Tiredness

ClarissaCLD
ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
I posted this on one of the main site forums, but I thought I would also ask you guys:

"Hi, I'm not sure if this is the best board to post on, but it's somewhere to start (I've also posted in the diabetes forum).

I know with being extremely overweight and having diabetes that isn't under great control, I am going to be more tired than most. It goes with the territory!

But these last few months I would go as far as to say it is debilitating.

I have been eating really healthy, doing aquafit twice a week and had really good levels with my diabetes. However, I am still sat at my desk literally falling asleep. I am so tired I just want to cry. It is affecting my work, my home, everything.

I know the best answer is to lose weight and have good control of my diabetes, but that is a long slow process. I am so tired, I don't have the energy to do what I need to do to lose weight.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Any advice anyone can offer will be soooooooo welcome. I can't carry on like this.
"

Since I posted this I have had a whole load of blood tests and they have all come back clear. I have one final one tomorrow for Vitamin D deficiency. If that is also clear then I am at a lose. It is the biggest thing that is stopping me being successful. And I NEED to lose that 100lb in 15 months.

Many thanks

Claire

Replies

  • 1cand0it2
    1cand0it2 Posts: 169 Member
    Hi Claire,

    I had the vitamin D deficiency (and anemia and B12 deficiency) and it can definitely make a difference. More protein might help as well.

    Also, depression can manifest in the form of fatigue. Have you assessed your risk for depression?

    ...and sometimes "eating really healthy" can make you tired (and cranky), especially as your body is adjusting, so it might be a temporary thing. Just make sure you're getting what you need. (I need chocolate, the deep-dark 85% kind. every. day. Its surprisingly high in iron too, so I plan for that square of it every day!)

    Good luck, I'm rooting for you!
  • ClarissaCLD
    ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
    Anemia and B12 came back clear. Blood test for Vitamin D tomorrow.
    I have always suffered with tiredness, but it has got so much worse the last few months. During which time I have at unhealthy, healthy and so so. I've also been going to aquafit for two months twice a week.

    I just need it to go away :(
  • RunawayCurves
    RunawayCurves Posts: 688 Member
    I do not think I have crossed the line in to full blown diabetes yet, I usually am warned I am pre-diabetic but actually had my blood sugar and cholesterol tested today so will find out when those results are back. All I can offer is empathy and sympathy. Ever since I hit puberty I have been permanently exhausted and it just gets worse each year. My blood has been repeatedly tested for most things and never get any clear explanation. I am always hoping something definitive will show up like a deficiency that I could just take a pill or jab for and become human again but no luck so far. Back when I was still able to work I frequently fell asleep even while stood up at work , my eyes and nose would run like a tap all afternoon from yawning so much. I used to fall asleep on bus coming home. I was often late to work due to sleeping through all my alarms. My body is always screaming at me it is exhausted and nothing ever makes any difference to that apart from when I am hypomanic or full blown manic with bipolar. I do have PCOS and bipolar but still the level of tiredness i experience seems unnatural. My last thyroid test was mildly abnormal so had it repeated weeks ago and still not got a result. But all my previous thyroid tests were normal. I don't think the tests can be accurate. I am convinced I must be deficient in something important. Maybe they just do not know what needs to be tested. Some random brain chemical they don't understand yet could be responsible. All I do is make most of it when do feel able to and rest when I really can't do anything.
  • audrey13027
    audrey13027 Posts: 215 Member
    Hi Claire
    Sorry to know that you're feeling so bad! If all of your basic blood tests are w/in normal (including markers for inflammatory issues & Epstein Barr virus) & depression screening, adding more protein, good carbs, chocolate :) etc. don't apply/help, you may want to start researching chronic fatigue or (if you have painful "points") fibromyalgia.
    Also, it may be helpful to think back to when it started; do/did you have any other symptoms/issues i.e, a bad cold/flu, joint pain, swelling, muscle aches...other mild issues that went away? Having all of this info laid out clearly might help you & your doc figure it out.
    This is a tough one to get through--I know from 1st hand experience, but hang in & keep pushing until you get an answer!
  • ClarissaCLD
    ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
    Thanks guys, I am really hoping I am vitamin d deficient, easy fix. But I bet its not that either. I do get achy but mainly from not moving enough, but even light housework makes me very tired. My anti depressants were upped in January and I was told I was taking them at the wrong time of the day, but changing it hasn't improved tiredness. I will just have to hope as I lose weight (even if it's slower) that I gradually feel better.

    Laura, I really hope you don't end up diabetic, I think you have enough to deal with. You don't need to add controlling your blood sugars during bipolar episodes! Fingers crossed for good results for you :)
  • RunawayCurves
    RunawayCurves Posts: 688 Member
    Thanks Claire, if I ever do cross the line in to being diabetic I hold out very little hope I would control it properly during the downs, I would just binge eat crap and take loads of insulin or go for death by sugar rush which would be a dangerous possibility when depression at its worst so yes fingers crossed blood sugar will be ok. We all have to deal with things as best we can. I remain optimistic of losing the weight eventually even with my yoyo eating habits.
  • katdanash
    katdanash Posts: 1,390 Member
    I have an auto immune disease that causes tiredness along with Diabetes . I have found that the more I move the more energy I have . the better I eat the better I feel. Very low carb seems to be key for me . I take iron , magnesium, vitamin c, vitamin d , folic acid , b vitiams and a b12 separately. And metformin for the diabetes , plaquenil for the auto immune. Right now I feel like crap because I wanted pizza . now I'm exhausted. From all the carbs feel like I gain 30 lbs . lesson learned. For me . water . water and more water.
  • carisalawson
    carisalawson Posts: 8 Member
    Has your Droctor ever looked into sleep apnea? Just a suggestion... I hope you feel better soon!
  • LCSt68
    LCSt68 Posts: 67 Member
    Yeah I was going to say maybe sleep apnea if all your tests come back clear.

    My depression manifested as constant fatigue coupled with occasional bouts of insomnia, up to three days without sleeping. On the fourth day I'd literally fall unconscious. I know the fatigue of which you speak, it's hellish. I had no clue what was causing it, complained to doctor a hundred times, finally got right up in his face and said YOU HAVE GOT TO HELP ME. He said you know what take this anti-depressant. I was like what for? I'm not depressed! He said trust me, if no help then we'll simply stop it. Take the lowest dose. In a week I was sleeping through the night and have ever since.

    A big red flag is not recovering after exercise. Even having been diagnosed diabetic, since I take the proper med for depression I find I actually have more energy after exercise and sleep better. So it's a consideration for you that depression might be the cause or perhaps exacerbating an existing problem. Thing is even if you think you've got your meds tweaked to the max they can still poop out on you and simply stop working. No rhyme or reason. It might be time to question whether a change would help.

    One more suggestion is monitoring your sleep with an activity tracker or if that's not possible, recording your sleep time with your phone. JawBone UP band has an excellent sleep tracker that tells how much REM and lite sleep you get as well as how many times you wake up during the night.

    If that's not possible right away there's also a free android app on the play store that records sound during sleep with your phone. You set the sensitivity and it'll pick up every time you turn over, snore, apnea sounds, sleep talk, sleep walking, lots of things. This feedback might give you a clue if your REM is being disrupted and if so how often. It might be something as simple as you're not in deep sleep enough to be rested and don't realize it.

    Best of luck getting this solved. Let us know how it turns out. I sympathize muchly. I suffered with this for years.
  • Tata0716
    Tata0716 Posts: 65 Member
    Sorry to hear you've been feeling so tired :( I can imagine it's quite frustrating and discouraging. Any news on vit D test? I'm not sure if this was mentioned already, but do you have any food allergives or sensitivities? I was surprised at the difference in my energy levels when I cut out some foods I'm sensitive to, although this also decreases my IBS symptoms so I'm not sure if there is any correlation or it's just less stress on my body resulting in more energy? Just a thought :) Hope you feel better soon!
  • ClarissaCLD
    ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
    I have had my Vitamin D test results back and I am Vitamin D deficient. In the UK my reading is 26 and it should be between 75 and 300.

    I have been given a prescription and have to have a retest in 3 months. Fingers crossed the tiredness reduces.

    I think I need to go on holiday more often and get away from the grey UK.
  • RunawayCurves
    RunawayCurves Posts: 688 Member
    I am glad you now have an explanation and hope the fix works well for you :)
  • ClarissaCLD
    ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
    I am glad you now have an explanation and hope the fix works well for you :)

    Thank you me too.

    Apparently 60 to 70% of people in the UK have low vitamin d and need to take an over the counter vitamin. This is due to lack of sun and the fact that we where sun screen and / or nowadays our moisturizers and make up have SPF in them. I hadn't seen the news on this.

    But I am very low so officially deficient and need a high dose prescription for three months and then should hopefully be able to swap to a normal over the counter one for maintenance.

    I will just be happy to be less tired :)
  • audrey13027
    audrey13027 Posts: 215 Member
    I am SO glad that you have an explanation AND a fairly simple way to resolve it! If you want a getaway with sunshine, come to New Orleans in July--by the time you got from the airport to the French Quarter, you'd have your vit D quotient for the month! :)
  • Tata0716
    Tata0716 Posts: 65 Member
    Glad you finally have an explanation! Hopefully the vit D starts working soon! ☺
  • RunawayCurves
    RunawayCurves Posts: 688 Member
    Must go dig out my long neglected vitamin stash ;)
  • LCSt68
    LCSt68 Posts: 67 Member
    Good news! Happy there's help around the corner. :)
  • animalrob37
    animalrob37 Posts: 92 Member
    Vitamin do is good but you can also take Siberian ginseng, green tea extract, and cinnamon capsules. That would give you energy and be good for your blood sugar.
  • ClarissaCLD
    ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
    Update on my tiredness, it has improved with the vitamin d, but it is still very very bad and controlling everything in my life.

    The doctor is sending me to a sleep clinic in a couple of weeks to see if I have sleep apneoa :(
  • ClarissaCLD
    ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
    Back at the sleep clinics for results, to find out if I have sleep apnea.
  • RunawayCurves
    RunawayCurves Posts: 688 Member
    What is the verdict?
  • ClarissaCLD
    ClarissaCLD Posts: 212 Member
    Very very mild, only stop breathing 5 times an hour. But my oxygen saturation drops quite low, so I have been given a cpap to use. Will have to weight and see if it helps.