try eating more vegetables and oils.

PeachyCarol

Advice for usual fatigue and people with CFS is different. There are a small subset of people with chronic fatigue who will always be unable to exercise.

OP, ask your doctor about graded exercise therapy.

freefallebby

I'm not dogmatic about any which "nutritional gurus" I follow, but Ray Peat's diet/information was every interesting/educational to me. A lot of people have success turning their thyroid health around implementing some of the stuff he advocates, just don't become a Peat Freak.. you don't have to go off the deep end to see improvements.

Focus on quality of calories and getting enough carbs (the thyroid loves teh carbz) at each meal for sustained energy. You could also add some restorative/meditative yoga and short walks as previously mentioned, www.doyogawithme.com is a great free resource you can do yoga at home with.

angelexperiment

I had this similar problem and could not figure itout. Finally my doctor told me to take b12, 6 and 9. To take a pprenatal vitamin to take iron and zinc and folic acid. I felt so weak to do anything! Well I start this regimen and I felt so better! I had severe anemia from a miscarriage and I feel much better now and all that's gone away. B12 will help alot!

lara_maccrimmon

Hi I have CFS/ME so know what it's like. I don't measure myself against anyone else, just what I can manage. With CFS keeping the heart rate lower is key as I find it tires me out more if I do anything strenuous. Slowly & steadily & build up. Always turn back before you feel you've gone too far & don't push yourself too much. Look into Pacing & the Spoon Theory as they help. Over the last few years I have built up from struggling to walk .25 to walking over a mile a day & am now speeding up.

So, see how far you can go easily. That is your benchmark. The next day try to do a bit more, but don't beat yourself up if you can't. I do yoga once a week in a class as that is gentle for me & the teacher knows, so if I'm struggling I stop. Also I do some weight training, but just using tinned tomatoes & then steadily building up the reps. Swimming is supposed to be good, but I can only manage a few lengths before my arms feel like lead.

I have been ill for 12 years & go through crashes & good times. I still sleep for 9/10 hours a day, but it used to be 12 & I can now work longer hours (although I work for myself as could never do full-time). Feel free to add me

scottacular

I'm suffering from similar symptoms myself, well I say suffering - it's not killing me but I've felt constantly lethargic for longer than I can remember now. I used to feel really energetic, I'm still getting workouts done, doing what I need to do, running about at football, etc. But it feels much more of an effort now. Going to see a doctor soon and possibly getting a blood test done. I'll save this thread to my bookmarks and if I get told anything enlightening, I'll share it with you all and you can see if it applies to you as well. I've recently started taking iron tablets by the way, no positive effect yet.

SuffolkSally

I've a CFS/ME diagnosis. It seems very varied from person to person, and I suspect it's a cluster of issues. Anyway - what's helped me has been figuring out trigger factors and pacing, plus: Eating well (less sugar and processed, more lean protein and veg, basically). Sleeping medication, which I know sounds weird, but the issue can be that the quality of sleep is poor, so although you may be sleeping a lot if the quality isn't good it won't be restorative. I take a bit of amitryplitine and that helps. I also take supplementary magenesium and selenium - the selenium helps my thyroid issues and the magnesium has helped a lot with the ME. Practicing relaxation and meditation. And finally experiment with different sorts of exercise and combine the results of that with pacing/spoon thinking. I can pretty much always walk, for instance, mostly I can do one yoga class a week, sometimes two. Pilates and other workout exercise classes are pretty much off limits, sometimes I can do some weight work if I'm cautious. I'm certainly far from well, but I am tons better than I was three years ago. But I'll be watching this thread with interest!

lemon629

I have this problem as well, but not nearly as bad as it was several years ago. You said you tried Adderall for the fatigue, but you did not say whether you are supplementing vitamin D. If not, you should. And what about your iron and vitamin B levels?

For right now focus on diet. Some might disagree with this advice, but try reducing sugar. (There's a lot of people on this site who are think sugar is only a problem for diagnosed diabetics.) Also make sure you get enough protein. This helps me.

Also, so far as exercise goes, don't stress your body too much. You have to very gradually increase exercise. As you increase exercise, your energy levels will probably improve, but you must take it very slowly. Start with just walking, yoga, etc. Possibly swimming, but swimming can be too much. You'll just have to figure out what works for you. When you feel fatigue getting worse, back off. And even if you feel great for several weeks, don't suddenly increase activity. Keep the progress very gradual.

And realize that even if your fatigue seems to be gone, it might periodically come back, especially if you've had several weeks of activity, even if not particularly physical. Be prepared for that and don't get down about it. Even though I am much better and fatigue is not a nearly constant problem for me the way it used to be and I am able to exercise 5-6 times a week, the fatigue does rear its head once in a while. Basically, if I've gone two months or more without needing a nap, I figure I am due for a fatigue episode and I will not plan much for a few weeks because sure enough, fatigue will strike and I will need naps (and not normal naps like some people take, but 2-3 hour naps on top of 8-9 hours of sleep at night). But these episodes only last a few days and are relatively rare these days.

jacquejl

I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue. My lab work was seriously out of whack. The supplements they put me on for my adrenals and thyroid helped a little. But then I went off on my own. These things helped me quite a bit:

1. weights for 15 min 3x a week (no cardio);
2. infrared sauna for detox;
3. sole water (pink himilayan salt water for minerals) stopped my afternoon crashes;
4. CALM magnesium supplement helps me sleep;
5. now healing hormones with hfmplc diet.

That is what I've done and may not work for you. But a book worth reading is Nourishing Traditions. It talks about traditional diets and why they are best for us, the importance of each macro-nutrient, etc.

Best of luck to you on your journey!

D_squareG

I suffer with fatigue as well. One thing that I can do no matter how lousy I feel is the recumbant bike at the gym. You're sitting, so it seems easier and even on my worst day, I can stand to do 1/2 hour. Also, I find that as I pedal, I feel better and better. Put on some "Get on the Floor" and you'll find yourself racing! I know it isn't easy. Every day is a struggle. But it is worth the effort. Try it is you have one available.

esjones12

Personally I would think getting your health issues straightened out would be your first priority. Unless your doctor attributes them to being overweight, I would think trying to lose weight will just stress your body out more. Then worry about shedding some pounds and toning up. You don't have to exercise to lose weight, you just need to eat in a deficit.

But honestly, you should be discussing your issues and questions with your doctor.

scottacular

Out of curiosity, does anyone here ever experience like a sudden rush of blood to the head/very pronounced dizzy spells and feel the need to drink/eat really quickly? Keeps happening to me more and more regularly.

RodaRose

scottacular wrote: »

Out of curiosity, does anyone here ever experience like a sudden rush of blood to the head/very pronounced dizzy spells and feel the need to drink/eat really quickly? Keeps happening to me more and more regularly.

That is weird and sounds a bit frightening. Good luck with the doctor. It could be an inner ear thing or something else.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/04/causes-dizziness-_n_6334864.html

scottacular

RodaRose wrote: »

scottacular wrote: »

Out of curiosity, does anyone here ever experience like a sudden rush of blood to the head/very pronounced dizzy spells and feel the need to drink/eat really quickly? Keeps happening to me more and more regularly.

That is weird and sounds a bit frightening. Good luck with the doctor. It could be an inner ear thing or something else.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/04/causes-dizziness-_n_6334864.html

That's a term I've heard a few times before, I sometimes get this feeling that there's some sort of block in my ear that's reducing just slightly how I hear things. Music doesn't sound so loud to me anymore.

MeganMoroz89 wrote: »

scottacular wrote: »

Out of curiosity, does anyone here ever experience like a sudden rush of blood to the head/very pronounced dizzy spells and feel the need to drink/eat really quickly? Keeps happening to me more and more regularly.

Do you think you could be diabetic?

Oh goodness, I hope not.

This is going to be an interesting experience finding out what this is, thanks for the replies.

jsthiel

I also have cf, I found that a fresh juice per day drastically improved my symptoms, juicerecipes.com is a great place to start. Also low impact exercise that doesn't raise my heart rate is ideal. And also exercising in small spirts throughout the day instead of all at once, exercising before bed or late in the day is often better so i have energy for other thngs during the day. Pacing myself through the day, handing chores over to other family members and getting help around the house made more room to focus on my health and have spoons to spend on exercise. Definitely read The Spoon Theory. Look into graded exercise or physical therapy through your doctor. Look into D-ribose for chronic fatigue. You can do this!

brendak76

Has your dr checked for other issues that could cause fatigue? Celiac and thyroid issues are both autoimmune diseases and low vitamin d and fatigue can be symptoms of celiac. I'd make sure the dr has ruled out other conditions for fatigue. Good luck.

Wiseandcurious

OP, I know you said you can't exercise, I am thinking though that if you can get to spend more time outside in the sun it might make you feel better? Even just lying on a picnic blanket in the park or sitting on the porch/balcony in the sun for a bit. I know CFS is a medical condition and don't recommend sunshine as a miracle cure, I just think it might make you feel a bit better. :hugs:

scottacular wrote: »

Out of curiosity, does anyone here ever experience like a sudden rush of blood to the head/very pronounced dizzy spells and feel the need to drink/eat really quickly? Keeps happening to me more and more regularly.

This sounds like low sudden dip in blood sugar? You should get it checked out. I had these, my doctor never cared, I got rid of them by consistently having some protein with every meal, especially if it's a sugary meal - at least I think that's what helped.

prettysenshi

Sorry for the late response guys, I've been extremely busy trying to get a bunch of stuff done the past couple of weeks. I've been tested for every known thing possible, and the only thing the doctors can come up with is a Vitamin D issue. I was at a level 14, I go back in a couple of days to have it re-tested. Everything else is normal. No other issues. I was given Adderal because they couldn't find a reason, I've had my adrenal glands too and everything is normal. I am overweight, but nothing points to that causing the problem.

Even after I lost 40+ pounds, I had to continually push myself to work out. I think I'll focus more on my diet until I can get everything figured out. If it's only the vitamin d issue, then it can take 6 months to a year (or longer) for the symptoms to go away and it's only been 4 months.

jcpmoore

scottacular wrote: »

Out of curiosity, does anyone here ever experience like a sudden rush of blood to the head/very pronounced dizzy spells and feel the need to drink/eat really quickly? Keeps happening to me more and more regularly.

Yes, I've had that. It's not diabetes. It's not even that scary according to my docs. I spent a year going to various docs (neuros, specialists, you name it I tried it) and no one could come up with a diagnosis other than "you have low blood pressure, get over it." After all that, the my main doc agreed that the only explanation was my low blood pressure. She told me get up slower and eat more salt.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer, but at least you don't need to worry too much about it. If you can, get your doc to send you to the neuro to do a tilt-table test and such. Yours might come back different from mine (which was normal) and get some more answers.

HTH

Tried30UserNames

I have CFS. I would recommend eating fewer calories and ignoring exercise for now. With CFS, some days you have to choose whether you're going to bathe or prepare a meal. Exercise isn't even on the radar.

It seems you are suffering from one of the 8 symptoms, what many of us call "exercise intolerance", meaning you get worse if you exercise. If you work with your doctor to start an exercise program, you may find you can tolerate only 1 minute a day to start.

I exercise when I'm feeling well and I don't when I'm not. For a couple years, I took a 1 mile walk on Saturday mornings with friends that lasted 1-1 1/2 hrs. We stopped and rested a lot. That was the only time each week I left the house and that walk destroyed me for the rest of the week, but I liked getting out with my friends. Now, I can walk 3 miles most days and I work full time, but it still usually takes me an hour. Keep in mind I used to run marathons. It's really important to listen to your body when it comes to activity.

Somebody mentioned the concept of Spoons. I really like that analogy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory

To be diagnosed with CFS, you must have at least 4 of the below symptoms.

From http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/basics/symptoms/CON-20022009

Fatigue
Loss of memory or concentration
Sore throat
Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits
Unexplained muscle pain
Pain that moves from one joint to another without swelling or redness
Headache of a new type, pattern or severity
Unrefreshing sleep
Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise

Also, this resource guide might have some helpful info: http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/pdf/cfs-resource-guide.pdf