Why am I so tired???

stimpsonslostson

If this is unusual for you then go chat to your GP. 

I felt crap for about 6 weeks a couple of years ago, I just felt lethargic & like I was coming down with a cold that never quite arrived.... At my wife's urging I eventually went to the GP (who was excellent)- I felt daft going in and saying "there's nothing WRONG with me, I just feel a bit rubbish" after discussing:

my lifestyle- young kids(tiring but good)
exercise- I'm normally VERY fit & train regularly (tiring but good),
diet- good(ish) don't drink or smoke etc,
work- a hectic job with reasonable stress (bad)
my emotional state (OK other than the tiredness)

she concluded that I probably wasn't depressed or suffering from SAD etc & ordered blood tests. Turned out I had a glandular fever! 

There's no real treatment other than rest and Keeping hydrated, but it was nice to know that I wasn't being a hypochondriac. 

Bellycaster

holnrew said:

Get some blood tests, two times I've been exhausted, each time i had a vitamin deficiency

This^

I was ill with cold like symptoms 3 times in 4 months between Jan and April last year. Docs, Blood Tests, I had Vit D deficiency. I've been on the one a day tabs since and I've been only slightly poorly once in the last 12 months. Having said this, I will probably succumb to a deadly bout of Vitas Gerulaitis

I know you don't feel like you have a Cold, but feeling run down/tired can also be a sign of Vit D deficiency, I'd also take good advice from drinking more water every day and enough fruit for Vit C intake. It's likely something as simple as this.

Now, off to the Docs tomorrow!

Gassage

Lack of weed x

monquixote

I wish i had your doctors 

Every time i go they are bloody useless and act like I'm wasting their time.

olafgarten

Try and get more restful sleep. When we sleep we go through cycles each lasting around 90 minutes, work out when you need to wake up and then go backwards 90 minutes at a time until you find a reasonable amount of time. Then go to bed around 15 minutes before that because that's how long it takes a normal person to sleep. 

For example, if I want to wake up at 7, I'd go to bed at around 9:45 or 11:15. 

Trust me, I recently started this and I feel a lot more energetic when I wake up and less tired during the day. 

stickyfiddle

Well worth getting checks done. My wife and I both had similar symptoms a couple of years ago. She has a buggered thyroid and I have low vit D and coeliac.

mike_l

Following Crohn's and the surgeries I have low Vit B12. An injection every 3 months sorts most of the tiredness.

Gassage

Ben, very simply, are you drinking enough water?

Nunogilberto

As you can see, most people talk about sleep, diet, hydration, stress levels etc - and it's all true. It's well worth seeing your GP but also worth checking the basics as above, to make sure it's nothing simple.

professorben

monquixote said:

I wish i had your doctors 

Every time i go they are bloody useless and act like I'm wasting their time.

Yeah I did go a few months ago, but was told it's prob just lack of sleep, having said that it's bloody difficult to get an appointment anyway, they have this system where you phone up and request a call back, then a doctor phones you ( sometimes they don't) and asks you if it's worth coming in or not, usually trying to convince you it's not. 

Trying to get an appointment around work is a nightmare. 

professorben

Gassage said:

Ben, very simply, are you drinking enough water?

Does Tea count?
i take a 2 litre flask and a full thermos cup with me to work everyday, so that's pretty much 3 litres. 

I always finish it.


I feel my life life is spent peeing in lay-bys.  

professorben

 olafgarten said:

Try and get more restful sleep. When we sleep we go through cycles each lasting around 90 minutes, work out when you need to wake up and then go backwards 90 minutes at a time until you find a reasonable amount of time. Then go to bed around 15 minutes before that because that's how long it takes a normal person to sleep. 

For example, if I want to wake up at 7, I'd go to bed at around 9:45 or 11:15. 

Trust me, I recently started this and I feel a lot more energetic when I wake up and less tired during the day. 

I get up around 5am most days, starting at 5:30/6. 

Usually Asleep by 11, I know it's not enough, but by the time I get back from work around 6:30pm and done the dad thing, it's 8pm still need to eat and then my nights over, no chance to chill or play guitar etc. 

octatonic

professorben said:

 olafgarten said:

Try and get more restful sleep. When we sleep we go through cycles each lasting around 90 minutes, work out when you need to wake up and then go backwards 90 minutes at a time until you find a reasonable amount of time. Then go to bed around 15 minutes before that because that's how long it takes a normal person to sleep. 

For example, if I want to wake up at 7, I'd go to bed at around 9:45 or 11:15. 

Trust me, I recently started this and I feel a lot more energetic when I wake up and less tired during the day. 

I get up around 5am most days, starting at 5:30/6. 

Usually Asleep by 11, I know it's not enough, but by the time I get back from work around 6:30pm and done the dad thing, it's 8pm still need to eat and then my nights over, no chance to chill or play guitar etc. 

Sounds like you are not getting enough sleep.
Try getting to bed an hour earlier if you cannot get up an hour later.

professorben

Bellycaster said:

holnrew said:

Get some blood tests, two times I've been exhausted, each time i had a vitamin deficiency

This^

I was ill with cold like symptoms 3 times in 4 months between Jan and April last year. Docs, Blood Tests, I had Vit D deficiency. I've been on the one a day tabs since and I've been only slightly poorly once in the last 12 months. Having said this, I will probably succumb to a deadly bout of Vitas Gerulaitis

I know you don't feel like you have a Cold, but feeling run down/tired can also be a sign of Vit D deficiency, I'd also take good advice from drinking more water every day and enough fruit for Vit C intake. It's likely something as simple as this.

Now, off to the Docs tomorrow!

I've more chance of getting a audience with the pope than seeing my doctor, mostly it's just a Locum who really doesn't give a toss. 

Assuming I can get an appt in the first place.  

professorben

Neckwringer said:

Do you take 'statins' ?.

No, I'm not sure what they are, is it a cholesterol regulator? 

holnrew

I've had vitamin B12 and D deficiencies, they aren't fun. Might be worth getting some strong tablets to see if they make a difference. My B12 was so low though that i had to have 5 shots in 10 days and tablets wouldn't have touched it

professorben

vale said:

clock change is a poss (most obvious) reason. your circadian rhythm (big word for body clock) will be slightly out of synch with your physcially active cycle.
getting lots of daylight as soon as you wake up (curtains open on waking or drink your coffee sitting on the back doorstep) will help you reset.

getting deeper in, thyroid function a biggie, vitamin d (you will have gone 5 months without a decent top up if you live in uk), iron definciency (anaemia), something hormonal.
a blood test will tell all there is to know (these are basic tests & you usually only need to have one sample taken which they analyse for multiple things).
so ask doc. if they are any good they will be happy to offer (unless you are a neurotic & in every week with fantasy diseases & demanding treatment).

docs want patients who come forward & take an active interest in their health.
the ones they despair of are the ones who come in with a fucking great tumor they have been ignoring for ten years, & that is now long past viable treatment. that is the saddest thing.

& finally (i'm going to say it if no one else will) sex (or a quality wank) before bed will really help you get a proper deep night's sleep, from which you are far more likely to awaken refreshed & hot to trot, than from a shallow & restless night's sleep. get to it!

hmmmm 
Tired, grumpy fat guys are my missus trigger, that and Ryan Gosling. 

Its dark when I get up, mostly I get up, creep downstairs, sit on sofa for a few mins adjusting to reality, check forum, get dressed, make lunch, breakfast, flask, leave. 

I think I need to get a blood test, it's been mentioned a few times, think I need to go back to doctors and demand a blood test. 

professorben

holnrew said:

I've had vitamin B12 and D deficiencies, they aren't fun. Might be worth getting some strong tablets to see if they make a difference. My B12 was so low though that i had to have 5 shots in 10 days and tablets wouldn't have touched it

What causes a deficiency? 

My diet, although a bit light on fresh fruit (ughhhh) and veg, is not too bad, just too much food overall generally. 

I dont smoke, drink only on a Fri/Sat night, usually not a huge amount. 

professorben

I have been feeling down recently, work is a bit of a nightmare since Christmas, stress with the band etc.
Got a huge list of jobs to do around the house, missus is cutting back on her work too, so the pressure is on me more than ever to win that bread.

Shes taking me to the gym tonight, frankly I'm dreading it, partly cos I need to organise a babysitter, partly because I'm not comfortable there anymore.

Its just a phase im sure, just need to stop being a princess and crack on lol.  

Flanging_Fred

I've suffered horribly with tiredness and depression over the last few years.  I'll re-iterate what a lot of others have said, VITAMIN D!  Many doctors now think everyone should be taking vit D suppliments in the UK due to lack of light exposure.  Taking vit D suppliments (since last summer) has massively helped my tiredness and so far, prevented another lapse into depression.  It's cheap and can't do any harm to try (I think, check with doc though) so just go and get some!