Why am I so damned tired?

[Ellen Forradalom]

I sleep all night, then feel destroyed by 2:00 in the afternoon. When I can, I take a nap. The rest of the time I just drag my ass through the day. What's up with that? How can I get my groove back?

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Depression?

Please see your doctor if that is happening to you.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. Fall in love

[Ellen Forradalom]

12. Can't. Married.

Mate is an anxiety-ridden Red Sox fan. Not at his most attractive right now.

[The Blue Flower]

3. could be a blood sugar problem

See your doctor and have him/her check your blood sugar levels.

[Wwagsthedog]

4. If you haven't had a physical lately, you might consider getting one

n/t

[Don_G]

5. Chicago Traffic?

I don't see how you stand it. I need a nap after a short 3 hour drive trying to keep track of all the idiots that can't drive here.

[Ellen Forradalom]

9. I keep off the roads as much as possible

Drive my son to school and back. And it's nothing like Boston. I'm married to a Massachusetts driver--a thrill a minute.

[SOteric]

6. How's your nutrition?

Do you drink? Do you snore...any potential of a sleep apnea? Could you be depressed? Do you get a modest amount of exercise?

Is it sudden, - has it been this way for a while? Could it be related to the change in seasons? Have you been reading copies of Shrubya's speeches?

[Ellen Forradalom]

8. Nutrition is so-so

I drink a beer a day at dinner.
Yes, I snore, and my mother has sleep apnea, so that could be a factor.
Could be depressed. I was let go from an extremely stressful job about six weeks ago. Very distressing experience. I have a history of depression, too.
Not enough exercise, no. I do sometimes play with my son, do heavy housework, and run errands on foot, but no real exercise.

I've been feeling tired for a while, but it got worse after the first of this month. Maybe related to change of seasons. I usually avoid Chimpy's speeches like the plague but I did watch the $87 billion speech, and what I heard chilled me to the bone.

[hlthe2b]

7. Seasonal Affective Disorder?

If you are sensitive, the shortened days and cooler temps can be sending you into "hibernation" mode. Are you also craving carbs?

I have problems with it and am similarly ready to sleep the second I get in the door... Try to get out during the day and take a walk in bright sunlight.. or you can try special light therapy using full spectrum lights designed for SAD...

I think a lot of Europeans are on St. John's Wart for this as well, as a natural antidepressant.

[scarlet_owl]

10. Have you ever had your thyroid checked?

I am on lots of anti-depressants and those knock me out. I agree with the above posters, maybe it's time for a checkup.

[Ellen Forradalom]

11. No I never have

Good idea.

[seventhson]

13. Live near a nuke facility. Radiation exposure causes Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome.

Read the articles at the bottom of the home page at radiation.org

I have lived most of my life in the shadows of nukes and my thyroid is shot and I am damn tired all the time.

My doctor concluded it was the nuke plant in my backyard dumping waste where I swam my whole life (LI Sound)

Try a thyroid metabolic test via a doctor referred by the Broda Barnes Foundation (google it)

[Interrobang]

15. No, it doesn't. It may cause chronic fatigue, but not CFS.

CFS is Epstein-Barr virus, which is just a long-term, low-grade, untreated case of mononeucleosis that's gotten so entrenched it takes years to get rid of. You may have that because your thyroid is shot as a result of low-grade radiation exposure (so your immune system is degraded, making it really easy for any tenacious virus to come in and hold a yard party), but that's not the same as saying that long-term exposure to low levels of radiation causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

[Interrobang]

14. How does your stomach feel?

Any abdominal pains (right side, halfway down -- the spleen)? Are you sweating a lot (ie. more than usual, also the most common symptom)? Loss of appetite? Any reaction to that beer at dinner (ie. it's hitting you harder than normal or it makes you feel sicker)?

When I had the kind of symptoms you describe plus the ones above (one or more), I produced a beautiful mononucleosis titre. Contrary to popular belief, mono is not contagious (well, you'd practically have to swap blood with someone with a degraded immune system to give it to them), and you get it from having a weak immune system (from depression, poor nutrition, etc.), because the virus that causes it is everywhere, and you DON'T get it from kissing, sharing glasses, or anything else like that. Mono *can* kill you if it's left untreated (the treatment is two weeks' absolute bed rest, and two weeks' more if that doesn't work) -- it blows out your liver. (The second-worst case scenario is needing a liver transplant, something I missed needing by about a month.) So it's not wise to mess around with it.

Another thing it could be is severe anemia. Do you have heavy periods? Get enough iron in your diet?

NO MATTER WHAT, you should get to the doctor right away. Severe, unusual fatigue et cetera means something is very wrong.

I hope you don't have anything that can't be remedied with a few easy steps. Good luck!

[forgethell]

16. thyroid medicine

B-12 shots, and 20 fewer pound worked for me

[Cat Atomic]

17. Cut sugar out of your diet.

I did, and I stopped getting tired in the afternoons. I feel alot better.