Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fatigue Questions tagged with 'fatigue' at Ask MetaFilter. Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:17:39 -0800 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:17:39 -0800 en-us 60 Book recommendations on how the brain impacts the body I'm interested in learning more about the science of mind-body connections, especially in the mind-impacts-body direction. For example, I'm curious about how mental exertion can lead to physical fatigue, or how an emotion can trigger physical symptoms in the body (such as indigestion from stress). I'm looking for an interesting and accessible book on this topic, if one exists. I've seen, for example, <a href="">this NYT article</a>, which is on topic, but I'm looking for a more in-depth treatment of the relevant mechanisms than "Neurons may run low of fuel, and other processes probably also are involved." However, I don't have an actual neuroscience background, so plowing through research papers on Google Scholar feels like a bit much to satisfy my curiosity (I do have access to a university library if there is a non-specialist review paper I should check out). <br> <br> Ideally, I'd like to read a pop-neuroscience book about this topic, or maybe a relatively engaging textbook, long-form article, or overview paper to learn, on a general level, about the state of the art of scientific knowledge about how mental processes can trigger physical states and sensations. Long-form articles are good too.,2014:site.272049 Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:17:39 -0800 ootandaboot Mono? West Nile? None of the above? I have mono-ish symptoms, but I'm not sure that it's mono. Details inside. A month ago I developed a sore throat with fatigue. It felt like I was getting a cold, but I never developed any of the respiratory symptoms of a cold. I've been moderately to very fatigued since then, with extremely swollen glands. The last few days I've had tingling in my fingers, sore muscles, and moderately bad joint pain. I had a blood test for mono, and it came back negative. In fact my blood work was fine except for a slightly elevated liver enzyme.<br> <br> I still suspect it's mono, given the symptoms I have. But I don't know what to think about the mono test.<br> <br> Thoughts? Thanks!,2014:site.271216 Sat, 08 Nov 2014 01:44:50 -0800 persona au gratin Sleeping with Podcasts For the past couple years I have gone to sleep with podcasts on (usually sports or news podcasts) and find it really difficult to go to sleep without a podcast on. I have tried sound machines and they do not help. No matter how long I sleep, I generally wake up feeling fatigued, and can have brain fog or feel tired and am tired throughout the day. I have never been a particularly great sleeper, but I am at a place that I need to address the fatigue. I am going to go get checked by a sleep doctor in a couple months (switching insurance and travel schedule), but in the meantime I am assessing things I am doing that may cause the fatigue. Does anyone sleep with podcasts on? Could this be an issue? My thought is maybe my brain is semi-engaged because I am listening to the conversation. Total guess, but thought I would reach out and see if anyone else has dealt with this. Thanks!,2014:site.271186 Fri, 07 Nov 2014 10:14:12 -0800 frednorton How to manage high co2 in the home on the cheap. I am coming to mefi for some out of the box ideas for remediating <a href="">excess co2</a> in the home. It's high enough that I believe its causing problems. However, neither my husband and I are working, so can't afford the correct solution. I'm hoping metafilter can help with some out of the box ideas to deal with this cheaply temporarily. Earlier this summer, I <a href="">posted about a surprising co2 reading.</a>. I think it may be the cause of some of my health problems, at least complicating things. I need to fix it before winter in Wisconsin sets in and can't remediate with open windows. <br> <br> The cost of getting a Heat Recovery Exchanger installed is $3500 to $7000, and that is just far beyond what we can afford. As it is, we're teetering on a very bad place financially, and until my husband is working again, that isn't going to change.<br> <br> The readings this summer got north of 2000ppm when the house was closed up. I'm using a withings scale with the co2 sensor, and I strongly suspect it's accurate, but haven't wanted to spend the money to verify with a second meter/reading. However, I've done a few things that have lead me to believe it's accurate. When I take it outside, or within a few hours of opening the windows, it drops to the level of "outside air." (around 350ppm outside, around 400-450 with windows open).<br> <br> I've had numerous health issues, but fatigue has been a big part of it. I'm wondering if high co2 in the home isn't playing a part. I quite literally forgot about it after the above post (I blame excessive co2 levels! (only half joking)) But after having the house closed up for a while and running ac, I opened the windows and felt SO MUCH BETTER. And then I remembered the co2 readings, and sure enough, over the course of the summer, when I had the windows closed and ran ac, the co2 would start building up within a day or two of the home being closed up, and would hover between 1500-2000ppm. Those levels are correlated with fatigue.<br> <br> A Heat Recovery Ventilator is probably in order BUT here is the sticky part. I'm just straight up broke. I'm not working, my husband was let go from his job, some months ago, and we're barely scraping by. I can keep the windows open for right now, but we're creeping up on winter, when the house will have to be closed up for months on end. If the winter is anything like last, cracking the windows won't even be an option (I tried, the window froze open).<br> <br> Last winter I felt worse than I had, well, ever. I have a chronic condition, but felt SO MUCH WORSE. My doctor and I chalked it up to the cold. However, I'm now wondering if having the windows closed from November to April, and the resulting CO2 build up, was part of it.<br> <br> I'm hoping mefi might have some creative ideas for ventilating the house, at least until spring, when hopefully our financial situation improves and it can be addressed properly.<br> <br> We don't know where the co2 is coming from, but I suspect that it is just from the metabolic process of the creatures living in the house. Our house is 2000sq/ft, but we have the two of us, two dogs, 3 cats, and a bird. The confusing part is that the house is drafty. We thought that perhaps one of the combustion appliances was to blame, but as a test, we closed up the house for a few days, rarely ran the hot water heater, and didn't have any heat on, and sure enough, it crept up over the course of two days to about 1100ppm. I'm sure it would have gone higher had we continued to leave it closed. We tried a few things then, like airing the house out, closing it up again, running the hot water to see if that would cause the co2 to go up rapidly, and it doesn't. <br> <br> We do have a co monitor, as it was suggested that the co2 could be part of a combustion or venting problem, but co seems fine. We have a monitor, and we just replaced it at the end of spring. The old one was at the end of it's service life. <br> <br> Some ideas my husband and I have come up with to get the ball rolling<br> - opening the attic crawlspace - the attic is ventilated, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't drive the heat bill up. <br> - Buy a heat recovery ventilator, and just venting it in a window (some of the units can be picked up for $500-$600, which I think we could swing), and later having it done correctly. <br> - Installing a vent in the window to blow air out, relying on a leaky house to pull in fresh air. However, I just learned about what a danger negative pressure in a house can be.<br> <br> We also did discuss plants, but the general consensus seems to be that they don't actually consume that much co2 in a home scenario.<br> <br> So hive mind, how do we survive this winter and have livable fresh air?,2014:site.269398 Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:47:17 -0800 [insert clever name here] I am a zombie in a foreign country. How to cope? YANMD-filter I am a 21yr old student who experiences serious fatigue. On good days I can only describe myself as being like a toddler in how my energy levels are, as I appear to be normal until the early afternoon when my brain starts to cloud over and I need to take a two-hour nap. On bad days, such as today, I struggle to operate a keyboard and mouse because pushing the buttons is too hard. More details below the cut. I take 40mg of fluoxetine for bulimia, although I have periods of low mood and depressive symptoms. Physically I have been in remission from my ED for two years now, although I occasionally binge-eat. I self-harm occasionally. My bloodwork is normal.<br> <br> On bad days, such as today, I struggle to operate a keyboard and mouse because pushing the buttons is too hard. Moving my hand from the keyboard to the mouse is a monumental effort. I can summon my energy for a big push for about ten seconds of normal typing. Sitting up in a chair is difficult. I walk at the speed of an old woman. Walking and talking is not feasible. My girlfriend describes me as being like a zombie. It scares her because I lose all personality and sense of myself. <br> <br> I feel no pain at any time. When I try to explain myself to a doctor she said I had low stamina, and that this is normal. On good days, maybe, but I don’t think my bad days are typical. I have a bad day once a week, with ‘medium’ days maybe three times a week. I would say I have been like this for three years now. I am unsure if I am more self-aware or if it has become harder to deal with since I have started university. <br> <br> Over the summer holidays I worked in a charity shop for three and a half days a week, and I got noticeably worse as the week went on. To say the least, I am concerned as to how this will affect my desire to enter the legal profession.<br> <br> I am currently on an exchange program in Belgium and will not return to the UK until mid-december.<br> 1) How can I manage myself in such a way as to continue to work academically?<br> 2) Failing this, how can I avoid frustration, isolation and the ever fun cycle of depression and self-harm?<br> 3) My doctor says this is normal, is it?,2014:site.269397 Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:34:12 -0800 Anonymous I Can Haz Energy? Please supply me with your over-the-counter/prescription med or lifestyle hacks for dealing with seasonal allergies that are accompanied by bone-crushing fatigue. I was doing immunology shots for a bit, which helped some with congestion but didn't do much for my energy levels (and were tedious). I still doing a 2x daily spray of nasal spray and generic Zyrtec but nothing is helping. I can't work out. I can barely walk from my car to the office. Headed to the doc on Thursday and would appreciate suggestions. Thanks.,2014:site.268918 Tue, 23 Sep 2014 08:39:49 -0800 nubianinthedesert Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Depression? Something else? I'm a 31 year old male who is in "picture perfect health" according to the 10+ doctors I've seen in the past 10 months while trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Looking for someone who has had or known someone with CFS, Depression or similar symptoms to possibly provide some insight. Symptoms<br> <br> 1. Malaise - Started in October of 2013. Varied in intensity day to day. Strongest at night but lasts all day. Generally a feeling of “I'm about to get sick”. That first day of a cold or flu feeling. Almost a toxic feeling running through my body, slight sore throat, general malaise feeling. Muscle ache (mainly in limbs), slight headache. <br> <br> 2. Fatigue - Started in December of 2013. Generally is less intense on days when malaise feeling is stronger and vice versa. The fatigued has varied in intensity from total body shut down (rare) to a fatigued/low energy feeling/want to sleep feeling (common). Muscles and whole body feel tired. Little motivation to work.<br> <br> 3. Depression - This started in late December for the first time and is the first I have ever experienced in my life. Have an episode about once per week now and is usually triggered by hopeless thoughts regarding my undiagonsed illness. <br> <br> 4. Lactose Intolerance - Started about the same time as the malaise (October 2013).<br> <br> 5. Weight loss - about 15 pounds since October 2013 (from 160 to 145). Maybe due to paleo diet/anti candida diet though?<br> <br> <br> Doctors seen:<br> <br> *2 PCPs - All standard blood tests done. Completely normal. HIV negative.<br> *2 IDs - Lyme and Mono tested. Negative for both.<br> *Gastroenterologist - CT Scan normal, Endoscopy found minor GERD but everything else normal, Colonoscopy found benign polyps but everything else normal<br> *Psychologist - Said I was probably depressed but said depression wouldn't explain malaise?<br> *Allergist - Standard testing done. All normal.<br> *3 Endocrinologists - Hormone levels and other endocrine/thyroid tests normal<br> *Orthopaedic Surgeon - Said metal plate implant in arm was not cause of symptoms<br> *Acupuncturist - Month of treatment. Claimed adrenal fatigue.<br> *Homeopathic - Put on paleo/gluten free diet for several weeks. Symptoms still present.<br> *Chronic Illness Specialist - Put on anti-candida diet and anti yeast medication. Slight improvement but minor.<br> <br> At this point I was wondering if I possibly had CFS? I really don't fit the criteria TOO well and can still work out at the gym most days and feel a little better after (and the next day or two there are no side effects). It is a struggle b/c I don't feel great, but I able to do it. With the lack of a real cure, I'm hoping this is not what has been troubling me.<br> <br> If not CFS, could this ALL be caused by depression? I know fatigue and depression can be a chicken or the egg scenario, but what about the malaise feeling? I feel as if my depression is mild and am generally pretty happy with my life, but I guess sometimes depression is not something that can be controlled? <br> <br> Any other thoughts? Doctors I should see? Some sort of specialist I have not scene? Or test I have not done?<br> <br> Note: I posted a similar question a few months ago, but have new information and wanted to specifically ask about CFS and depression in hopes someone may have experience similar symptoms. Thanks for any insight you may have. I'm lost at this point.,2014:site.266832 Thu, 14 Aug 2014 16:36:49 -0800 kvoorhees High CO2 Indoors, what's next? I got a new withing's scale, after the old one died when our dear deceased kitty peed on it as a final goodbye. The new one has a an air quality detector built in that reads carbon dioxide. I often suspected there was excess CO2 in the house, because I have aquariums and the ph is depressed when the house is closed up for long. But the new scale confirmed it by showing a surprisingly high reading. What do I do next? To start out, I don't know how accurate the scales co2 reading is, but I tested it in a variety of circumstances, including outdoors, and windows open vs the house closed up. The very highest was just shy of 2000ppm, with the house being closed up for about a week and ac running. When we took it outside and when we had the windows open and fan running, it's hovering around 450ppm. <br> <br> I'm not sure what to make of those readings because the outside numbers are higher than what is considered "normal" for outside, and we're in the burbs without a lot of co2 sources. Houses and cars, but I can't imagine they're emitting that much. But an acquaintance of mine who uses co2 in his lab said the 2000 ppm is really bad. The internet is all over the place on whether or not this level is bad, some sources saying anything over 1000 is bad, some saying it can be much higher without being a problem. <a href="">This thread</a> discusses the topic of what is safe.<br> <br> More to the point, if the issue is high co2 when the house is closed up, we're airing the house out at least every few days in the summer when it's cool at night. I suspect it gets much higher in the winter when the house is closed up for months on end.<br> <br> High co2 in the house kind of makes a lot of sense, in that I've been dealing with issues of fatigue and headaches, and other bleh feelings. In fact, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome a few years back, but mid spring, I felt better for a bit (windows were open, mild weather) and then crappy again (windows closed, AC on). My husbands been feeling kind of crappy too lately, attributing his lethargy to being bummed about losing his job. But he's also been having a lot of headaches in the past couple years, also pointing to the possibility of an issue with excessive co2<br> <br> So I'm really not sure what to do next. The same acquaintance suggested if co2 is high, carbon monoxide could also be building up. I have a co alarm, but this <a href="">thread suggested</a> that they aren't always as good as they should be. <br> <br> This winter was horrible for me, and while I can't believe it could be entirely due to co2, I could see how it could be playing a big factor. This past winter was especially bad, it started early, remained really cold, and ended late, meaning the house was really closed up over a long period of time.<br> <br> With this in mind, the first step seems to be "figure out if the readings are accurate." I'm not sure how to do that. I do see co2 meters on Amazon. Should I be buying one of those? Or should I be hiring someone to come out and take readings? If so, what is the type of person to do this? And who/how do we chase down detecting CO if that is part of the problem?<br> <br> Next is where the heck is it coming from? Our house isn't particularly air tight, if anything it's drafty (which is especially noticeable in the winter). I had a few guesses:<br> <br> 1) there are just that many bodies in the house. It's just my husband and me, but we have 2 dogs, 3 cats, a bird, a tortoise, and fish tanks (the algae may respire co2 at night...). <br> <br> 2) Hot water heater or furnace. The furnace is off this time of year, but the hot water heater is still used. The hot water heater was installed about 5-6 years ago. It's a tankless heater, replacing one with a tank and they had to put a new exhaust in. The furnace is about 4 years old, and they had to put a new exhaust in that as well. The caveat to this is that I have struggled to maintain a high ph in the aquariums for as long as I can recall, and that's a classic sign of high co2 levels in a home.<br> <br> 3) The fish tanks. This was my husbands suggestion. Though I think they're affected by it, not causing it. I ran an experiment and closed off the fish room while the rest of the house was opened up, and there was no significance in reading between it and the rest of the house.<br> <br> 4) Seepage from underground. The interwebs says this can happen. Our house is a bilevel, with the downstairs being half underground.<br> <br> 5) Negative pressure inside the house drawing exhaust from the water heater (or/and furnace in the winter).<br> <br> I'm not even sure how to approach this issue. One confounding factor is that we're broke, and while I suspect this is a serious issue (thought I'm not ACTUALLY sure), every penny has to count. And then the question is, what can I do about it. Even if we forgo a/c all summer (uncomfortable but I'm sure we'd survive). In the winter that isn't much of an option. Or would a cracked window help the issue without making the heating and cooling bills go crazy?<br> <br> I could really use suggestions on the best way to approach this issue, because I don't have an inkling of where to start.,2014:site.265686 Thu, 24 Jul 2014 16:14:43 -0800 [insert clever name here] Is systemic bacterial overgrowth a thing? In the past I was diagnosed with bacterial overgrowth of the gut and was treated with pretty intense antibiotics, but the symptoms came back. I was subsequently diagnosed with IBS. I've also suffered from recurrent yeast infections. I ALSO suffer from chronic joint pain (with arthritis in my hands, feet, and ankles) and fatigue. I've started taking a low dose of immunosuppresants (on top of plaquenil), but I'm worried that if I do have bacterial overgrowth, my immune system may be less able to defend against it because my gut symptoms have gotten worse. Ah! All of my diagnoses and treatments were from regular GI doctors and rheumatologists. No woo here, but I don't know how woo systemic overgrowth is. I've heard of the "candida diet" but same thing there. <br> <br> A subsequent question: could systemic bacterial overgrowth cause any of my fatigue and joint pain? I also experience the "brain fog" and headaches that the <a href="">candida diet website</a> mentions. <br> <br> Lay the truth on me! Thanks!,2014:site.264887 Wed, 09 Jul 2014 11:15:30 -0800 Anonymous Allergic reaction to metal (esp titanium) surgically inserted plate? I have a titanium plate that was used to fix a radial fracture about a year and a half ago. I've been experiencing symptoms that include episodes of extreme fatigue, as well as sore throat and general sick feeling for the past 6 months or so. Before that I would experience this sick feeling minimally starting shortly after the plate was surgically implanted in my arm. The plate is now useless and can be removed, I was wondering if anyone had ever experienced a similar reaction? All my other blood/urine test show that I should be in perfect health. Thanks for any help! Desperately trying to get to the bottom of this mystery!,2014:site.262662 Wed, 28 May 2014 15:13:49 -0800 kvoorhees Anyone else experience similar chronic illness symptoms? Note: I am the patient. Describing the symptoms is pretty difficult task but I will try to do my best. The patient has not felt normal since sometime in October of 2013. The best way to describe it is a feeling as if patient is about to get sick. That feeling as if a sickness is coming on but never really comes on. This feeling is often strongest at night and continues throughout the day and will be gone by night. This toxic/sick feeling that radiates throughout the body seems to come and go at times. For example some days it will be present for a few minutes and then seem to disappear for five to ten minutes until returning again for a few minutes. The sick feeling is usually about 2/10 or 3/10 in intensity. Aside from this toxic feeling, there are a few other recurring symptoms. The first is a pretty consistent sore throat. It is probably about a 2/10 in terms of intensity usually, so relatively minor, but nonetheless is present. The most troubling and possibly most present symptom is fatigue. The fatigue usually starts in the morning where even 8 hours of sleep is now not refreshing as it once was. The fatigue is generally fairly minor (maybe about 2/10) but the patient has had a episode every couple weeks of extreme fatigue. This fatigue comes on strongly and has forced the patient to bed in the middle of the day despite a full nights rest the night before. The intensity during these episodes is a 9/10. The episodes usually last 2-3 days before the fatigue drops back to it's usual levels of 2/10. They do not seem to be triggered by anything. The patient continues to work out when the fatigue isn't too strong and also run several miles. After exercise, the patient generally feels a little more energized, as opposed to less and also notices no increase in fatigue the day following a work out. The final symptoms are a sneeze and cough here and there, but they are not too common, but present much more than they were before this disease started. There is no fever present.<br> <br> The patient has met with several primary care physicians, several ID doctors, a GI, and two endocrinologists. All doctors are stumped as all tests come back completely normal (including HIV, lyme, thyroid, mono, etc). The patient has seen a psychologist who has ruled out psychosomatic causes of all symptoms aside from the fatigue possibly.,2014:site.262208 Tue, 20 May 2014 13:19:06 -0800 kvoorhees I've forgotten how to work. I'm a dissertating graduate student who, due to a whole host of factors over the course of a few years, has basically forgotten how to work. I spend days upon days at home, sometimes doing things and sometimes just hanging out, but the things I do are rarely dissertation-related (or they could be broadly work related, but aren't note-taking or actually writing the thing). As a result I have no dissertation progress to speak of, very limited levels of committee support remaining, and a bleak outlook. I used to be a real go-getter. Please help me get my head and ass wired together. Since I'm posting this anonymously (just because I don't want this linked to my profile - I'm concerned about posting anything relating to professional problems on the internet), I'll try to give as many details as possible in the hopes that I don't need to follow up. It is entirely possible that you could just skip this entire extended explanation, though, and give me a whack upside the head instead based on my above-the-fold question.<br> <br> I'm a single female, living alone in an urban area in the United States. I'm years into my social science dissertation and have just run out of funding. Before I started dissertating I had earned a BA and MA in my field and completed three years of very successful coursework, fieldwork, and exams in my program. My department was pleased with me. I, too, was pleased with me. I proposed a dissertation on a topic that really interested me but was a risk - it requires me to bring a new perspective to a very old and dusty topic with entrenched scholars who don't react kindly to outsiders. No one on my faculty is a part of this subfield, nor did I have any direct connections to people within this subfield when I started. My vision was that my committee would help me figure out introductions, guide me in learning how to make useful connections, and generally mentor me as a fledgling scholar. Instead, I got no guidance at all - my supervisor and I didn't even meet about my work for two years. I admit this was not in my own best interest and I should have been more circumspect and assertive at the time, but I was freaking out about this huge project I'd taken on and that I had no clue how to approach, so I avoided dealing with it. In the past year any meeting I've had with my supervisor has been... less than helpful. Her suggestions often aren't very useful, she has limited knowledge of my subject area so she can't help me with specific issues, and she thinks now that because I've been unproductive for so long, the only avenue for her is to be hard on me - the opposite of what I need, but that's not been a fact I've been able to convince her of. I have considered switching supervisor but I don't believe I have another option that would be assuredly positive enough to allow for the politics involved in this kind of change. My other committee members are distant and I don't really understand what I can and cannot use them for, as I've never had the opportunity to learn the politics of a dissertation committee. My second reader, who I've always had a very good relationship with, all of a sudden expressed extreme distress at my lack of progress in a way that makes me think I can no longer go to him. So I feel I am still completely on my own. All in all, though, I feel I should be able to handle this - I am far from the first, last, or only grad student to not have their ideal supervisor, and I'm capable of figuring out most of what I need to as I dissertate, if I could just *do* that and dissertate.<br> <br> Compounding all of this is that I am dealing with a chronic health condition that predates my dissertation. I am tired all of the time, and I generally cannot focus on the level of detail and analysis that dissertation work requires. I've been to a series of doctors who have come to no conclusions. One specialist wants me to go to a sleep clinic to evaluate if my brain waves do/don't do something during sleep that prevents me from fully recharging, but I don't have much hope that this is the answer when everything else has lead to naught. This same doctor put me on a two-month course of an SSRI earlier this year. I felt a little bit different but overall not much - I felt a little weird (kind of buzzy?) and a bit more productive &amp; proactive, which I attribute to the extra serotonin, but I still didn't have any more energy. If I had to describe it, if my problem is a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10, the SSRI made the problem a 6. While I will cop to feeling depressed, it is because I feel like I've lost control of my life, which is something that postdates the constant fatigue and is a direct result of it, not the other way around. When the fatigue first hit things were great, I felt positive and happy, and I was working hard but not too hard - then one day I felt like I needed a nap all day long and that's been my baseline ever since, regardless of diet, environment, life circumstances, and medication status. I suddenly had 30% of my old energy, and in the succeeding 4 years, everything in my life has suffered because of it.<br> <br> Even if I am only at 30%, though, I can still do 30% of work, which right now would be an increase from about zero, but with all of the crap that's gone on in the past few years and the fact that my dissertation has never really properly started, I am stuck in ennui and am not sure what to do. When I have a deadline I put off work until it is the very, very, very last minute and then I work to completion, but not efficiently and with a LOT of internal whinging. I think the past few years of not working have basically spoiled me - I'm now used to just hanging out, so of course doing hard work sucks. I cannot tell if I just need motivation or a clear, step-by-step plan to get into the habit of working again, or what, but I am really stuck and hope MeFi can help me figure this out.<br> <br> I should add that I don't have a great workspace. I no longer feel I can go to my department cubicle without feeling extreme shame. Home is wonderful but full of distractions. There is a nearby library I may start going to, but so far I haven't gotten off my ass to go there.<br> <br> For what it is worth, I know a lot of my current situation has to do with feeling bad about my life, and I am dealing with that directly. I do a lot of journaling and meditating to assess what is going on in my head and heart, so please know that is an ongoing, and very positive process. I am also reading things along the lines of, lifehacker, and <a href="">Die Empty.</a> Please know my diet is clean, but also that no dietary change has ever lead to any difference in feeling, so please no attributions to gluten, vel. sim. I've also moved twice and lived in different countries since this happened, so it's not mold, allergies, etc etc. There is no indication I have any sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. My doctors and I have ruled out several different types of cancer. Etc etc etc. At this stage I think I am past trying to figure out the physical problem and need to just deal with managing it, but how to do this isn't clear to me.<br> <br> In sum, please help me figure out how to pull myself back up by my bootstraps. I have to support myself and instead I'm watching my entire career crumble. I do, in fact, love what I do, but I've lost the plot and need to find it again, ASAP.,2014:site.261536 Wed, 07 May 2014 15:27:47 -0800 Anonymous Diagnosing fatigue (snowflake details inside) I know YANMD and I am seeing mine on May 5th, but until then, I was hoping someone would have some insight/experience/advice for what is possibly going on with me. What could be causing daytime sleepiness after eating any amount of carbs? Apologies for wall of text Background information: I am 28 and have PCOS but because I am on the thinner side (5"1; ~114lbs) I've been told that I'm not insulin resistant. I have a 2 year old who pretty much sleeps through the night but occasionally cries d/t a nightmare/hunger, etc. I have been getting daily headaches for about 3 weeks at a time since last August. It's hard to recall but it seems like it was around then that I also started experiencing daytime sleepiness. Usually this meant that for a few days at a time I would fall asleep 1-3 hours after eating lunch and then I'd break that cycle by going low carb or drinking a lot of caffeine.<br> <br> Within the past three months, I've noticed my headaches and my fatigue have gotten worse. Meaning, they've started to occur more frequently and I am becoming more sensitive to triggers. I haven't been able to figure out the trigger for my headaches but usually, my sleepiness disappears if I eat low carb. In February and March I was on a daily "diet" of skipping breakfast, no carbs for lunch with a mandatory caffeinated drink. That was keeping me awake enough to get through work. This month though, nothing is cutting it. I had an egg and an apple for breakfast one day and fell asleep an hour later. So now fruit is only sparingly ingested. <br> <br> My doctor can't see me until the 5th but her nurse ordered some blood work. I got the call today that everything is fine. My insulin levels were on the lower side of normal but everything else was perfect. It was simultaneously a relief and confusing. I thought for sure I was developing insulin resistance because of some other symptoms I'm experiencing (10 pound weight gain all around my middle whereas prev it would be more distributed, more thirst, waking up in the night to pee, bloated distended stomach even in the mornings, constant hunger). <br> <br> Google suggests it might be sleep apnea but my husband says I never snore or do anything other than sleep soundly. And my fatigue only happens after eating carbs. I've been begrudgingly eating low-carb for the past week but I really really really don't want to do this the rest of my life. Plus, I mean, fruit? That just feels too extreme to cut out. <br> <br> One last thing. I saw my internist a few months ago for the headaches who told me I was experiencing chronic migraines even though they are much more mild than regular migraines. <br> <br> Any thoughts would be appreciated,2014:site.260551 Fri, 18 Apr 2014 19:19:06 -0800 kei02003 I'm on warm milk and laxatives. Cherry-flavored antacids. I've had health issues my entire life. I'm approaching my mid twenties and it's time to accept the fact that I'll likely never be 100% healthy. How do I do this? Note: It will be awhile before I can see my therapist; I'm catching up on my payments.<br> <br> I have exhaustion/insomnia/nausea issues that make it difficult to live a "normal" day to day life. I tend to descend into a state of exhaustion/weakness that gradually decreases my functioning until I do almost nothing except sleep. <br> <br> Nausea/stomach pain is a daily thing for me; I'm pain free so infrequently that when it's not hurting I get anxious about when it's going to start again.<br> <br> I've been to numerous doctors who can't figure out the nausea thing - antacids and other forms of self-medication are my best friends. The exhaustion situation appears more hopeful, and I'm working on consistency with addressing that.<br> <br> I want to get my shit together in 2014. I can't cope with the fact that this probably means accepting that I'll never have a "normal" life, and may not be able to have a "normal" job either, depending on how this attempt at managing it works. I honestly cried while typing this; I don't want being a sickly person to be my reality.<br> <br> When I wake up in the morning and need to take 8 vitamins, which hurt my stomach (or take them with food, which will also hurt my stomach) for a <em>chance</em> at having energy, and am able to bond with my 70 year old Step Dad and 81 year old Grandmother over which antacids are best, I feel like an elderly person instead of a 23 year old woman. Then at night I become a zombie who's too tired to function but can't sleep. <br> <br> Let's not mention the process of figuring out which meds work, which doses, and what side effects are caused by what meds and is my mood swing today because of this med or this med's interaction with this other med or withdrawing from that med or do I genuinely have a reason to feel this way or...<br> <br> Well, you have the picture.<br> <br> I want to accept that this is my reality, and be able to love my body, myself and my life anyway.,2014:site.258510 Tue, 11 Mar 2014 05:50:37 -0800 Autumn Making lifestyle changes when too anxious and exhausted? I've been struggling with fatigue and anxiety, and I've been trying to make lifestyle changes to help. But it seems like the fatigue and anxiety are causing the exact vices I'm trying to break. How to get out of this cycle? I'm trying to make the basic recommended lifestyle changes like: better sleep, healthy diet, more exercise, meditate, cut back on caffeine, etc. But I feel so drained when I get home from work, like I've already asked everything from myself that I can give. Then I eat junk food, watch tv, read the internet, and other soothing activities until I'm up too late. I oversleep, wake up exhausted, and drag myself through the day, drink too much coffee, too tired and discouraged to exercise and all the rest. I'll make changes for a few days but it never lasts. <br> <br> Lifestyle changes are really hard. How do I make them when I'm so tired and anxious? I've been like this on and off for a really long time, and especially appreciate answers from people who have been this way and managed to change.,2014:site.257896 Fri, 28 Feb 2014 02:39:03 -0800 Gravel What type of alternative medicine should I try? I am exhausted, a bit depressed/anxious, and in general just feel completely drained. I know the root cause (12 month old baby who wakes up a couple times a night to nurse) but can't night wean right now due to his health issues. I'm interested in trying out alternative medicine to see if it can help me deal with the fatigue and depression, but I'm not sure what to pursue: acupuncture, massage (what kind?), or other? To complicate things I have a wealth of local options: an alternative medicine college where I can get reduced-cost treatments by interns, several sliding-scale fee acupuncture co-ops, traditional Chinese medicine clinics, lots of full-price practitioners, and a couple alternative medicine practitioners in my clinic system ($0 copay) but with insane waiting lists. How do I choose?<br> <br> [I've been checked by my regular clinic recently and my labs came back normal (thyroid, vitamin D, etc.), and saw a wonderful therapist for post-partum depression this past summer but am feeling way better emotionally than I was then and don't have anything new to talk to her about. I'd love to exercise more but only have limited time on weekends, and I have to save my break time at work to pump. I also read "The Mood Cure" this weekend and am skeptical but sort of curious about supplements but ultimately probably won't take anything because I'm breastfeeding a kid with health issues.],2014:site.255209 Sun, 12 Jan 2014 21:02:20 -0800 Maarika I'd do all the right things if I only had the energy for it! <a href="">This</a> was me last year. Nothings's changed. Fast forward a year. I had an absolutely challenge-free hysterectomy (fully recovered in four weeks).<br> <br> -- My thyroid has been fully checked. Every test available. Reuptake scan, fine-needle biopsy (or something.) It's fine. <br> <br> -- Recently switched from Pristiq to Effexor because the Pristiq seemed to have stopped working. I blamed the renewed depression on the change of seasons but honestly, the Pristiq never wowed me. I never got the extra energy push that I had gotten from SSRIs (which, too, also stopped working.) Also switched blood pressure med from HCTZ to spironolactone for the anti-hirsutism/acne boost.<br> <br> -- I eat OK. I love my carbs. Not sweets but I could cuddle with a loaf of bread and be happy. I try to watch the food. I will work out in spurts and then the depression hits and boom, no workouts. I do cook for myself, my guy and his very picky daughter. I limit caffeine because I'm extremely sensitive to it.<br> <br> Why do you need to know all of this? Because I CANNOT shake this fatigue. I can't get motivation to do much of anything. Vitamin D levels? Check? I know some of the fatigue might be residual depression. I have a desk job. I like it pretty OK most days. It pays me well and my health insurance is awesome enough that I can see any specialist I need.<br> <br> I'd just like to have some actual energy and motivation. I am so incredibly, incredibly frustrated with this. I'm frustrated with all the medication (Four, including the ocassional Klonopin to get to sleep.) <br> <br> I'm frustrated with not knowing where to start to get myself to more optimum health. I have carried around an extra 20 pounds or so most of my adult life (save for my time living in Miami where I regularly worked out pretty hard).<br> <br> Where do I begin? Paleo seems so daunting for a person working full-time. I tried Weight Watchers for the weight loss (successful then tired of counting). I've tried meditation. Nothing seems to stick. I will take any ideas. I don't want this to continue. I don't mind taking it one step at a time so if anyone has a Step 1, Step 2 thing, I'll take it. Thank you.,2013:site.253061 Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:22:10 -0800 nubianinthedesert Why am I so tired? For the last several weeks, I've been very tired and prone to napping during the day. This doesn't seem to affect my ability to fall asleep at night. Before you suggest sleep apnea: yep, I have it. I use my CPAP as directed - I breathe so much better with it on that it's no hassle for me to use it (even during my frequent naps). More details below: I used to nap a lot before I got my CPAP, so I made sure it's working correctly. I went to see the respiratory therapists at my medical supply company maybe 3 weeks ago. They looked over the data recorded by my machine and it looks like everything is good. My corrected AHI is where they want it to be, leakage is minimal, etc. <br> <br> That seemed to be the most likely cause, so I've been trying to go through a process of elimination to try to identify other causes:<br> <br> - Allergies? I do suffer from seasonal allergies. However, I do take 25mg hydroxyzine every night for another chronic health issue. I also use Flonase, usually before bed, though I have been less consistent in using it when compared to my oral medications (which I rarely forget). <br> <br> - No change in eating or drinking habits recently. (I don't drink - thought that might be worth mentioning since I know alcohol can affect the quality of one's sleep.) <br> <br> - I'm overweight, but haven't gained or lost a significant amount of weight in a few years. <br> <br> - Depressed? Yes, but that's nothing new. (I'm also in therapy &amp; taking an anti-depressant...have been doing both for some time.) <br> <br> - Vitamin D deficiency? A possible contender. I was somewhat low (24 ng/mL, I think) when tested in May of this year. At the time, I was taking 2000 IU of vitamin D3 daily; since then, I started taking 4000 IU daily. Could I be feeling more tired lately because of the seasonal changes? <br> <br> - Iron deficiency? I don't think I've had my blood iron levels tested recently. However, when I was giving blood regularly, several years ago, I was sometimes turned away for low hemoglobin. <br> <br> - I think it's probably NOT a magnesium deficiency; I take 500mg daily (mostly for good measure - I have high blood pressure &amp; diabetes, and though I'm on prescription medication for both, I figured magnesium would be a good thing to add to my arsenal). <br> <br> As it happens, I do have a doctor's appointment on Friday. I am planning to call her office on Monday to make sure she's submitted the requisition for the blood work. I assume she'll be retesting my vitamin D levels, and I know she'll want a standard metabolic panel to check on my diabetes. <br> <br> Do any of my theories sound more reasonable than others? Am I missing anything? Should I ask for any additional blood work?,2013:site.252072 Sat, 16 Nov 2013 20:02:33 -0800 rikhei Brain not working. Who should I take it to? Fatigue, low mood, and cognitive sluggishness, none of which is new but which has been more acute than usual the last few weeks. YANMD, but what kind of professional should I see and what tests should I get? Everything I'm describing below is stuff I've had on and off for most of my life, but in the last month or so it's been worse than usual. I have a dissertation to finish, piles of grading to do on a regular basis, and a job to find, so this really isn't helping. I'm just going to list symptoms, but note that these fluctuate a lot: e.g. some days I'm totally out of it in the morning but get energized and alert for no apparent reason in the afternoon, some days it's exactly the other way around, etc. I'm a male in my mid-thirties.<br> <br> Fatigue, brain fog, and "sluggish cognitive tempo" (thanks Wikipedia): I have been getting this on an almost daily basis recently. Thoughts come slowly, complex ideas are hard to grasp and my brain feels like it's trying to bike uphill at high gear: lots of effort and little result. When it's at its worst I have trouble thinking of words and even seem to lose some fine motor control so that I speak less clearly than usual. (I'm describing the extreme here; there are other times when I feel sharp and at the top of my mental game.) This comes with a general feeling of both physical and mental tiredness.<br> <br> I'm not sleep deprived, in fact the opposite: I sleep 9-10 hours a night, because less than that doesn't feel like enough. But my sleep isn't very deep -- I wake up several times each night and am usually still sleepy in the morning.<br> <br> Low mood: I was diagnosed with dysthymia some years ago, and though it got a bit better with therapy, it seems to be making a comeback. I feel generally glum, anhedonic and uninterested in things. I'm considering going on meds for depression, but want to try other avenues first. If I have some specific biochemical imbalance I want to know what it is first and whether it might be easily treatable in some other way. <br> <br> My digestion seems to be off as well: I usually feel full and often a bit bloated even when I haven't eaten recently, so that I'm rarely really hungry. Still, I eat a healthy, mostly vegetarian diet. I don't eat junk food, and most days I don't consume caffeine, wheat or dairy products. I take fish oil and a multivitamin regularly. I get a moderate amount of exercise (strenuous yoga 2-3 times a week plus some biking and walking), though I do spend a whole lot of time sitting in front of a monitor, so maybe this isn't enough.<br> <br> I've never been tested for ADD, but I do have a supply of Ritalin (acquired legally in a country where any MD can prescribe it) and have been experimenting with dosages. For a while it seemed like 2.5-5mg a day was fending off most of these symptoms; then that stopped working reliably, and I tried 10mg but this made me hyper and jittery, and if anything even more fogged-out (though in a strangely wired way). I also tried Piracetam for a week or two, but it made the fatigue much worse so I stopped.<br> <br> Two years ago I did a general metabolic panel plus thyroid and testosterone tests. Everything came back normal, though my protein level was at the very low end of the range. It's possible that things have changed since, of course.<br> <br> So how can I find out what's going on with my body/brain chemistry? Who should I go to and what tests should I get? More blood tests, and if so what specific ones (e.g. vitamin D?)? A psychiatrist for depression meds or for an ADD evaluation? A dietician of some kind? An endocrinologist? A sleep study? I'm going to schedule an appointment with my primary care physician this week, but I want to have some ideas of what to ask for.,2013:site.251297 Sun, 03 Nov 2013 14:50:43 -0800 zeri Constantly tired: like depression without the hopelessness. What gives? I'm constantly tired to the point of not being able to get out of bed until early afternoon, napping frequently and generally feeling lethargic, apathetic and kind of nauseous. I finished a contract job 5 weeks ago &amp; assumed my tiredness was a result of wrapping up the project. Then I went on a very chilled 3 week holiday and put the exhaustion on return down to jet lag. I've seen my doctor and my bloodwork is fine. My diet is decent, minimal alcohol, one coffee a day, so I'm fairly sure this is a psychological thing. I take an SSRI for anxiety but was actually talking to my doctor about tapering off as I've been really well for the past year. Physically, it feels like the bout of depression I had four years ago, but my mood isn't low (more flat) and I don't feel hopeless, just like everything's a massive effort, even helpful things like exercise and socialising. Obviously, YANMD, but has anyone else been there? What can I do to shake this?,2013:site.250956 Mon, 28 Oct 2013 01:37:06 -0800 rockpaperdynamite How does testosterone increase energy? Testosterone helps my fatigue, but I have difficulty with the side effects. Explain to me the mechanism by which testosterone increases energy levels so that I can think sensibly about options and understand what this tells me about the cause of my problem. I've struggled with fatigue for most of my life. About two years ago (age 39), while taking Rieshi mushrooms, I began to feel even more tired than usual. My brain was foggy. Blood tests showed that I was low on vitamin D, folate, and testosterone. The first two have been corrected with supplements. The third was corrected with Androgel (testosterone gel applied to the shoulders). It helped my fatigue quite a bit and oh the joy it brought my naughty bits, but after a few weeks, my tension/dystonia headaches increased dramatically in frequency and intensity, so I stopped taking it. My fatigue returned. I've tried lowering the dose, but I haven't yet found a good balance.<br> <br> I've experienced some benefits from the ubiquinol variety of CoEnzyme Q10, but I'm still nowhere near my baseline.<br> <br> I have a number of other health issues as well; In addition to the cervical dystonia and tension headaches, there's high ferritin, depression, anxiety, restlessness, involuntary movements, some kind of carbohydrate intolerance or blood sugar problem, and fatty liver disease. Many doctors have ruled out many disorders. A mefite recently suggested that I might have a mitochondrial disease. I’m still looking into this possibility.<br> <br> Because of my health history and lack of diagnoses, I've had to do a lot of legwork for myself, so I'm used to knowing a fair amount about what I'm taking and how it works. Except that I've hit a bit of an information wall when it comes to testosterone. All the sources agree that it increases energy levels. Forty five year old guy feels tired and run down; his doc gives him some Androgel and next thing you know, he feels like he's thirty again. But how does the testosterone accomplish this? The internets tell me that it increases protein synthesis, resulting in increased muscle mass. Great. But the synthesis itself probably consumes energy and the more muscle you have, the more energy you're going to need to power it. If that's all the testosterone does, then you should see a net *decrease* in energy. Unless the protein synthesis somehow leads to increased production of ATP or something like that. But I can't find any sources which state clearly that this is the case. The internet is clogged with simple minded articles and adverts about testosterone; they're of no help. Pubmed has yet to yield anything that really seems to answer my question. I asked my doctor but he didn't give a helpful response.<br> <br> So how does testosterone increase my energy levels? Does it affect the mitochondria somehow? If so, how? Is insulin somehow involved in this process? Is protein synthesis the key or is something else going on? Is this simply a change in mood and nothing else? If so, does that mean that testosterone is affecting the levels of one or more neurotransmitters?<br> <br> Please tell me what you can. If you can provide me with links to material on this subject, that would be a big plus. <br> <br> My goal here is to find out whether there might be other ways to combat fatigue without relying entirely on the testosterone. If that's not possible, I'd at least feel better knowing what the heck is going on when I take it. If the testosterone is a complete and total dead end, I can accept that, but I need to answer this question before deciding what to try next.,2013:site.250453 Fri, 18 Oct 2013 14:01:51 -0800 Clay201 Feeling exhausted? I'm curious if anyone else has a specific place in their body where they feel tired. If I'm quite underslept, I have what I believe are standard feelings of leaden limbs and blurry, burning eyes, but I also have a specifically localized feeling that's hard to describe, in the back of my throat, in the pharynx. It just feels thick and very, very tired back there. I'm not sure why I feel exhaustion in this manner--can anyone speculate or enlighten me?,2013:site.247749 Mon, 02 Sep 2013 13:08:26 -0800 DrMew Am I overthinking these lab results? I've been seeing an internal med doc for the past year and a half to figure out what's going on with me, and my blood work seems to indicate some kind of inflammation/autoimmune issues. My doc doesn't seem to be concerned, but I have the feeling he may not be looking at everything in totality. Should I just go ahead and see a specialist? More details inside. I have constant fatigue. I'm 80 pounds overweight, and it's all concentrated in my abdominal area. Losing weight is an impossible proposition -- cutting back to 1,200-1,500 quality calories a day and regular exercise doesn't budge the scale. I also have irregular periods, which swing from being on a normal cycle for a few months to going several months with no period at all. I'm currently taking levothyroxine, sertraline, singulair, vitamin D and necon (birth control). <br> As far as my labs are concerned, my a1c is 5, my fasting glucose is 86, my TSH is 1.5, my free T3 is 2.4 (on the very low end, but since it's still inside the normal range, the doc won't adjust my meds). My cholesterol is also high. What worries me is that my HS-CRP was 21.40 in January. When he tested it again in June, it went down to 8.90, but it's still very high. My sed rate was 39 in January and 29 in August. <br> I had a bad case of poison ivy in June, which a 12-day round of prednisone eventually cleared up. In early August, I suddenly developed a rash that started on my chest in an upside down U shape on my cleavage and under my right eye. Two days later, my eye was almost swollen shut and the rash had spread down my cheek. I thought it was poison ivy again and went in for more steroids. The doc was concerned because I hadn't been around poison ivy this time and it was presenting in an unusual way. He ordered more blood work, including an anti-nuclear antibody test. It came back positive , 1:640 and finely speckled. The DNA, SSA, SSB, SM, RNP tests came back negative, although the SSA was a 16, SSB 9, SM 10 and RNP 20. His only note was to discuss on return; my next scheduled appointment is in January. The rash cleared up after six days of prednisone.<br> In addition, my MCH numbers in August was 31.3, and my MCHC was 35.5. My red blood count was 4.57; in January it was 5.14. My ferritin level over the past year and a half has ranged from 202-322, whether I'm having my period or not. <br> I showed these results to a family practice doc, and her recommendation was to see a rheumatologist. I called my internal med doc, and he said he wasn't concerned because only the ANA came back positive and the rash cleared up with the medication. <br> I feel like he's not looking at all of these various parts of labs in totality. I know you are not a doctor or my doctor, but am I overthinking this? Should I go see a rheumatologist anyway? My health plan doesn't require a referral to see a specialist.,2013:site.247611 Fri, 30 Aug 2013 13:23:09 -0800 Taystee I'm so tired. How do I improve my nutrition and overall well-being in these circumstances? I'm a nursing mom to an 11 month old and a 23 month old. I'm the primary breadwinner in the family and don't have much available time off. <br> <br> I don't get much sleep at night, I have an IUD that is causing me to bleed 3 weeks out of every month (which is not helping my milk supply) and finally, my baby has so many food allergies that my diet is very restricted (no milk, wheat, eggs, soy, nuts, shrimp, banana, coconut or beef, and we're still doing testing to determine the remaining allergy culprits). <br> <br> I live an hour from the nearest city and decent medical care, so I've been having trouble getting time to see my midwife about the IUD issues, esp. given the time I have to take off to get my sons to their various doctor and allergist appointments. <br> <br> I am EXHAUSTED. Bone weary. It's tough to stay on top of everything I need to get done, I am struggling to feed my family of 5 given the disparate tastes and allergy issues of everyone in the house, I am resorting to whatever junk food is available and contains the fewest allergens (I keep eating things with soy in them because it's damned near impossible to find prepackaged foods that don't contain it, even if they're allergy friendly in every other respect) and I'm mainlining caffeine even though the effects are minimal at this point. <br> <br> I have found a couple of extremely helpful cookbooks and am slowly getting things together to make some allergy friendly meals ahead, but I keep falling off the wagon when it's the end of the day and I have hungry people demanding food. "Falling off the wagon" means whatever take out is minimally dangerous. I have some supplements but avoid my multivitamins because something in them (I think zinc) makes me nauseated. <br> <br> What do I do to improve my health in this situation? Are there tests I need to ask my doctors about? What supplements are actually useful and not just junk? I need advice and I think I need to hear from someone who's been in a similar situation. My body has a lot of demands on it and I need to know how to fuel it.,2013:site.247294 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 17:22:35 -0800 annathea Crisis and exhaustion Brief explanation: I am in crisis emotionally right now, and there is a lot of related spiritual stuff that goes along with it. However, I still have a lot of "real world" stuff to do that isn't getting done, mainly because I can't stop sleeping right now. I have good meds and a wonderful therapist. See extended explanation for more info. I have suffered from depression, anxiety, and PTSD for a long time. I am familiar with what it means to be in crisis over those things. But this crisis I'm in now is different. A lot of it has to do with having started some very intense healing work in therapy, digging through a lot of old grief and working through it. I've also been doing a ton of work related to mindfulness, and that has definitely been life-changing though also exhausting at first. Plus it''s led to some unexpected situations, like people realizing my compassion and wanting to take advantage of that. As a Wiccan, I'm also dealing with spiritual elements to the grief that I think many people would be hard-pressed to understand. I am hesitant to utilize the local channels for crisis support because I know from experience that a lot of the other clients wouldn't be sensitive to the Wiccan aspect of things.<br> <br> The symptoms I am broadly referring to as crisis include extreme emotional volatility (that's actually the big one), tearfulness, and panic.<br> <br> But I am also having major "real world" problems. I have no money right now and after the next few days will probably not be able to afford food and other basics. I'm worried about my power being cut off. I have to move in about a month and haven't found a place yet. My car broke down the other day and I don't know how I'm going to fix it. <br> <br> On top of all that, I am a writer with a lot of unpaid freelance work due, and I'm not able to get anything done right now. I lose focus or literally forget what I'm working on or similar things happen, things like that.<br> <br> The past few days I haven't been able to stop sleeping. Literally. I'll just keep on sleeping through alarms and when I know I should be up. I don't know if I'm just that tired or if it's something else, possibly med-related.<br> <br> I take a lot of meds: Viibryd for depression, Abilify for mood stabilization, clonazepam for anxiety, Adderall for ADD, Seroquel for sleep.<br> <br> So much is going on that I don't know where to begin to unravel it. Does anyone have any suggestions for this kind of overwhelm,2013:site.245161 Mon, 22 Jul 2013 08:27:36 -0800 mermaidcafe