Lethargy
Replies
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I'm sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I would think that would take a lot out of you, both physically and mentally. If I'm not mistaken, anemia is a risk after miscarriage, so definitely something to get checked out. Hypothyroidism is another big one that affects women more so than men. I was diagnosed around age 29 or 30, so still fairly young.
Don't worry about taking your doctor's time--that's what they are there for!
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Speakeasy76 wrote: »I'm sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I would think that would take a lot out of you, both physically and mentally. If I'm not mistaken, anemia is a risk after miscarriage, so definitely something to get checked out. Hypothyroidism is another big one that affects women more so than men. I was diagnosed around age 29 or 30, so still fairly young.
Don't worry about taking your doctor's time--that's what they are there for!
I appreciate that thank you. Sounds like I might have been in denial about my health, so I’m glad I asked y’all. Hypothyroidism wasn’t even on my radar, nor was anemia. Really good to know and consider. If all comes back fine then wow... but at least I’ll know.2 -
If you have bloodwork, have B12 levels checked, too.1
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springlering62 wrote: »If you have bloodwork, have B12 levels checked, too.
Thank you! I’ll be sure to ask how that looks as well. Appreciate the feedback.0 -
ChickenKillerPuppy wrote: »Not sure how long you have been feeling this way, but have you been tested for Covid? Fatigue and extreme fatigue are symptoms that many people describe.
I had a late term miscarriage last July. I can’t say I’ve completely bounced back from that, physically or mentally. Instead of getting better, I think I’m getting worse as far as energy is concerned. That was one thing I was looking forward to having again and it just didn’t come back the way I thought it would.
I am so sorry about your miscarriage. I would imagine that would mess up your body and mind for a while. Sending you love just overall.2 -
In 2010 when unknown to me my anemia was out of control, I felt like I hated my job and my life, gave notice at my job and made plans to move back home. It all worked out in the end, and I got the job back working remotely, but one major factor for everything stinking was being low iron. So don't make any major life decision before blood work
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How many calories are you eating? Do you workout?
I’m currently eating maintenance, maybe slightly above. I haven’t had the energy to work out, and only take 2- 20 min walks a day with my dog. Maybe I need to force workouts for a few weeks in the hopes something clicks, but even those dog walks are a struggle sometimes.
My first swim of the year last year was a struggle and was on Sunday, June 28. When I got home I messaged my doctor and asked to get blood work. She put it in on Monday, June 29 and I got tested that day. She freaked out over how low my iron was and suggested I go to the emergency room. I got a blood transfusion at the ER that day.
Now, it's unlikely you have anemia as serious as I did, but if you do, the last thing you want to do is force workouts, because that could lead to a heart attack. That's why I was authorized to go directly to the ER, do not pass go, do not collect $200.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »
In 2010 when unknown to me my anemia was out of control, I felt like I hated my job and my life, gave notice at my job and made plans to move back home. It all worked out in the end, and I got the job back working remotely, but one major factor for everything stinking was being low iron. So don't make any major life decision before blood work
Wow, this is interesting. I’ve had some dark moments for sure. It’s crazy that this could be caused by anemia! Thank you for the heads up.1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »How many calories are you eating? Do you workout?
I’m currently eating maintenance, maybe slightly above. I haven’t had the energy to work out, and only take 2- 20 min walks a day with my dog. Maybe I need to force workouts for a few weeks in the hopes something clicks, but even those dog walks are a struggle sometimes.
My first swim of the year last year was a struggle and was on Sunday, June 28. When I got home I messaged my doctor and asked to get blood work. She put it in on Monday, June 29 and I got tested that day. She freaked out over how low my iron was and suggested I go to the emergency room. I got a blood transfusion at the ER that day.
Now, it's unlikely you have anemia as serious as I did, but if you do, the last thing you want to do is force workouts, because that could lead to a heart attack. That's why I was authorized to go directly to the ER, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Duly noted. Seriously, thank you again!1 -
You mentioned the late term miscarriage you're not over. I'd go to your GP and get a referral to someone to talk to about that. Perhaps some antidepressants. No shame in asking for help with emotional issues. I would think once you get that dealt with your energy will rebound. Emotions are so hard are draining1
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It may be your emotions and that may be what you need assistance with, but don't let a doctor or anyone else try to blame this on emotional issues if it is a physical problem like anemia or hypothyroidism. It's extremely common for women to be brushed off with an antidepressant and sleeping pills when they have an actual physical health issue that needs to be addressed. Depression is an underlying symptom of anemia and hypothyroidism, both of which are common during/after pregnancy, but fixing the hypothyroidism or anemia will fix the depression. Diagnose and treat the real cause, not the symptom.
I cannot tell you how many scores of prescriptions for sleeping pills and antidepressants, and huge handfuls of free samples, I was given during the three years it took me to force a doctor to test my iron levels and give me a thyroid test.8 -
To double down on some of the questions, I haven’t had any recent blood work done, and perhaps it’s time I do. I wanted to try some at home things before taking up the doctors time, but the iron and vitamin D deficiency comment sounds exactly like how I feel.
It seems any amount of movement depletes me. I can barely keep my eyes open around 3pm, which is why I skip lunch often. Typically I’m in excellent health, and still might be, so I don’t really know what’s going on. I thought maybe it was all mental and I needed to just force myself into a new routine or something, but how can I when the energy isn’t there? It’s a catch 22. Am I being lazy, unmotivated, or is it something else?
Thank you for pointing out a few things that weren’t previously on my radar. It has certainly given me some food for thought.
It could be depression. It could be stress. Our on-going pandemic lends itself to both. It could be physical. Could be both—untreated hypothyroidism can come with a side of depression. 🙋🏻♀️
I would advise against supplementation without a medical reason for doing so as both vitamin D and iron can have negative effects at too high a dose. B vitamin deficiency can also lead to fatigue. Sounds like getting a range of blood work would be a good idea for a baseline of where you are in relation to normal levels.
Quality of sleep can definitely lead to feeling tired. Do you have a fitness tracker to help you assess?
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To double down on some of the questions, I haven’t had any recent blood work done, and perhaps it’s time I do. I wanted to try some at home things before taking up the doctors time, but the iron and vitamin D deficiency comment sounds exactly like how I feel.
It seems any amount of movement depletes me. I can barely keep my eyes open around 3pm, which is why I skip lunch often. Typically I’m in excellent health, and still might be, so I don’t really know what’s going on. I thought maybe it was all mental and I needed to just force myself into a new routine or something, but how can I when the energy isn’t there? It’s a catch 22. Am I being lazy, unmotivated, or is it something else?
Thank you for pointing out a few things that weren’t previously on my radar. It has certainly given me some food for thought.
It could be depression. It could be stress. Our on-going pandemic lends itself to both. It could be physical. Could be both—untreated hypothyroidism can come with a side of depression. 🙋🏻♀️
I would advise against supplementation without a medical reason for doing so as both vitamin D and iron can have negative effects at too high a dose. B vitamin deficiency can also lead to fatigue. Sounds like getting a range of blood work would be a good idea for a baseline of where you are in relation to normal levels.
Quality of sleep can definitely lead to feeling tired. Do you have a fitness tracker to help you assess?
I haven’t worn my Fitbit in awhile, but my past sleep data says my average was fair at 77, never better. This might be partially responsible for the brain fog I have all day and lack of focus. I feel like if I can just get my energy back so many things will fall in place. Getting my blood work is an absolute must at this point.2 -
Sleep tracking can mislead. If you have a partner or housemate/roommate, asking whether you snore may provide some information, but not total. If your sleep tracking results are mediocre, my guess is that it's more likely that sleep truly isn't great; for sure, I wouldn't trust a tracker saying that sleep is fine (though it could be true, of course . . . but if feeling foggy and depleted, it may not be true even if the tracker claims it's great).
Some people think sleep apnea is the only kind of non-insomnia sleep disorder, or that only obese people can have sleep apnea. Neither is true.
I have sleep apnea. It was diagnosed when I was still obese, but (per follow-up sleep study) I still have sleep apnea at BMI 20. I also have sleep interruption insomnia, completely separate issue. Treating the sleep apnea made me sleep more soundly between the sleep-interruption insomnia wake-ups, but didn't help lots with brain fog, fatigue, and other symptoms of inadequate sleep. Pure hours of sleep are not the only issue, the type of sleep (deep, REM, etc.) and the patterns of types can also matter.
My good brand/model tracker - one that I've had way more than long enough for it to "learn me" - does not accurately catch my sleep interruptions, because I don't move around when I wake, and I go back to sleep very quickly rather than tossing and turning. It sometimes doesn't even see actual fully-awake but lying in bed for long time periods - it thinks I'm asleep.
The last overnight hospital sleep-center study I had (March 2020), I was wearing my tracker. I always have extra trouble sleeping during studies. In this case, I was lying in bed awake but absolutely still for several hours near the end of the study period. The sleep tech and I discussed this long awake interval, in the post-study conversation. I showed her what my tracker's app said - that I was asleep most of the night. We both laughed and laughed.
I'd suggest that you follow up, as you're planning, with the doctor visit and blood tests. Nutritional issues can compromise sleep quality. After that's all tuned up, and has been for a while, if you feel like you're still not getting restful sleep, follow up with your doctor about sleep studies specifically, *especially* if you perceive that you're sleeping through the night, but not feeling rested. (If you know you have some form of insomnia, and it involves conscious awake periods, there are other non-medical, non-nutritional interventions that can help, with the choice of intervention depending on how you perceive the conscious awake periods, and how long they are.)
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To double down on some of the questions, I haven’t had any recent blood work done, and perhaps it’s time I do. I wanted to try some at home things before taking up the doctors time, but the iron and vitamin D deficiency comment sounds exactly like how I feel.
It seems any amount of movement depletes me. I can barely keep my eyes open around 3pm, which is why I skip lunch often. Typically I’m in excellent health, and still might be, so I don’t really know what’s going on. I thought maybe it was all mental and I needed to just force myself into a new routine or something, but how can I when the energy isn’t there? It’s a catch 22. Am I being lazy, unmotivated, or is it something else?
Thank you for pointing out a few things that weren’t previously on my radar. It has certainly given me some food for thought.
It could be depression. It could be stress. Our on-going pandemic lends itself to both. It could be physical. Could be both—untreated hypothyroidism can come with a side of depression. 🙋🏻♀️
I would advise against supplementation without a medical reason for doing so as both vitamin D and iron can have negative effects at too high a dose. B vitamin deficiency can also lead to fatigue. Sounds like getting a range of blood work would be a good idea for a baseline of where you are in relation to normal levels.
Quality of sleep can definitely lead to feeling tired. Do you have a fitness tracker to help you assess?
I haven’t worn my Fitbit in awhile, but my past sleep data says my average was fair at 77, never better. This might be partially responsible for the brain fog I have all day and lack of focus. I feel like if I can just get my energy back so many things will fall in place. Getting my blood work is an absolute must at this point.
During the 2010 anemia episode, I got written up at work for stupid mistakes, and otherwise experienced brain fog. I drank so much caffeine, to no avail.
My first experience with brain fog was in the 90s when I worked in a building that turned out to have toxic mold.
You can expedite the blood work by insisting you have it BEFORE the doctor's visit. For my issues, I never saw any point in seeing the doctor and THEN having blood work.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »To double down on some of the questions, I haven’t had any recent blood work done, and perhaps it’s time I do. I wanted to try some at home things before taking up the doctors time, but the iron and vitamin D deficiency comment sounds exactly like how I feel.
It seems any amount of movement depletes me. I can barely keep my eyes open around 3pm, which is why I skip lunch often. Typically I’m in excellent health, and still might be, so I don’t really know what’s going on. I thought maybe it was all mental and I needed to just force myself into a new routine or something, but how can I when the energy isn’t there? It’s a catch 22. Am I being lazy, unmotivated, or is it something else?
Thank you for pointing out a few things that weren’t previously on my radar. It has certainly given me some food for thought.
It could be depression. It could be stress. Our on-going pandemic lends itself to both. It could be physical. Could be both—untreated hypothyroidism can come with a side of depression. 🙋🏻♀️
I would advise against supplementation without a medical reason for doing so as both vitamin D and iron can have negative effects at too high a dose. B vitamin deficiency can also lead to fatigue. Sounds like getting a range of blood work would be a good idea for a baseline of where you are in relation to normal levels.
Quality of sleep can definitely lead to feeling tired. Do you have a fitness tracker to help you assess?
I haven’t worn my Fitbit in awhile, but my past sleep data says my average was fair at 77, never better. This might be partially responsible for the brain fog I have all day and lack of focus. I feel like if I can just get my energy back so many things will fall in place. Getting my blood work is an absolute must at this point.
During the 2010 anemia episode, I got written up at work for stupid mistakes, and otherwise experienced brain fog. I drank so much caffeine, to no avail.
My first experience with brain fog was in the 90s when I worked in a building that turned out to have toxic mold.
You can expedite the blood work by insisting you have it BEFORE the doctor's visit. For my issues, I never saw any point in seeing the doctor and THEN having blood work.
Just wow. I can only imagine how many lives have been impacted by something completely out of their control. And in the 90’s there was even less room for work support and compassion, especially for women. Most of the time we were just happy to be a part of the team and constantly trying to prove ourselves above and beyond. And if we were sick or something was wrong, we just fought through it.
Now that this is on my radar I’m dumbfounded it didn’t occur to me before. The first and biggest issue I’ve had is my memory. I can’t remember *kitten*! Then it went from poor memory to workouts that were a complete joke. I was tired of forcing it so stopped for the time being. Then I thought my poor energy was our recent move and having trouble with the adjustment, but when I look back it was an issue even before the move, it’s just getting worse. Now I’m so lethargic doing basic chores are tough. I do them but crawl in bed after. Oh, and on top of it all, I opened a business in a new location where I need all the energy and stamina I can get, but have none. 🤦🏼♀️ My poor husband is too busy dealing with covid and his patients at the hospital to notice my situation, which I haven’t admitted the full extent of because I’ve been in total denial. He does know I have poor sleep (due to nightmares) but that has been a long term thing. This energy issue has been progressively worse since I got pregnant last March and nowhere to be seen since. I’m convinced my blood work will show, at the very least, a minor explanation for this lethargy. Whatever it doesn’t account for (if anything), I’ll have to figure out with some self examination.
But seriously- anemia and mold?! WTH! That’s insane.1 -
Sleep tracking can mislead. If you have a partner or housemate/roommate, asking whether you snore may provide some information, but not total. If your sleep tracking results are mediocre, my guess is that it's more likely that sleep truly isn't great; for sure, I wouldn't trust a tracker saying that sleep is fine (though it could be true, of course . . . but if feeling foggy and depleted, it may not be true even if the tracker claims it's great).
Some people think sleep apnea is the only kind of non-insomnia sleep disorder, or that only obese people can have sleep apnea. Neither is true.
I have sleep apnea. It was diagnosed when I was still obese, but (per follow-up sleep study) I still have sleep apnea at BMI 20. I also have sleep interruption insomnia, completely separate issue. Treating the sleep apnea made me sleep more soundly between the sleep-interruption insomnia wake-ups, but didn't help lots with brain fog, fatigue, and other symptoms of inadequate sleep. Pure hours of sleep are not the only issue, the type of sleep (deep, REM, etc.) and the patterns of types can also matter.
My good brand/model tracker - one that I've had way more than long enough for it to "learn me" - does not accurately catch my sleep interruptions, because I don't move around when I wake, and I go back to sleep very quickly rather than tossing and turning. It sometimes doesn't even see actual fully-awake but lying in bed for long time periods - it thinks I'm asleep.
The last overnight hospital sleep-center study I had (March 2020), I was wearing my tracker. I always have extra trouble sleeping during studies. In this case, I was lying in bed awake but absolutely still for several hours near the end of the study period. The sleep tech and I discussed this long awake interval, in the post-study conversation. I showed her what my tracker's app said - that I was asleep most of the night. We both laughed and laughed.
I'd suggest that you follow up, as you're planning, with the doctor visit and blood tests. Nutritional issues can compromise sleep quality. After that's all tuned up, and has been for a while, if you feel like you're still not getting restful sleep, follow up with your doctor about sleep studies specifically, *especially* if you perceive that you're sleeping through the night, but not feeling rested. (If you know you have some form of insomnia, and it involves conscious awake periods, there are other non-medical, non-nutritional interventions that can help, with the choice of intervention depending on how you perceive the conscious awake periods, and how long they are.)
I don’t trust my tracker at all, for sleep patterns, exercise burn, anything like that. I quit wearing it when I deeply felt that way. But before when I wore it, knowing it wasn’t accurate, it still helped me mentally push to reach goals, and for that alone I think they’re great tools.
For my poor sleep, my husband bought me a weighted blanket and I’m surprised to say it has helped. I have less of the fidgety restless legs that I used to have, and for some reason I have fewer nightmares. Maybe it’s cause I feel like I’m being hugged or protected, it’s nice.
I used to listen to meditation videos on YouTube that were helpful but for some reason that has subsided with my move. I need to build up those good habits again, but without energy it’s like my brain can’t focus enough to build positive habits. Ugh.
Did you discover any tips or tricks to prevent poor sleep? How are your energy levels? If they’re good, what do you attribute to that most?1 -
Sleep tracking can mislead. If you have a partner or housemate/roommate, asking whether you snore may provide some information, but not total. If your sleep tracking results are mediocre, my guess is that it's more likely that sleep truly isn't great; for sure, I wouldn't trust a tracker saying that sleep is fine (though it could be true, of course . . . but if feeling foggy and depleted, it may not be true even if the tracker claims it's great).
Some people think sleep apnea is the only kind of non-insomnia sleep disorder, or that only obese people can have sleep apnea. Neither is true.
I have sleep apnea. It was diagnosed when I was still obese, but (per follow-up sleep study) I still have sleep apnea at BMI 20. I also have sleep interruption insomnia, completely separate issue. Treating the sleep apnea made me sleep more soundly between the sleep-interruption insomnia wake-ups, but didn't help lots with brain fog, fatigue, and other symptoms of inadequate sleep. Pure hours of sleep are not the only issue, the type of sleep (deep, REM, etc.) and the patterns of types can also matter.
My good brand/model tracker - one that I've had way more than long enough for it to "learn me" - does not accurately catch my sleep interruptions, because I don't move around when I wake, and I go back to sleep very quickly rather than tossing and turning. It sometimes doesn't even see actual fully-awake but lying in bed for long time periods - it thinks I'm asleep.
The last overnight hospital sleep-center study I had (March 2020), I was wearing my tracker. I always have extra trouble sleeping during studies. In this case, I was lying in bed awake but absolutely still for several hours near the end of the study period. The sleep tech and I discussed this long awake interval, in the post-study conversation. I showed her what my tracker's app said - that I was asleep most of the night. We both laughed and laughed.
I'd suggest that you follow up, as you're planning, with the doctor visit and blood tests. Nutritional issues can compromise sleep quality. After that's all tuned up, and has been for a while, if you feel like you're still not getting restful sleep, follow up with your doctor about sleep studies specifically, *especially* if you perceive that you're sleeping through the night, but not feeling rested. (If you know you have some form of insomnia, and it involves conscious awake periods, there are other non-medical, non-nutritional interventions that can help, with the choice of intervention depending on how you perceive the conscious awake periods, and how long they are.)
I don’t trust my tracker at all, for sleep patterns, exercise burn, anything like that. I quit wearing it when I deeply felt that way. But before when I wore it, knowing it wasn’t accurate, it still helped me mentally push to reach goals, and for that alone I think they’re great tools.
For my poor sleep, my husband bought me a weighted blanket and I’m surprised to say it has helped. I have less of the fidgety restless legs that I used to have, and for some reason I have fewer nightmares. Maybe it’s cause I feel like I’m being hugged or protected, it’s nice.
I used to listen to meditation videos on YouTube that were helpful but for some reason that has subsided with my move. I need to build up those good habits again, but without energy it’s like my brain can’t focus enough to build positive habits. Ugh.
Did you discover any tips or tricks to prevent poor sleep? How are your energy levels? If they’re good, what do you attribute to that most?
I always cringe a little when I say this (because people think it's woo), but the thing that helped the most was a course of hypnotherapy by a licensed, hypnotherapy-credentialed psychologist.
It wasn't a complete solution, but it was a *major* help. I went from waking up every 90 minutes (at longest) most nights, to getting 3-5 hours sleep before the first wake-up (then the 90-minute-ish pattern). That may not sound like much, but it made a huge difference functionally in how I felt and performed.
I was very skeptical about hypnosis, and wasn't sure how hypnotize-able I'd be (personality thing), but I was *desperate*. I'd tried everything from folk remedies to the medical sleep studies, multiple kinds of sleep meds (woke up just as often, just groggier!), varying exercise/eating patterns, and more. I was ready to try *anything*, after a couple of years of this. (For me, it came on after chemotherapy.)
IIRC, it was 6 one-hour-ish sessions, I believe each 2 weeks apart. The first was an interview, to help her plan the hypnosis sessions. At each of the other sessions, she would have me lie on a couch, while she talked to me. I never heard the full session, just the beginning and maybe some snippets. She'd record each session, turning off the recording before bringing me out. She gave me the recording. I was to listen to the recording at bedtime, in bed, nightly until the next session. After the final session, she told me I could repeat that cycle anytime I wished, but should use the sessions in the original order, and use each session for the same number of days (any number of days I chose).
One of my friends had a similar-but-worse experience after chemotherapy: She couldn't sleep at all, she said. She would do full-night meditation practice instead, and found that a significant improvement. (I don't know how she's doing now; haven't seen her in a while.) Just in case there are other readers: Severe insomnia is not a common after-effect of the kind of chemotherapy we both had. I know many, many people who had the same chemo, didn't have these sleep issues. It's rare.
These days, my energy levels are OK, and to the extent they aren't, I think it's mostly my fault (I don't maintain as consistent a sleep schedule as I know is best for me). A lot has changed in my life since then, including weight loss from obese to healthy weight, better dialed in nutrition (though it wasn't terrible then), a more established athleticism, retirement, and overall lower life stress. I think my sleep quality is better, though still not perfect; and my current lifestyle gives me more options for sleeping extra hours (to improve quantity vs. quality) than when I was working full time at a demanding job. I also don't *need* as much energy now, so it's hard to compare.
Since you have nightmares, I'm wondering whether some kind of psychotherapy intervention might be helpful. I know that CBT helps with the "can't sleep/can't get back to sleep because mind is racing" type of insomnia. Hypnotherapy obviously helped me. I don't know what therapeutic modality could help with nightmares, but I'm wondering if there might be one. I still think your medical avenues may help (even potentially with nightmares), but perhaps some psychological-side intervention could be productive, too.
Best wishes: I do understand that this is tough, and in your case the fatigue could be multi-factor.2 -
I love that you brought up hypnotherapy because it’s been something I’ve long considered, due to the subconscious nature of nightmares. Another thing that has been brought to my attention is acupuncture. I never would have considered that before, and turns out it is used for practically everything imaginable. I prefer seeking these options before drugs any day. Glad you found success with hypnotherapy!
Funny side note-
My aunt was obese and even though she was nearly 50 and I was 24 she was my best friend. She didn’t want to go to a hypnotist alone for weight loss and asked me to go to an event with her where the hypnotist would hypnotize the audience. I said sure, and didn’t think it would have impacted me at all. I attribute never binging again to that 3 hour session, which I typically did at least once a week prior. It could just be a bazaar coincidence but the only thing I did differently was getting hypnotized.3
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