Chronic Fatigue

It’s all in your head.

maybe some coffee would put some pep in your step.

You're depressed hon, go see a shrink and get medicated.

Coffee is an expensive habit.

Yeah, you’re probably either depressed and/or unmotivated and bored with life.

[quote]Coffee is an expensive habit.

A canister of Folgers costs $6 and lasts a few months.

It doesn't compare to getting it at Dunkin.

Amanda explains it for you, OP.

Make sure your AHI is good. I know they say 5.0 or lower is normal but I don't get good sleep unless I have a 1.5 or lower.

Check to see that your equipment fits properly. If you're getting leaks in your eyes you could be waking up a little bit here and there to adjust and not remembering it in the morning. Fragmented sleep isn't as restful.

Get an extra 30-60 minutes of sleep for a couple of weeks and see how that feels.

Use sleep sounds while sleeping (white noise, an app, whatever works) and do some in-bed relaxation stretches before sleeping. Make sure all the stuff you have in your room is conducive to sleeping: dark room, cool, comfortable bed, good pillow.

Don't take too many sleep meds before bed because they'll make you tired the next day.

My AHI is usually 1-2 but I don't seem to feel rested. So frustrating.

it's your sleep apnea, perhaps get your cpap machine serviced, make sure the air pressure is right, maybe it's time to have more sleep studies to see what's going on.

An onset of kidney failure, especially if you drink little water because you want to avoid waking up and having to pee.

It seems like every woman had CFS in the '80s, but it has almost miraculously disappeared since.

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked?

[quote]A canister of Folgers costs $6 and lasts a few months.

And tastes like it.

You may be methamphetamine deficient, OP. Have your Tina levels checked. Ask your doctor to prescribe you the parTy.

[quote] a canister of Folgers costs $6

We’re talking about actual coffee, Rose, not Folgers.

The pain is real, OP. I've had issues with energy ever since I got mono about six years ago. I've made progress since then, but I don't have nearly as much energy as I had prior to that.

I agree with the poster who recommends getting your vitamin D levels checked. Get a full workup if you can. Make sure they check your thyroid.

And r16 isn't completely off the mark, lol. A younger woman I know who got mono a year after I did was still struggling mightily over a year later and wound up getting a prescription for Adderall.

Mental illness sometimes runs in pairs, OP. Are you feeling a little trans also?

And are you tender to the touch, dear?

It really hasn't disappeared, r13. In the 1980s what was described as CFS turned out to be related to a previously-known condition called myalgic encephalomyelitis. By the 1990s, the media wasn't interested in ME/CFS anymore and studies weren't being funded because it wasn't considered a pressing concern anymore. On top of that, the few studies there have been in the last 15 years have been flawed. It may seem like it doesn't exist anymore, but it absolutely does.

You're probably fat. Cut your calories and start exercising.

Sounds like it could be Morgellons. Or rabies.

Try a Delta 8/ Delta 10 THC vape. It’s a completely legal strain of THC and you can get it cheapest ordering online. Google “Sledgehammer.” There is a euphoric (high) effect, but it’s a mood lifter, and a possibility expander as well. If you’re not used to drinking/drugging, definitely do it in limited amounts at home the first time, and see how it affects you.

Its a real condition and its likely caused by activated virus or viruses, but which ones? That's the mystery. There is research that the COVID vaccine and Covid infection as well can reactivate all kinds of virus that are dormant.

The cure for long covid is startlingly like the cure for Chronic Fatigue. There are some some clinics in Europe treating long covid. It's mind over body, very meticulous and sustained retraining the body to be up to the tasks of normal and satisfying functioning.

My vitamin D level was okay and I drink plenty of water so I don't think it's onset kidney failure.

What does vitamin D level have to do with kidney failure? Get some blood tests and check out BUN and creatinine levels. If the kidneys are gone, they will never recover. And it might be the weak heart that can't pump enough red blood for the kidneys.

It doesn't. I was replying to the person who asked about my VitaminD level and the person who said drink more water.

are you sure you didn't have Covid?

Don't worry it only lasts for two episodes of your life.

Try exercising. You're not tired because you don't get enough exercise. I mean at LEAST 60 minutes of high intensity aerobic exercise (you may have to build up to this level over a long time), with 60 minutes when your heart rate is at 85% of your theoretical maximum.

To calculate your maximum: 220 - age X 85%

So if you were 50 it would be 220 - 50 = 170

Then: 170 X .85 =145

R30 It has been known to cause you to wear the most horrendous wedding dress in TV history

Blood tests will tell a lot about your health, fat OP.

“It seems like every woman had CFS in the '80s, but it has almost miraculously disappeared since.”

Because mostly male doctors got better about correctly diagnosing autoimmune diseases.

As I mentioned R33, bloodwork all came back normal. And I'm 165 pounds.

Did they check your Vitamin B level as well? The B's sustain cell metabolism so low levels = no energy. It's usually not a routine lab.

R7- FAT WHORE.

OP, when was the last time you travelled someplace new?

Get your liver enzymes checked OP. A friends bloodwork was fine, but he was exhausted. Demanded more tests. Boom.He has a year. Liver Cancer. Not a drinker.

Also: There are three types of fatigue: transient, cumulative, and circadian:

Transient fatigue is acute fatigue brought on by extreme sleep restriction or extended hours awake within 1 or 2 days.

Cumulative fatigue is fatigue brought on by repeated mild sleep restriction or extended hours awake across a series of days.

Circadian fatigue refers to the reduced performance during nighttime hours, particularly during an individual’s “window of circadian low” (WOCL) (typically between 2:00 a.m. and 05:59 a.m.). Researches show that the accumulation of "sleep debt", e.g. by having an hour less of sleep for several consecutive days needs a series of days with more-than-usual sleep for a person to fully recover from cumulative fatigue.

Maybe dye your hair.

It's probably an STD.

Listen to some music...

This for example...

"Hey lady, you lady,"

"Cursing at your life"

R36 my B12 came back normal. Didn't have my liver checked.

OP is depressed because she has a biracial grandson named Lamarr. It happens.

Shut up Stanley- worth both episodes.

Wait -- is this the same nelly OP who keeps posting depressing threads and then cherry-picks the replies she'll respond to?

Fuck you, OP

R18, I posted an old thread months ago about being prescribed adderall. I didn't like it. I have Ritalin now, but I think I need a higher dose. If you want stimulants, you'll have to find a psych prescriber probably, and have a good reason. Being tired won't cut it unless you have a diagnosis to go along with that. You can claim ADHD of course.

OP I'm going to throw a bunch of shit at you. If you have chronic fatigue, make sure your sleep is as good as possible. Quiet, cool, dark, uninterrupted. Animals in the bed at night? Kick them out. Use a HEPA filter in your bedroom. Costco sells an excellent one for about $100. Your CPAP compliance is good? Is your AHI under 2 events per hour?

Is there mold where you're living? In the walls or a/c system? You can usually smell it. Fix it and/or HEPA or move.

Get chemicals out of your home and life. You don't have to go crazy here, but try to use a simple soap or body wash without colors or unnecessary ingredients. Clean with simple ingredients like water with borax, soap, mild detergents. Eliminate scented products and aerosols.

How's your digestion? It's now known that about 1 in 130 people in the world have celiac disease, 90% of whom aren't diagnosed. It is an autoimmune illness and it will make you tired.

Have you had xrays or CTs for anything ever? Get the reports and read them over. If there's anything unusual in them, bring it up with your doctor.

I've been prescribed a stimulant, which made me feel worse. CPAP compliance is good. No pets. Don't seem to smell mold. CT and MRI came back normal.

Why are you using the CPAP machine?

I have Psoriatic Arthritis AND chronic anemia. I’m so fuckin tired all of the time I sometimes think about suicide. Fatigue is not just physical its mental too.

Try taking something that contains sugar such as a Coke or Spongesicle. I've done that on occasion when I was feeling sluggish.

r43, my B-12 levels are normal but I took a B-complex packet (from Whole Foods - on sale!) this morning and had a long list of things to do done in 3 hours. It really gave me an energy boost.

You in danger gurl!

Why I’m tired: psoriatic arthritis. Fatigue and pain are 2 of the biggest symptoms

Low iron anemia: my body doesn’t absorb iron either. I have to receive IV iron infusions every 2 months.

Severe depression. It’ll cause you to feel tired too.

[quote] Why are you using the CPAP machine?

I have mild sleep apnea - 9 episodes an hour.

“I have Psoriatic Arthritis AND chronic anemia. I’m so fuckin tired all of the time I sometimes think about suicide. Fatigue is not just physical its mental too.”

I get it, I have PsA too and feel the same way,

Cpap, chronic fatigue syndrome and mysterious women’s diseases. Are you all refugees from the Michfest forum?

An extra B12 or B complex is an easy fix since it's excreted via the kidneys

Oh, I forgot that most with kidney failure are losing weight. OP is just chronically exhausted under his morbid obesity.

Sleep apnea is the number one culprit if you’re having energy issues. It may be more than that, but with a CPAP you should be getting stronger and more alert.

I’m a guy, I have CFS, and it’s a nightmare. You need to go through extensive testing, and really it’s only when they can’t find ANYTHING to explain your fatigue will they give a CFS diagnosis. Which basically means they don’t know why, it sucks to be you and good luck.

The few things I’ve found to make a difference are melatonin, calcium butyrate, and probiotic pearls at night, Liquid B12 and vitamin D in the morning. It takes awhile to find your footing, but it’s given me a reliable level of energy daily.

I always thought CFS was a joke diagnosis, but I’d give anything to get better. The brain fog is the worst. I’ve always been a voracious reader but some days I can’t read a single sentence. Yeah, I know, sucks to be me.

Weight and age and how much exercise do you get every day? If you don't want to talk about those issues, I understand COMPLETELY.

41, 165 and I go to the gym every day. A mixture of cross trainer and weights.

R15 If you’re broke, then you get what you get.

It's probably mental fatigue. I wake-up, then start worrying about money, stability, aging, etc.... and I want to go back to sleep.

But I can't. Gotta get up and go make a nickel again.

One supplement I recommend checking out is d'ribose. It supports energy production and can be very effective. I use it sporadically. Would use it daily, but it tends to exacerbate my anxiety (one of its potential pitfalls).

OK, R62, I experienced something similar when I hit about 41-42. I used to alternate exercise: weight lifting about 40 minutes and then I'd run for 40 minutes the same evenings (about 5 miles), and then on the next day, I would swim 1.5 miles freestyle, fast. Did this alternating routine normally 6 days a week, but I became aware at around age 41 that I just had no stamina for any of this. I could not catch my "second wind" for running, was just panting, out of breath, and the swimming became just tedious torture, no enjoyment out of it at all, no energy, no will to even do it, whereas I had formerly greatly enjoyed it. Simultaneously, I started having weird, intense, blood sugar drops, like I would get the shakes from hunger fast. I would also just fall asleep in my chair at work after lunch, from the influx of carbs into my blood, I guess. I was afraid I was becoming diabetic, and so I went to the doctor, who did some tests and referred me to an endocrinologist. Nothing was ever resolved "scientifically." I did change my diet pretty strictly: no sugar, no carbs, no desserts, no cakes, pastries, etc. No potatoes but sweet potatoes, no rice but brown rice, no pasta, no bread, etc. No sugar in coffee, I also stopped drinking coffee, because it was acting like speed on my system in the mornings. My metabolism somehow just "re-set" itself after a few months, and I was OK, and gradually my stamina returned. I came to see it as the physical aspect of a "mid-life crisis". That change in men is for real, and you are the perfect age for it. It does have physiological aspects, and I am pretty sure it is related to some kind of hormonal changes that the body goes through which also produce the mental "blah" feeling associated with the "mid-life crisis". If I were you, I'd try getting on a pretty severe diet that cuts out carbs and alcohol and sugar, and see if it helps. It did me. As for the psychological issues associated with that period of life, all you can do is bear with it, go easy on yourself, and understand that whatever failings you see in yourself at the time are largely hormonally induced, they aren't your fault, they WILL pass, and it's something that every man I have known has gone through, sometime between the early 40's and the early 50's, setting in at varying ages, and lasting maybe a couple of years. It sounds like you're experiencing something very like what I went through, and the above is how I dealt with it. Good luck to you. - R61.

^It also helps a LOT to talk to other guys who are about your own age about this, to show yourself that it is very widespread among men in their 40s...-R66

Probiotics

In the ninties cher had chronic fatigue syndrome, maybe thats it. Try taking multivitamins, they help me.

Hot beef injections.

Twice a day.

And drink coffee, for fuck's sake.

Have you tried upping your candy intake? Candy gives you pep and it tastes good! Before you try all these crazy thcbdcs and diets, I recommend you eat some delicious candy.

Thanks R66. I do very low carbs. In fact I was wondering if that's what was making me tired. No sugar, no potatoes, rice or any of that. Maybe it is my body changing. Maybe I should find a support group. I mean if they have them for people who get kicked out of unauthorized Elvis Fan Clubs, there must be one for me.

The problem I had felt very dismal, depressing, left me wanting to just do nothing. Go with your sense of what to do about your own diet. For me, it did pass, but it took a lot longer than I wanted it to. You just have to put up with it. I imagine support groups for this "crisis" exist, I wish I'd known about one when it hit me. -R66.

R1, you DISMISSED me!

Any new tips here? I suspect I have CFS and it’s almost impossible to get through daily living. No matter how much I sleep, I never feel rested. I’m exhausted all day every day and don’t want to go on like this.

I am a sensitive emotional person and several years ago I was suffering from sleep apnea and went through the whole deal with the CPAP machine. It lasted almost a whole year and I was constantly fatigued the entire time. Couldn't get a good night's sleep. The situation was making me feel depressed and it all just became a vicious cycle. I got rid of my CPAP, made a commitment to lose weight and get in shape and practice better habits. I'm still a nervous person but I don't have sleep apnea anymore and I don't feel fatigued.

I despise hot weather, adding living in a sweltering over populated city environment to the mix and a lot of people do get extremely depressed in the Summer.

Even as a kid I hated hot weather. No, I'm not obese. It appears, climate change has now given us just two seasons Winter and Summer. We really don't seem to have a true Fall and Spring anymore.

Thankfully, for the past 8 years I've been working from home, otherwise, dealing with the subways, idiots who refuse to wear masks, all the violent crazies and other bullshit, I would have taken early retirement.

I cannot wait for the cool weather, I'll be happy again.

Long covid?

Better to have chronic fatigue than to have chronic diarrhea.

You’re going through menopause, OP.

OP, are over 40 and male? You could be low in testosterone.

It could be fibromyalgia OP. Are you feeling tender to the touch? What helps me (I read about it on Facebook and Rachel Ray also had a segment on it) is cradling a warm cup of camomile or mint tea. Something about holding a warm cup of tea, with a blanket on your lap ( and usually a cat lol!) just seems to help. Just remember to take it easy and be gentle to yourself.

Get on disability then you can nap all day.

Julia Sugarbaker did a much more scathing rant to anyone in a position of power that Dorothy Sponzak did at the end of that episode. I guess with the chronic fatigue Dorothy just didn't have it in her.