Chronic fatigue

[gustavofring]

I recently decided to take on a healthier lifestyle and watch what I eat, as I suffer from daytime fatigue and that may be a heavy reason for depression/anxiety. Even the simplest of tasks seem overwhelming because of this fogginess and tiredness.

I looked up a lot of stuff on the internet on eating healthy, getting enough vitamins, minerals and all that jazz. But there's SO MUCH stuff!

Fish oils, omega 3 acids, vitamin b, c, d supplements, herbs, etc. It seems like if you want to have a healthy lifestyle you need to be a diet-expert or something.
It's hard to decide exactly on which things to focus, and in what amounts etc. Thinking about all this is enough to make you feel stressed and overwhelmed!

I already eat vegetables and fruit, sleep at normal times, but I still feel tired as hell in the day and have a constant craving for more food or a nap. It may possibly be a sleep related problem as well, or something else. Thyroid?

I went to the doctor a few months ago in which I told about the problem and she directed me towards a psychologist which I will not go to because it's not included in the health insurance. Also I think it's really more of a physical problem. I dread calling again, but I have to.

 

[Sartana]

Just curious, how much do you pay for all of your supplements etc? I ask because my last girlfriend had really strong chronic fatigue and was spending out £150 a so a month in what to my mind were hippie doctors for supplements that weren't recognised by any medical board. Is that normal? Do they help you? She smoked a lot of weed which I doubt helped, although whenever she was high she had absolutely loads of energy.

 

[gustavofring]

I don't take any supplements at all now, but thinking about it, since regular healthy food doesn't really have a positive impact thus far.

It's probably best to wait for the doctor's opinion. Maybe I need to take blood tests or something, to find out what exactly is wrong with me. Then I can decide what I need, instead of blindly trying things out and wasting money.

 

[Boby]

Maybe your problem is actually a lack of activity.Do some sport, especially cardio exercises , run 30-50 min in the park .Cardio is really good for increasing your heart and lungs performance in one word more energy for you.Also it helps you get good healthy sleep,i personally sleep like a baby after doing some workout.Micro-nutrients supplements are ok but if you don't do some sport it's all for nothing.

@Sartana 150 a month,for supplements?? That's allot ...was she a body-builder?
I believe she was taking micro-nutrients( vitamins,minerals etc) those are supposed to be the cheapest.

 

[kilojoule]

I have chronic fatigue as part of an autoimmune disease ...and because the treatment for said disorder also causes chronic fatigue. Thank you modern medicine... So I can only do x amount in a day. If I dont rest when Im tired, Ill start throwing up and fainting nice and if I push past that, my condition will flare and I end up in.

I've tried everything. Supplements and vitamins were a total pile of shipe.

Here is all that will help.

1) Cut out all caffeine (can't stress this enough- its the worst thing for you if you have fatigue)
2) If you smoke, stop! (it lowers your oxygen intake, people yawn because they are trying to take in more oxygen. If you are not getting enough oxygen you feel sleepy)
3) Eat your 5 a day ( you dont need vitamins and supplements if you eat healthily)
4)Sleep for the same amount each night. You cant store sleep and it confuses your body and makes you feel tired if you're sleeping pattern changes all the time. It takes 4 days to establish a sleeping patter. So be consistent.
5) Exercise- The more energy you spend the more your body makes available to you.
6) girls, make sure youre getting enough iron. Anaemia will cause fatigue

 

[gustavofring]

Good points guys.

- I do exercise though. Albeit in a sporadic manner instead of a strict regime. This morning I ran for 15 minutes. It was really *beep* hard and my legs hurt like hell. I go swimming once a week or so. Probably not enough and not regular enough though.

- I've cut out coffee to a minimum of 1 cup a day, I want to eventually cut it out altogether. The temptation of coffee is very big though when you're in that afternoon slump.

I was a stress smoker for a few months last year but then grew disgusted of it.

Fatigue and depression really want you grab for drugs, something that will make you feel better.

Maybe I just need some patience for my overall energy levels to improve, because I've lived unhealthy for a pretty long time, too much computer use, unhealthy eating, too much caffeine, bad sleep rythm etc. I won't give up!


I'm just really scared I have caught some form of disease, maybe caught from ex-girlfriends or something, that has slumbered for years. Or diabetes. Sometimes I scroll down wikipedia for illnesses and I find myself getting paranoid if I have a lot of symptoms.

In any case, I think a new doctors visit will be necessary.

 

[kilojoule]

Its so important to get rid of caffeine. I was a chainsmoking coffee addict for years. Cutting Caffeine makes the biggest difference. And caffeine is also in painkillers, soft drinks, energy drinks and diet supplements.

Also high sugar foods give you quick energy boost now but leave you feeling drained. Its good to cut down on them.

Alas if you have chronic fatigue syndrome there is no cure. A lot of people don't realise chronic fatigue is a lot more than tiredness.
More info below

BBC - Health: Chronic fatigue syndrome

 

[bsammy]

what jewel said about cutting out all caffeine i agree with 150%..for the past few years i had been feeling run down and just tired most of the time..i exercised and ate right but still tired and cranky, which made me depresed and more anxious..i would take caffeine to give me the boost i needed and it worked but i would always crash and feel worse later..then i stopped caffeine altogether and feel much better..my energy is much more stable and consistent, im not nearly as irritable and cranky now, much more relaxed..u think caffeine is giving you energy but it takes it away in the long run..

SLEEP is ultra important but this is one area thats hard to improve..i mean, everyone tries to get more sleep but when ya cant sleep, not much you can do..

ive nevr had much success with vitamins or minerals, supplements giving me energy..

i wish i could give better advice but chronic tiredness is the number one complaint most doctors hear nowadays..

 

[Boby]

wow i guess i'm really lucky, because i always had like and intolerance to any mental stimulants especially cigarets and coffee, in fact coffee makes me sleepy like any other hot beverage.I still remember one day when i tried some coffee to keep me awake so i can study for an exam....i slept with the books in my hand .
To bad i don't have an intolerance to the computer,because i'm addicted to it ::.

 

[bcsr]

I don't drink coffee or smoke, and I've only had one energy drink in my life. It was a "Bawls" and it made me incredibly tired. Weird?

 

[kilojoule]

Caffeine does make you tired, it gives you a quick kick and then drains you of all your energy. Thats why it should be avoided if you have CFS

 

[R3K]

i'm in the same boat as the OP here. my work is super intense and i feel like i need an energy drink to get me through every shift. then on my days off i can barely drag myself to my feet and do just enough laundry that i have clean clothes for work, then i collapse and just lay around until i fall asleep. seems like an impossible mystery to figure out what balance of sleep/nutrition/exercise each unique person needs...

 

[ありがとう]

Are you sure it's not the other way round - your depression could be the cause for your fatigue? Hence why your doctor referred you to a psychologist. I never felt like I had energy when I was depressed, even when I took supplements, it didn't work for me at all.

 

[gustavofring]

Hard to say. I'm stuck with my graduation project, and I think the daytime fatigue and lack of mental energy and concentration to finish it prevents me to complete it. And I think this is what sends me into depression. But like you said it could be the other way around..

It's not like I can't enjoy things or aren't enthusiastic about things. I just find it hard to complete my work. I can't focus at all. Maybe because I don't really like my study and the project itself anymore.

But it has to be finished. Already got a huge college debt and by quitting I would probably sabotage myself financially for the rest of my life. It feels like a nightmare. ::

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

Ohh-- I don't really talk about it as 'chronic fatigue' but that's what it is. haha
I'm terribly anemic with some other little surprises thrown in there.

I don't smoke or drink caffeine and I can't sleep unless I'm suffering from serious depression.
When I was slightly more mentally healthy, I would be awake for 4-5 days straight before crashing and sleeping for 10 hours; and the process would repeat. It was like that since I was a child - a genetic trait I inherited from my dad, methinks.
I don't get hungry, so I often forget to eat entirely for days unless someone else is eating near me- or cooks for me- or reminds me to eat.
I used to have an alarm on my phone that would go off 4 times a day to remind me to eat and take vitamins.
My vitamin regime has changed alot since then.
I take a liquid multi, liquid B complex, C and iron.
So far, not much has changed in my energy or ability to stand without getting tired.

I'll keep trying anyway.
It's hard to eat proper meals every day when the cupboards and fridge are empty.

 

[gustavofring]

It's nighttime now, and I feel like how I should feel in the day. Relaxed and alert/energetic. Not that awful blur and pressure inside my head and dryness of the throat and sleepiness and hunger. Not to mention the anxiety and depression.

Pretty crazy.

 

[Lea]

I think it might have to do with adrenal insufficiency. I have very low cortisol production, fluctuating under and above the lowest border of what is normal (how do you say this in english damn). But since I have any at all, they didn´t prescribe me cortisol. My uncle had Addison´s disease and turned into complete vegetable, he could´t even eat, aunt was buying him yoghurts and milkshakes and he couldn´t eat even that. He lost a lot of weight. After he was prescribed cortisol, it brought him back to life (although he is still not OK healthwise). I think cortisol might help me because my tiredness is getting really awfull despite I try to function normally. I try to ask my uncle to give me some and see how it works.. I don´t know if this selfmedicating is too wrong, but am afraid I am not going to cope otherwise.

Cortisol Said To Alleviate CFS, Fibromyalgia Symptoms

 

[Lea]

It's nighttime now, and I feel like how I should feel in the day. Relaxed and alert/energetic. Not that awful blur and pressure inside my head and dryness of the throat and sleepiness and hunger. Not to mention the anxiety and depression.

Pretty crazy.

That´s one of the signs of burnout. I have it too.

 

[gazelle]

I think cortisol might help me because my tiredness is getting really awfull despite I try to function normally. I try to ask my uncle to give me some and see how it works.. I don´t know if this selfmedicating is too wrong, but am afraid I am not going to cope otherwise.

You seem to be suffering from adrenal fatigue.Do not self medicate with cortisol because this might stimulate your adrenal glands and eventually lead to more exhaustion.I also have low cortisol levels and was convinced a while ago that cortisol might be the cure until I came across the below site and realized that I needed to get rid of some bad habits to help my adrenal glands more than going on cortisol.
So far I've seen slight tangible positive changes by:

-reducing sugar(both natural and refined)
-eating low glycemic carbs instead of simple refined carbs and avoiding foods that are pernicious to the adrenal glands(ex:high fructose high potassium foods such as raisins, figs and dried fruits in general.)
-eating regurlaly at a specific time at least 3 times a day.
-keeping my blood sugar levels stable (not letting myself starve)
-sleeping early at night and having breakfast early in the morning between 6-8 am.

I'd recommend anyone with CFS to read this article to the end it has some very useful information:
Comprehensive Adrenal Fatigue Article - DrLam - Body. Mind. Nutrition

 

[gustavofring]

Its so important to get rid of caffeine. I was a chainsmoking coffee addict for years. Cutting Caffeine makes the biggest difference. And caffeine is also in painkillers, soft drinks, energy drinks and diet supplements.

Also high sugar foods give you quick energy boost now but leave you feeling drained. Its good to cut down on them.

Alas if you have chronic fatigue syndrome there is no cure. A lot of people don't realise chronic fatigue is a lot more than tiredness.
More info below

BBC - Health: Chronic fatigue syndrome

I was thinking about this, but isn't Chronic Fatigue Syndrome basically an umbrella term for every mental and physical condition that causes chronic fatigue? Surely for some of them there is a resolve/cure?