I have been tired for the past 10 years or so, but over the last couple of months, I've felt REALLY tired. As in, driving my kids somewhere, no matter what time of day, I want to close my eyes and fall asleep. If I sit on the couch to try and relax for a minute or two, if I rest my eyelids at all, I start to doze off. I just have zero energy. I still make myself do things, but it's just tough! I want to try and see a doctor to maybe have some blood tests done, but who should I go to? I had some testing done several months ago for another issue, and the results, according to my GP, who I've only met once or twice, everything was normal...thyroid, etc. The only thing he said was that my blood sugar was low, but he didn't seem concerned about that at the time. Would that have anything to do with my lack of energy?
There are just so many different kinds of doctors, I didn't know where to start. I don't want to go back to my GP, because he just seems kind of useless. Maybe my ob/gyn? She knows me pretty well...delivered two of my kids. Or a doctor who specializes in internal medicine? I don't really even know what that means.
Any advice or recommendations would be welcome, to at least give me a starting place! Thanks! =)
Thanks for all of the great responses, ladies! I think I will take the advice of trying to find a doctor of internal medicine first, and see what happens...maybe I can get a good recommendation from my ob/gyn. I will also work on my diet. I'm not unhealthy, but I could do better, trying to eat more protein for breakfast to kickstart the day, and hoping that helps. I've also been taking a B-Complex vitamin...I don't know how long you have to take vitamins for them to start working, but I haven't seen any change from those yet (it's been a couple of weeks). Thanks again for all your help!
I am sorry you are going through this. I have heard great things about the FEM Centre in Colleyville. Several friends going there now for various reasons: lack of energy/tiredness, menopause, after baby hormone variations, etc. I personally haven't been but everyone I know who has been LOVES it and said it has helped a lot. Good luck!
An internal medicine doctor can also be a primary care doctor.
I use on because he montors all the blood tests.
I have one friend who was very low in B vitamins and one had a different vitamin deficiency (maybe magnesium but I'm not sure). Both were very tired until it was corrected. It might be something to check out.
Watch "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "Forks over knives" and you can learn how to fix these types of medical and sleep issues with the way you eat. Most of us are constantly tired, and we mask it with caffein and energy drinks, because we eat the wrong foods, foods our bodies were not meant to live off of.
Hi A. ~
You could see a doctor who specializes in internal medicine. Especially if you GP is useless. Do you have the actual results of your bloodwork done for your thyroid level? The TSH (or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is the test that most doctors use to screen for hypothyroidism. But this test actually measures how well the pituitary is “talking” to the thyroid gland rather than measuring actual thyroid hormones or the level of thyroid activity in the body. It's frustrating because it's not entirely accurate and is only part of the picture...your TSH test results can be “normal,” or be within range therefore your doctor telling you nothings wrong. But what you want t know is if your doctor tested your Free T4, Free T3, reverse T3, sex hormone binding globulin (SHGB), leptin and basal metabolic rate. These tests give you a look at the whole picture. I would also say have your Vitamin D levels checked.
Request a sleep study. You may have sleep apena, where you stop breathing in your sleep. The body wakes enough to start braething again but nor enough for you to realize you woke up. You may not be getting a full nights rest.
you want to go to a doctor who specializes in sleep, myGP specailizes in it and has a office outside of the clinic i see him at. At that office they will perform a sleep test where you sleep there overnight and they hopefully find a solution to your problem. Good Luck!
Start with your General Practitioner, explain what is going on and move forward. It sounds like it could be Narcolepsy or Chronic Fatigue - My sister has the first coupled with her Parkinson's and my mother has the second.
See an internal medicine doctor. He will run many tests. The test will show how various organs are working as well as nutrient levels in your blood. He may refer you to a sleep specialist. You may be this tired because you're not getting quality sleep.
There are SO many different possible causes for fatigue that you should start with a GOOD generalist, either a GOOD family med doctor or a GOOD internal med doctor. Shop around until you find the right one
You don't mention anything about depression, but that can also be the cause of fatigue. Are you just too tired to do things or do you also have no interest in doing things? Is there any activity that you enjoy and when you are engaged in that activity you still feel tired? Do you get any kind of regular physical exercise? If no physical cause can be found, then maybe you need to speak with a psychologist.
Endocrinologist. Get a referral from your GP or OB/GYN.
I would ask to be tested for Auto Immune diseases. I was tired for years, and felt like an old lady. (I am 36) My general practice Dr. tested me for Auto Immune and the tests came back showing that I have Sjogren's Syndrome. There are several Auto Immune disease's that you could have. Have you had your cortisol levels checked? I hope this has helped, it's worth asking about.
You might consider dietary changes and go see an herbalist. I didn't give that type of thing much weight until really recently. It can make a tremendous difference. Oddly enough, regular exercise can also boost your energy level. Just a few thoughts. :)
Find an internal med doc and keep trying to find a good one. Check your B12 level and if I were you I would start taking it to see if it helps.
I would try to find an "integrative" MD . . . someone who will look at the "big picture." Your issues could be caused by many different things, or several problems working together.
The way you're feeling doesn't sound normal to me.
I've had more success outside of mainstream medicine. We also love acupuncture (and I hate needles but for some reason love acupuncture).
My response may be long, only because I'm experiencing the same thing as you. I seem to be really tired at 11a, 3p, 8p and sometimes 5p. I talked to a friend who is a nurse practioner and she explained that my 11a/3p was probably my breakfast/lunch wearing off. That my body was going into crash mode,so I should eat more protein. I told her I was scheduled to see an endocrinologist (endo) April 6. She said that they do most of the test in the office and asked if I'd see my primary physician. I decided to go to my primary doctor first, because I could get in the next day. He gave me a b12 shot, which seemed to help for a few days. All my results came back normal. They also tested my thyroid and it came back normal. I thought it was my thyroid because I'd had the left nodule removed about 15 years ago and I am not on any medication. I started getting tired after nursing my now 6 year old and felt it was due to the hormones. But I get so tired that I have to lay down, when at home, of course I can't lay down at work. A friend at work mentioned that she was so tired that she went to an endo and he prescribed a heavy dose of vitamin D (the one you take once a week) and some type of cream that she has to rub on. She says it helps tremendously. So I got the endo's name and number. I've even tried two different products that supposedly help you with energy and neither has given me any relief. I will probably cancel the endo appointment and go to one that my friend referred me to in Irving. I did start taking some prenatal vitamins and back on my probiotics. I'm hoping those will help, but I can't go on like this. It is not normal. Of course the other thing is I do stay up too late (11p - 1am), so I'm working on going to bed earlier. If I don't see some progress with both the vitamins and getting more sleep, then I'll reschedule the endo appointment. I get so tired sometimes that I can't do regular household chores. By all accounts I'm 5'5 and 131 lbs and fine with the exception of being extremely tired. Please PM me if you find some results that help. Advice to me, was to start logging the times you feel tired and what you eat each day.
p.s. I did tell my ob/gyn last year about being tired and she recommended I get some exercise. However, I'm too tired to exercise and you will probably be able to relate to that answer. I'll pray for us both.
My GP specializes in internal medicine and he is just no longer on his game.
I vote endocrinologist. If blood sugar was low, they know what to do and how to do it and how much. They can also test for other things and often have an on site lab. A rhumatologist, I think, is what my friends husband sees for his RA and they have tested her for auto immune too (since thats what RA is). She came back borderline lupus.
I do think I would start with the endocrinologist though as it is the most likely with your low blood sugar reading.
I have not read your responses, however had the same thing going on with myself a couple of years ago. My ob/gyn recommended I get back on the prenatal vitamins I had taken beginning with my first pregnancy until having our youngest child. She felt like it was for the most part normal for a mother of four young children. Getting back on the prenatals really helped. The other thing that helps me tremendously is my diet. If I focus on packing in proteins and veggies with some fruit and whole grains and as close to no sugars at all as I can get, I feel great (given I have had 7 hours of sleep...or close to it, which is often a joke. But I try.) If these things don't work, I would recommend seeing your ob/gyn. Your issues are likely hormonal if diet and sleep don't help. Good luck! I know it's no fun to be tired all the time.
