I know it's pretty dumb, but ...

sarahrbraun

Sorry, didn't mean to post and run. Thank you SO much for all the responses.

Thyroid: every doctor I've ever been to has checked my thyroid and there has never been anything that has popped up as wrong or alarming. Is this something that can change? If so, perhaps it's time to get a re-check.

I'm also not talking about drinking several Monsters a day or anything ... I know they're full of crap (i.e. the caffeine and sugar), it was more of a "just for now" thing.

I actually didn't know that it was possible to have difficulty absorbing Vitamin B ... I use the sublingual tablets because I was told that they absorb better, but I should check my levels to be sure in case I do need the injections!

I also have PCOS and bipolar disorder, so I struggle with those medical and mental issues, too. I have been trying to drink more water, and have just had to pee so much (LOL, sorry for the TMI!) which sucks at work a lot because we're very busy. But I try to get in at least 64 oz every day. I was just so surprised by the energy kick I got off the drink that I was like ... WOW, maybe I could use this to my advantage.

Food wise, I need to keep track of what I'm eating, I have a hard time motivating myself to enter every single thing, every single day. It sound stupid, because in the grand scheme of things, it would be effective and helpful. But I hate to see myself doing poorly and get discouraged, etc. (if we're going to be honest here ... and I might as well because not being honest isn't going to get me anywhere). At work I get free food so I tend to eat there a lot because I don't have a lot of money for groceries (especially healthy ones), but I try to choose healthier options (like salads, etc.) at work, though I'm not going to sit there and say that I don't ever slip (it happens more often than I care to think about ... I'm a stress eater at times).

Man ... I need to make a lot of changes.

have you had your meds check recently? I have to wonder if your bi-polar is in a low and causing the crushing fatigue...I struggled with clinical depression for years, and one of my main symptoms as a teen was crushing fatigue.

Instead of the Monster which is chock full of caffeine and sugar, I would try Emergen-c or 5 hour energy. Both of them are more vitamin based, and the 5 hr energy has a decaf version. the 5 hr energy is B vitamin based and has like 8,000% of your daily RDA in a 2oz shot.

kealambert

try instead 5 hour energy

kealambert

or zipfizz, this stuff is awesome

http://www.zipfizz.com/

AnaTheApple

have you had your Vitamin D level checked? I had mine checked and it was a 7 which is critically low and that explained some of my tiredness and getting sick all the time.

A year or so ago I had the same issue and was given a vitamin D injection, which has helped a lot! My Doctor said that due to the lack of sunlight in the UK most people are deficient and don't know it, so maybe it'd be worth checking
hope you feel better soon xx

andi2398

You should also consider a sleep study. You might be sleeping but if you don't get enough oxygen during your sleep you don't go into REM sleep. You might have sleep apnea. If you snore or you hold your breath during sleep, it's something you should look into.

SmileyFaceGuy

10 hours is not an absurd amount of sleep. Maybe your body needs that much sleep; people require different amounts of it. Surprised I'm the first to say that.

kealambert

keep in mind it's really hard to make a TON of DRASTIC changes in a short period of time. instead, focus on making changes in habits and routines gradually. it's easier to get discouraged and overwhelmed if you attempt to make a complete overhaul of all these things at the same time

tameejean

I also have PCOS and cutting out gluten/dairy helped immensly. Anyway, I know you know that the Monsters aren't good for you, so I'm not going there (and btw, sugar is horrible for PCOS). I am also hypothyroid and a lot of doctors only measure TSH and tell you that you are fine, but it's better to have them test TSH, T4, Free T4, Free T3 to get a better idea. I was always tired, foggy, cold, blah, blah, blah...until I found out that I had hypothyroid. I'm on Armour (thyroid med) and no longer feel that way.

nxd10

Good healthy food will give you a lot more energy.

And that caffeine use cycle is bad for your healthy, mind, and certainly energy use.

TEN HOURS OF SLEEP ISN'T THAT MUCH. Most people are supposed to have 8. You're tired.

Can you try sleeping? Get home, do your family, personal things, and settle into bed?

Check your sleep hygiene. Do you have apnea (many overweight people do) so you snore and never really rest? That's one of the biggest causes of exhaustion. If you wake up tired, look seriously at what you need to do to get more restful sleep.

Good food and good sleep are your friends.

saragato

have you had your meds check recently? I have to wonder if your bi-polar is in a low and causing the crushing fatigue...I struggled with clinical depression for years, and one of my main symptoms as a teen was crushing fatigue.

Instead of the Monster which is chock full of caffeine and sugar, I would try Emergen-c or 5 hour energy. Both of them are more vitamin based, and the 5 hr energy has a decaf version. the 5 hr energy is B vitamin based and has like 8,000% of your daily RDA in a 2oz shot.

Most people with bipolar disorder get put on Lithium Carbonate and have their levels checked every 6 months if they're keeping up with their doctor. The level drops or spikes don't affect sleep, it affects the medicine's ability to work which would mean you end up having more bipolar symptoms if it's too low or too high. The only thing that might affect sleep would be if the person went into a manic high and ran their energy down at the wrong hours or if they went into a manic depression and slept all the time.

Now considering there are other drugs one can be put on and the OP has another condition I can't say that those aren't contributing factors, but I did want to mention that bipolar people basically have to have their meds checked regularly, especially on Lithium because if their level gets too high it can be deadly.

creech6317

There are a lot of ways to get some energy natually.
Are you a tea drinker? Ginseng tea is great and there are some teas made just to boost energy levels without the added sugar of energy drinks.

That being said I drink the Monster Lo-Carb, helps me out a ton when I am lagging. Redline is another energy drink (0 calories) that works great for me.

The really funny thing I have found since starting this new lifestyle is that working out gives me the most energy. I will notice if I don't work out in the mornings I am sleepy and sluggish all day. It gives me a better boost than any of the energy drinks, and I LOVE energy drinks.

kealambert

the 8 hour sleep cycle is predominantly a myth, btw.

jessicae1aine

The one thing that I never would have considered til they did all sorts of labwork on me:

The reason I was so tired was because my Vitamin D was low.

I take 10,000UI Vitamin D3 daily, at it's made a WORLD of difference. It took about 10 days before it started to be noticeable.

waronmyfat

what are you eating? try looking at your diet you may need to increase your greens and eat more fruit.. stay away from the drinks its full of caffiene and not good for you... try green tea and start taking multi vitamins... i use to be very tired all the time until i looked at what i was shoving in my head and not exercising...

elyelyse

Food wise, I need to keep track of what I'm eating, I have a hard time motivating myself to enter every single thing, every single day. It sound stupid, because in the grand scheme of things, it would be effective and helpful. But I hate to see myself doing poorly and get discouraged, etc.

Man ... I need to make a lot of changes.

one thing at a time, one day at a time, one meal at a time. so cliche but so true. Pick one thing you think you can do; maybe today, log everything. worry about tomorrow tomorrow. Once you make that a habit you might be able to look back and notice some patterns, like what do you notice you eat on those days you are especially fatigued?

I understand that logging means you have to see what you aren't doing right, and that can be emotionally difficult. Here's a novel idea: try to observe without judgement. I know! easier said than done, but it just takes practice. Instead of looking at your log and thinking "ugh, i suck" or "i wish I didn't eat that extra...", look at what you ate and think about what you might do different next time. Instead of feeling bad because you weren't perfect (none of us are!), use it as a chance to reflect on why you made a bad decision. Were you upset? Did you leave the house without eating anything and by the time lunch came around you were too ravenous to care about what you were eating? Were you distracted and didn't realize you at the whole bag of something until it was too late? Once you figure it out, make a plan to combat that issue next time. If you pigged out at lunch because you didn't have a good breakfast, then add "prepare a good breakfast" tomorrow to your goals.

take a deep breath and try not to get overwhelmed.

jennifershoo

PCOS = insuline resistant
Try a low carb diet. Those Monster drink are really horrible for you (well, for everyone in general).

It's time for a complete blood panel.

DivineRED1

I'm draggin' *kitten* right now too. Here's what I think my problem is, I know I need a new mattress and I am going to try to eat less processed foods and sugar. If those don't help, then I'm going to have my doctor check all my levels for hormones and nutrients. I need to workout more too. I'm so tired in the morning that I'm not getting it done then.

sarahrbraun

have you had your meds check recently? I have to wonder if your bi-polar is in a low and causing the crushing fatigue...I struggled with clinical depression for years, and one of my main symptoms as a teen was crushing fatigue.

Instead of the Monster which is chock full of caffeine and sugar, I would try Emergen-c or 5 hour energy. Both of them are more vitamin based, and the 5 hr energy has a decaf version. the 5 hr energy is B vitamin based and has like 8,000% of your daily RDA in a 2oz shot.

or if they went into a manic depression and slept all the time.

but what if her obligations made her unable to get the sleep her body is demanding? THAT would cause some of the crushing fatigue that she is talking about.

according to this article, caffeine is NOT good for patients with bipolar...and a loss of energy is a sign of falling into a depressive state.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/90028-caffeine-bipolar-disorder/

purpleposies

AAHH, if you are on meds for your bipolar disorder, this can be it. I suggest speaking to your dr about this and see if your meds can be adjusted.

Another thing, yes, log everything. Not logging makes it easier to "slip" and have something bad here and there, before you know it, that stuff adds up. My suggestion would be to lock your food diary for a few weeks so you will not have the notion to lie or cheat on it. Do this for you, so you can see what you are eating. I do not know how many friends I have turned on to MFP that thought they were not eating that bad until they started logging.

Now, in saying that, take a pic now, only eat healthy foods at work, document your success with food logs and pictures, then contact corporate to make you their healthy eating spokes person. Hey, its worth a try right.? If Jared can do it, so can you. :bigsmile:

LOL! Wouldn't that be something?!

I forgot I could lock my food diary.

Good idea, because honestly some days I'm incredibly self conscious because I know I'm eating bad. I have to fight the impulses, etc., on top of the tiredness, LOL. I think some times, Oh I'll just have a little 'pick me up' ... well, the pick me ups are also "up"-ing my weight!

Lesa_Sass

AAHH, if you are on meds for your bipolar disorder, this can be it. I suggest speaking to your dr about this and see if your meds can be adjusted.

Another thing, yes, log everything. Not logging makes it easier to "slip" and have something bad here and there, before you know it, that stuff adds up. My suggestion would be to lock your food diary for a few weeks so you will not have the notion to lie or cheat on it. Do this for you, so you can see what you are eating. I do not know how many friends I have turned on to MFP that thought they were not eating that bad until they started logging.

Now, in saying that, take a pic now, only eat healthy foods at work, document your success with food logs and pictures, then contact corporate to make you their healthy eating spokes person. Hey, its worth a try right.? If Jared can do it, so can you. :bigsmile:

LOL! Wouldn't that be something?!

I forgot I could lock my food diary.

Good idea, because honestly some days I'm incredibly self conscious because I know I'm eating bad. I have to fight the impulses, etc., on top of the tiredness, LOL. I think some times, Oh I'll just have a little 'pick me up' ... well, the pick me ups are also "up"-ing my weight!

There is actually something about seeing it in our diary that can really hit home with us and help us make better choices. Just log it and know what you are doing when you put it into your mouth.

YOU CAN DO THIS! :flowerforyou: