Mmk, if you know me at all, you’ll know that one of the things I really struggle with is energy or rather, the lack thereof.
Yes, unfortunately for me, I have always suffered from fatigue. I am tired all the time – drained and listless (yes, even when I eat right and go to gym). It’s both mental and physical and it’s one of the reasons I don’t go out very much. In fact, I’m so wary of making any plans to do stuff because I just actually don’t know if I’ll have the energy to follow through!
Sucks. Big Time.
It’s not normal right? Fuck.
And it seems to be getting worse! Seriously, this weekend was horrible for me. I had planned to spring clean my room and start unpacking some of these insanely irritating boxes but I just couldn’t! For some reason, I was so totally ended, I couldn’t do a bloody thing 🙁 Especially yesterday – I napped 3 times during the day!! WTF?
I can’t seem to focus on anything, I can’t concentrate, I can hardly switch my brain on in the mornings and it’s getting me down so much. I am SO fricken bored!! Isn’t that ironic though? So bored and yet too tired to do anything, which just makes me even MORE bored. And lonely. And frustrated. And angry.
I’m only 37 and I’m living like an 87-year old! Do you have ANY idea how dull that is?
At this stage, I’m ready to snort coffee granules, if that will help.
@Patrick … goodness!! Thank you SO much for taking the time to write all this up … WOW!
I think you are right – I should see my doctor. I’m going to take this with me when I go see him too, see what he makes of it …
(SORRY – this is gonna be a long one)
Had the same problem for 4 years in UK until I moved to SA and had to see a GP here. He asked 4 simple questions:
1/ Feel you’re putting on weight without eating that much… but always hungry (yes)!;
2/ Feel tired most of the day and could literally go to sleep every afternoon (yes!);
3/ OK just after eating but a bit of a slump thereafter (yes!)
4/ Been tested for blood sugar levels (yes, fine)
He said he thought it might be … “insulin resistance”. I thought he meant diabetes and said I had been tested. Low sugar levels.
He insisted: “the contrary of diabetes”, “too much insulin”,, “brings your sugar level down too quickly”, sugar levels do the yo-yo and you feel exhausted, “main reason for the obesity epidemic”, “too much insulin metabolising the sugar too quickly”, “massive drop in blood sugar level = slump, fatigue, eat to gain energy (more sugar)”. I laughed…
Next morning: No breakfast / Blood test (I didn’t laugh)
3 days later: (back for results) 5 times the normal level of insulin => insulin resistance (like…37% of the UK’s population)…
Consequences: pancreas producing too much insulin which is not being correctly metabolised => pancreas gets lazy (doesn’t need to produce so much insulin anymore) => leads to pancreatitis (stops producing completely) => also called diabetes… (slightly simplified here – I am not a doctor)
Now happening to teenagers. Real worldwide epidemic. Reasons unclear: lifestyle, diets, pollution, lack of exercise, heredity, etc…
Started taking Metformin like diabetics to help metabolise insulin (R80/month).
26kgs down in 9 months with no diet (I’m French, eating is life), no exercise (no knees), no effort. Still cannot understand.
2 years later World Diabetes Congress in Cape Town. 2 Harvard professors stay at Stillness. Bore them with my story. They confirm I am doing the right thing and recommend I stay on Metformin for life to avoid/delay diabetes. Their beef is with governments who refuse to take this seriously as it would require treating up to 40% of the population in some countries. Public health requires it but it’s like AIDS. You only die of the complications related to diabetes: vision, gangrene of extremities, heart disease, etc… So it is not relevant politically and prevention (10 times less costly in the long run) doesn’t generate votes or help to reduce public health budgets.
Recommended same little local GP to over 30 people. Almost 90% positive. 4 of them would need to be tested again as levels of insulin fluctuate during the day.
Since then doctors have been made aware of the issue and tend to ask the right questions but few really test for it. R800-900 to do it right and get all the tests done. No chance in the UK: tests are not part of the NHS budget. Result for UK = amongst the highest rates of insulin resistance in the world. And obesity…
I would definitely see a doctor before taking any supplements. Your body should be retaining enough iron if you have a normal diet. If it is leaching iron, there is a reason. Supplements do not help. And you can overdose on iron if your body is not metabolising it properly => see a doctor or an oncologist. The good ones spend 10 years studying to be specialists. Not for nothing.
Good luck.
@Chris … I haven’t checked, no. I’m just gonna hope for the best!
Great to hear @Sue, I think you’ll have to wait about 3 weeks before you feel any difference from the supplement to make a difference. Secondly, have you checked with a professional that taking this iron supplement is safe with all the other energy gel things that you are taking? Conflicting ‘medications’ is possibly the worst thing ever..
@Chris … well, my Dad reckoned your comment about an iron deficiency made a whole lotta sense and he very kindly bought me some kick-ass iron capsules. I have to take them 3 x a day and I’ve just popped the first one now, so let’s see how it goes 🙂
Hehe, rather be safe than sorry and catch it earlier rather than later?
@Chris … ummmmm … too long ago to remember ERK. Hmm, perhaps a visit to the doc is called for.
@justB[coz] – How long ago did you have your levels checked? If they were low back then, they might be lower. My Mom suffered from exhaustion due to low iron levels for a long time. I forget the name of the medication (some iron booster) she took, but it worked a dream and had no side effects..
@Dad … you’re gonna stoke up a raging feminism fire with that comment haha 😀
Yes, I know I keep a lot going but that can’t be it?????
@Chris … actually, no, not for ages. But my iron levels were a bit low then … I take a multivitamin, ViralGuard and 1000mg vitamin C every morning. Plus a few swigs of Liviton (!)
JOC went out and got me a couple of those energy gel thingymabobs she commented about earlier and I tried one (gah – tasted bloody awful!). It seemed to give me good boost for a couple of hours, but I think it’s starting to wear off a bit now *sigh*
Eish … this sucks man!! So much to dooooooooooooooo …
Hey cow_grrrrl, just out of interest, have you had your iron levels checked?
I also seem to feel exhausted all the time, although, I know it’s because I don’t sleep much, eat terribly and smoke too much, but I can relate to what you’re feeling. When I am up early and have a lot to do, I eat one of those energy bars and I can honestly say that they really do make a difference..
Alternatively, have a couple tequila’s before you go out and you’ll survive 😉
I think that you don’t realise how much energy you need and consume every day of your life.
You run a household, as a solo parent, which includes 2 young men (not easy at the best of times) and a full time business from your home on which you are totally reliant for income.
Most can do one or the other!!??
I remember not too long ago a remark make on this blog about how and where do you find the time and energy to do all that you do??
Mmk, now I’m sending you out on a mission! Let me just get my purse hehe 🙂
Try some power gel. I’m sure it could be a little unhealthy if you take it all the time, but i took it for 27days and have never had more energy in my life! Sure it doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s worth a try! 🙂