Why am I exhausted ALL the time! Update Post 98

[Mrs. Ciz]

I’m tired. Maybe it’s my job, or maybe I’m just getting old. I don’t know. I’ve scheduled a doctor’s appointment for my annual physical in mid April. I want to make a list of possible reasons for my exhaustion that I need to get checked out.

This is my list so far:
Check iron - I’ve had low iron in the past and have been on daily slow release iron pills for the past 10 years.
Check thyroid - I’ve been hypothyroid for the past 23 years and take daily meds. Maybe they need adjusting.
Sleep study - I had multiple knee surgeries over the past 2 years, and the anesthesiologist mentioned that I’m at risk for sleep apnea.
Heart monitor - I have an irregular heartbeat like my dad does. His eventually turned into A-Fib. I want to get this checked.

Is there any other medical thing I should get checked?

Some backstory - I’m a 56 year old middle school teacher. I know all teachers are tired after the last two years. I’m thinking of quitting and finding another type of job. My 7th and 8th graders are ok but the 6th graders are a handful. Dealing with them wipes me out. Plus with teaching classes you are “on” all day. There is no sitting quietly in your cubicle and getting your work done. I have to do all the grading, lesson planning, and paperwork after working a full day in the classroom. But I want to make sure there is not a physical reason for my exhaustion before I bail on teaching.

My heath is good (although I need to lose some weight), but I’ve had a rough couple of years with surgeries. I had double knee replacement in July 2020 due to bone on bone and terrible arthritis in both knees. It was very difficult; however, I was doing ok until Jan 2021 when I got a mild case of covid. Then in Feb 2021, my surgeon discovered my right knee implant and tibia bone were infected. I missed 6 months of work, had 2 additional surgeries, 3 hospitalizations (one because I had a terrible reaction to the IV antibiotic I was on), 8 weeks with a picc line and IV antibiotics. It was an ordeal. I did the knee replacements so I could move without pain and get my active life back. But now I’m too tired after work to live it!

 

[prairie_girl]

Glad to see sleep study on the list. That would be my first stop. I hope you can find some relief.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Glad to see sleep study on the list. That would be my first stop. I hope you can find some relief.

I had a sleep study done 15 years ago, but they didn’t find anything back then. I think it’s time to do another one.

 

[mousedreamer70]

Second the sleep study! Had no idea I had it. Dr said it causes everything else to not be balanced. Check your B vitamins. Also see if you can get a SIBO test done (gut bacteria). My daughter had that test done and it was very high. It can cause you not to absorb vitamins and minerals, which you mentioned low iron. She went through treatment and is a lot better. Hopefully you get answers and feel better soon!!

 

[Imzadi]

Check thyroid - I’ve been hypothyroid for the past 23 years and take daily meds. Maybe they need adjusting.

It's probably your thyroid. When I accidentally screw up on my meds, I'm exhausted for days until my meds are back on track.

I also had to have them adjusted when I gained some pandemic weight. Now that I lost most of it, I had to adjust the meds back down.

 

[mommasita]

You have a well thought out list
I second the B vitamins
B12 can really play havoc with you. I had nearly zero levels years back, diagnosed with pernicious anemia. I self inject now.
I hope you find your answer, and get feeling better. ❤

 

[Southernmiss]

Vitamin D is another one to check, especially this time of year when we're emerging from winter.

I feel you with the fatigue. I'm in a place where I'm not sleeping well at all. Unfortunately, my sleep cycle is out of whack and hard to get back on track

 

[dclpluto]

How much exercise do you get a day? When you first start to exercise that will make your tired but in the long run it will help you.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Allergies also

Mold is like kryptonite to me

 

[RogueX]

I see you take iron pills, but even with iron you may still have anemia in some form. I actually can't take iron in any pill form, so a hematologist ordered a therapeutic trial of iron infusions. I noticed an improvement in my energy level after completing it.

Sleep study definitely may shed some light as well, even if have had one in the past.

And in general, a certain level of vitamins that people may not even realize they might be lacking.

I hope you find relief soon...it's exhausting being tired all the time.

 

[princesscinderella]

Explore a gluten free diet as it can be linked to autoimmune issues. I have hashimotos hypothyroidism and it changed my life going GF. I too was completely exhausted all the time with severe brain fog and headaches. All of that went away by eliminating gluten. I would also take a daily probiotic to get your gut health back on track after all your antibiotics from your infection. Sleep study is also important to eliminate sleep apnea as a possible cause. Best of luck on your quest to feeling back to your old self.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

How much exercise do you get a day? I’m guessing not enough. When you first start to exercise that will make your tired but in the long run it will help you.

Probably not enough. I get about 8000 to 10,000 steps a day at work, but by the time I get home, I’m too exhausted to do anything else. I am also still dealing with the aftermath of my last knee replacement surgery 8 months ago. I get a wicked shin splint after too much walking. I am going to get this checked out as well to be sure it isn’t a stress fracture or a recurrence of the infection in my tibia bone.

To get more exercise, I am going to get a Peleton because biking is the best exercise for my new knees. I hope that by now I can get my right leg to go all the way around the pedals. I haven’t been able to do that for the last year and a half because my knee wouldn’t bend enough due to the post surgery swelling, then the implant loosening with the infection, followed by more post surgical swelling. I’ve had some challenges, that’s for sure.

 

[VandVsmama]

I’m tired. Maybe it’s my job, or maybe I’m just getting old. I don’t know. I’ve scheduled a doctor’s appointment for my annual physical in mid April. I want to make a list of possible reasons for my exhaustion that I need to get checked out.

This is my list so far:
Check iron - I’ve had low iron in the past and have been on daily slow release iron pills for the past 10 years.
Check thyroid - I’ve been hypothyroid for the past 23 years and take daily meds. Maybe they need adjusting.
Sleep study - I had multiple knee surgeries over the past 2 years, and the anesthesiologist mentioned that I’m at risk for sleep apnea.
Heart monitor - I have an irregular heartbeat like my dad does. His eventually turned into A-Fib. I want to get this checked.

Is there any other medical thing I should get checked?

Some backstory - I’m a 56 year old middle school teacher. I know all teachers are tired after the last two years. I’m thinking of quitting and finding another type of job. My 7th and 8th graders are ok but the 6th graders are a handful. Dealing with them wipes me out. Plus with teaching classes you are “on” all day. There is no sitting quietly in your cubicle and getting your work done. I have to do all the grading, lesson planning, and paperwork after working a full day in the classroom. But I want to make sure there is not a physical reason for my exhaustion before I bail on teaching.

My heath is good (although I need to lose some weight), but I’ve had a rough couple of years with surgeries. I had double knee replacement in July 2020 due to bone on bone and terrible arthritis in both knees. It was very difficult; however, I was doing ok until Jan 2021 when I got a mild case of covid. Then in Feb 2021, my surgeon discovered my right knee implant and tibia bone were infected. I missed 6 months of work, had 2 additional surgeries, 3 hospitalizations (one because I had a terrible reaction to the IV antibiotic I was on), 8 weeks with a picc line and IV antibiotics. It was an ordeal. I did the knee replacements so I could move without pain and get my active life back. But now I’m too tired after work to live it!

Have them also check your Vitamin D levels. Low levels will cause fatigue.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

You're checking all the things I thought of. Also consider a fitbit or other tracker and track your sleep. Are you just not sleeping enough?

 

[evilmommie]

Do you have a good sleep routine? After years of working weird hours and having to get by on little sleep, I found that when I changed my work schedule to a “normal” routine my sleep was still off. I took this on back in November and it’s become my mission in life, to get the best sleep I can possibly get.

Here’s what’s worked for me;
Exercise 30-60 mins a day
Set sleep schedule of 8 hours, usually 10am - 6am. I am militant about this now. My hubby has to sleep in the guest room, if lights are out as he’s notorious for coming in and turning on lights, talking and waking me up. I keep the same routine on the weekend and while traveling.
Turn off technology 1-2 hours before bed.
Warm bath with melatonin salts
Calm App is a lifesaver! I love all of the sleep sounds and sleep meditations.

I hope you find a good solution very soon. Sleep hygiene is a game changer for everyone’s health.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Has your A1C been checked recently?

 

[dclpluto]

Probably not enough. I get about 8000 to 10,000 steps a day at work, but by the time I get home, I’m too exhausted to do anything else. I am also still dealing with the aftermath of my last knee replacement surgery 8 months ago. I get a wicked shin splint after too much walking. I am going to get this checked out as well to be sure it isn’t a stress fracture or a recurrence of the infection in my tibia bone.

To get more exercise, I am going to get a Peleton because biking is the best exercise for my new knees. I hope that by now I can get my right leg to go all the way around the pedals. I haven’t been able to do that for the last year and a half because my knee wouldn’t bend enough due to the post surgery swelling, then the implant loosening with the infection, followed by more post surgical swelling. I’ve had some challenges, that’s for sure.

You will love it got mine two and a half weeks ago. Before that I was just a app user for a month and a half.

 

[RamblingMad]

Have you had COVID?

I had it last month, and I'm still exhausted from it. I read that the fatigue can last up to 3 months afterwards. And for some people it can last much longer. I'm finding doing 30 minutes of moderate cardio a day is helping.

If you're taking antacids, I'd get your b-12 checked out. Mine was low when I was taking antacids for GERD. When I got off those meds, it returned to normal levels.

You might have an infection from the knee replacement surgery.

What's your caffeine intake like? When I cut out caffeine, I was exhausted for about two weeks.

Finally, are there any meds that you're taking that would make you fatigued?

Let the doctors sort it out. If they don't, find different doctors.

 

[Cheburashka]

I’m tired. Maybe it’s my job, or maybe I’m just getting old. I don’t know. I’ve scheduled a doctor’s appointment for my annual physical in mid April. I want to make a list of possible reasons for my exhaustion that I need to get checked out.

This is my list so far:
Check iron - I’ve had low iron in the past and have been on daily slow release iron pills for the past 10 years.
Check thyroid - I’ve been hypothyroid for the past 23 years and take daily meds. Maybe they need adjusting.
Sleep study - I had multiple knee surgeries over the past 2 years, and the anesthesiologist mentioned that I’m at risk for sleep apnea.
Heart monitor - I have an irregular heartbeat like my dad does. His eventually turned into A-Fib. I want to get this checked.

Is there any other medical thing I should get checked?

Some backstory - I’m a 56 year old middle school teacher. I know all teachers are tired after the last two years. I’m thinking of quitting and finding another type of job. My 7th and 8th graders are ok but the 6th graders are a handful. Dealing with them wipes me out. Plus with teaching classes you are “on” all day. There is no sitting quietly in your cubicle and getting your work done. I have to do all the grading, lesson planning, and paperwork after working a full day in the classroom. But I want to make sure there is not a physical reason for my exhaustion before I bail on teaching.

My heath is good (although I need to lose some weight), but I’ve had a rough couple of years with surgeries. I had double knee replacement in July 2020 due to bone on bone and terrible arthritis in both knees. It was very difficult; however, I was doing ok until Jan 2021 when I got a mild case of covid. Then in Feb 2021, my surgeon discovered my right knee implant and tibia bone were infected. I missed 6 months of work, had 2 additional surgeries, 3 hospitalizations (one because I had a terrible reaction to the IV antibiotic I was on), 8 weeks with a picc line and IV antibiotics. It was an ordeal. I did the knee replacements so I could move without pain and get my active life back. But now I’m too tired after work to live it!

I was coping with excessive fatigue a few years ago, so had my ferritin (one measure of iron) checked. It was in the normal range (which is very broad), but sub-optimal. My other measures of iron were totally normal (doctors often don't bother testing ferritin, so you'll likely have to ask for it). I talked to a hematologist who arranged for me to get one iron IV infusion, based on my long-term symptoms of lethargy and sub-optimal ferritin. I asked for the IV because iron supplements are hard for me to consistently take due to the severe constipation they cause me.

That infusion ended my fatigue, and I've never had to repeat it, although it was a few years ago. (Tmi backstory, I think the fatigue & sub-optimal iron was caused by extreme runaway periods (heavy bleeding lasting over a month) that was caused by a steroid injection I had received from another doctor. I never quite felt the same after that extreme bleeding, until after I had the iron IV infusion.

I had to be the proactive patient, asking for the ferritin test and IV treatment & explaining my history and symptoms to the doctor. When issues are vague, you have to get in the drivers' seat, or doctors will likely never figure out what's wrong with you, in my experience.

 

[MillauFr]

I was coping with excessive fatigue a few years ago,.

I thought responded to my incessant swill about unions would cause excessive fatigue????