Just whining, I guess

[morningstar]

I didn't want to hijack the Breath Right Strips thread, but it got me thinking, so I'm starting another thread.

I am having all kinds of health issues - extremely low energy, hard time working out, immune system issues where I'm constantly sick. In a way, I wish it was all caused by sleep apnea, because that's such an easy fix, but I've been recently tested and I don't have it now. I'm going for my annual physical soon, and I'm hoping to get some answers, because I just can't go on like this. I know I'll be sent for lots of tests, because I will insist upon it, but I don't know if there will be any answers.

I truly don't know what's going on. I've been pretty much low grade sick constantly since I got shingles (very unusual at my age, and they said it was from stress) a year and a half ago. I've seriously curtailed my workouts, stopped walking so much, hardly run anymore, just desperately trying to have enough energy to do my job. I was diagnosed with low iron and told to take iron three times a day. After 3 months of this, I still had low iron, so I had to start taking it 4 times a day, and switched from ferrous gluconate to ferrous sulfate.

My sleep has sucked for so long (I have been diagnosed with a condition wherein I can fall asleep easily, but I have a tremendous time staying asleep); now I take at bedtime:

• Taurine
• 5HTP
• Magnesium
• GABA

I actually sleep pretty well quite often now that I'm taking these, but I still don't have any energy.

I just had a really bad performance review at work (my new job) because I have so little energy I can't think strategically - it's all I can do to get up in the morning. It's gotten so bad I actually feel like quitting my job to just not have to try to go to work anymore and be brilliant at it. This is a job that I beat out 600 people for. This is a job that I love, working with people I admire. This is a job that is incredibly important to me. But if I didn't have to work for the money, I would really consider getting out of there. Just getting up in the morning is so damned hard.

I've come up with a diet, workout, walking and sleeping schedule all geared to try to give me more energy. I don't know if it will work, but I've got to try something. After a year of stable weight, I've recently gained 5 lbs from overeating to try to get some energy through food and from lack of working out. The weight is the least of my worries, though. I'm starting to think something serious might be going on - I should not be feeling like this. I shouldn't be getting more sleep than I ever have in my whole life and still dragging myself through the day. It doesn't help to stress over it, I know, but have you ever tried to not stress over something stressful?

[lrusso]

Have you ever had your thyroid checked? I know before I found out mine was underactive, I was sick and exhausted all the time.

[morningstar]

They did check it a year ago and it was fine, but I'm still kinda wondering about that. These are the symptoms of hypothyroidism from Wikipedia (in red font are the ones that seem to apply to me):

Early
Poor muscle tone (muscle hypotonia)
Fatigue
Cold intolerance, increased sensitivity to cold
Constipation
Depression
Muscle cramps and joint pain
Goiter
Thin, brittle fingernails
Coarse hair
Paleness
Decreased sweating
Dry, itchy skin
Weight gain and water retention
Bradycardia (low heart rate – fewer than sixty beats per minute)


Late
Slow speech and a hoarse, breaking voice – deepening of the voice can also be noticed, caused by Reinke's Edema.
Dry puffy skin, especially on the face
Thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows (sign of Hertoghe)
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Low basal body temperature

Uncommon
Impaired memory
Impaired cognitive function (brain fog) and inattentiveness.
A slow heart rate with ECG changes including low voltage signals. Diminished cardiac output and decreased contractility.
Reactive (or post-prandial) hypoglycemia
Sluggish reflexes
Hair loss
Anemia caused by impaired haemoglobin synthesis (decreased EPO levels), impaired intestinal iron and folate absorption or B12 deficiency[10] from pernicious anemia
Difficulty swallowing
Shortness of breath with a shallow and slow respiratory pattern.
Increased need for sleep
Irritability and mood instability
Yellowing of the skin due to impaired conversion of beta-carotene[11] to vitamin A
Impaired renal function with decreased glomerular filtration rate
Elevated serum cholesterol
Acute psychosis (myxedema madness) (a rare presentation of hypothyroidism)
Decreased libido due to impairment of testicular testosterone synthesis
Decreased sense of taste and smell (anosmia)
Puffy face, hands and feet (late, less common symptoms)
Gynecomastia
Deafness (ref) clinical medicine by kumar an clark. thyroid axis endocrinology page 610.

[ImFiddY]

Kinda sounds like depression. Are you taking 50mg of 5htp or 100? Take 100 if you are taking 50.

Have your vit. D. checked and Folic acid also.

It's time for the S.A.D. season to kick in. Getting lots of light or using a light box will help if you have that.

[jonahnah]

Morningstar,

Do you have to wait for your annual physical to see a doctor? A couple of things stand out from your post (and previous ones).

One possibility is depression. Lack of energy, focus, and decreased interest in things you previously loved to do are all typical symptoms of clinical depression. Serious depression is not something you can deal w/ on your own. Can you talk to a psychiatrist or other trained mental health provider?

Another possibility relates to your prolonged tiredness. This can be a red flag signal for more serious illnesses. Not trying to be an alarmist, but I strongly suggest going to a doctor ASAP and fighting for lots of blood work.

"Diagnosis by Google" can be haphazard BUT it can bring an objective view to things we see/feel every day and discount.

In the meantime, (((((((hugs))))) for all you're dealing w/ right now.

[PhyllisG]

I have nothing really to add except to say the you are NOT whining. If you hated your job, I could understand better about your work performance. But you love your job and really wanted it. Something else is going on and I agree that you should get to a doctor ASAP.

[Roxie 1965]

Maybe you need a sleep study for sleep apnea its where you stop breathing for a little bit and then start again. They can put you on a CPAP to help you with breathing.

[morningstar]

Originally Posted by Roxie 1965

Maybe you need a sleep study for sleep apnea its where you stop breathing for a little bit and then start again. They can put you on a CPAP to help you with breathing.

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion. As mentioned, I used to have it, but no longer do. I almost wish I did- it's a nice easy fix for low energy!

[Dela]

Last year I got some kind of respiratory thing around July, that they could not really give a name too, and did not feel antibiotics would help, then for months and months I was just having issues, just standing up would cause shortness of breath and heavy heart beating, I remember walking into a mall and having to stop and lean on something (I really should have gone to a doctor again at this point), I passed out from getting a chair massage, got some kind of horrid flu and the worst sinus infection ever, every now and then I would get this big swelling under my eye, I was not myself energy wise, but was not quite as run down feeling as you sound all of the time. Finally I went to the doctor again, and she decided to first try a 2 week course of antibiotics, they really did not know what was wrong, but she said it sounded like I may have had some kind of infection lingering from all the sicknesses and to start we would just try to kill it and see what happens. And actually I have been fine since.

I will also add regarding sleep issues, I'm not a good sleeper, and need a pill every night to get to sleep, I would stay asleep if not for my cats, but I can't stay in bed and sleep very late, and it's very hard for me to nap.

Also need to add that I was selling my house at the time and had to live in a hotel for a few months, so my stress levels were extra high, but the first respiratory issues started before the whole house selling part. So my whole ordeal went from about July through March of the next year.

Good luck in determining what is going on.

[PhyllisG]

Have you been tested for Lyme desease? My neighbor had what was diagnosed as shingles but she just could not recover and went for a second opinion. The doctor took one look and said lyme desease. She was tested and that is what she had. Just a thought but if you are going to the doctor ask about it and maybe ask to be tested.