Feeling tired all the time
#99325 - 08/18/04 10:00 PM
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dagenj1
Reged: 07/19/04
Posts: 35
Loc: Minneapolis, MN
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For the past few months I have been feeling really tired. All I think about is my bed all day at work. When I get up in the morning, I just want to sleep some more. The only thing that makes me wake up is eating more food (particularly high carb). You might think this sounds like a "simple" fix.....eat more food! Well, if I eat more than 1200 calories a day, I gain weight!!! I used to exercise 2-3 hours a DAY, but I am so weak and tired that I can barely bring myself to do 4-5 hours a WEEK!
I've noticed that others have talked about feeling tired and having CFS on these boards and I was wondering if IBS is related to making people feel tired all the time? Although I think it's strange that I feel better with more food.
I feel like I can either be fat and feel good, or be barely overweight and weak and tired all the time.
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I'm just going to throw this into the mix because it happened to me, so please don't be offended.
Is there any chance you're depressed?
When I was depressed, by #1 symptom was that I was just SO TIRED all the time. I was sure I was sick with something because I just felt awful. I felt defeated before I ever got out of bed in the morning. My doctor prescribed a low-dose anti-depressant, and my energy came back! I felt better than I had in years! (And still do, and I'm off the drugs.)
Just a possibility.
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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Isn't that interesting... I wake up tired ALL the time no matter how much sleep I get. My doctor sent me on a sleep study where I was hooked up to a dozen wires to monitor everything. I just got a call last week that there's nothing pysically wrong with me (sleep apnea, etc) but that it's pyschological in nature. Hmmm....
So I'm going to see the sleep specialist in October (why are appointments always months away?) and he'll probably suggestion depression as well. The lady who called me to set up the appt. hinted that it could be the problem.
So if ant-depressants help my IBS pain and help me sleep when I'm in bed, they can't be all bad.
Christine, what anti-depressant do you take and does it help with your IBS as well?
Thanks. 
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I don't know how balanced you're eating in general, but I find that I *need* to eat a decent amount of protein, or I have the energy of a half-dead slug.  Optimally, I eat meat (or another protein source) with lunch and dinner, every single day... I don't know what you snack on, either, but a good safe option is Luna bars, as they have carbs *and* protein, nice and balanced.
I also found in the past that eating smaller amounts more often helped my energy level - big meals make me sleepy - and kept me from gaining weight in the process.
Good luck!
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I find like I get like that a lot too--where I will wake up tired and I could just lay down anywhere and sleep any time of the day. But a couple years ago I was told after a simple blood test that I had a pretty bad iron deficiency and I could take iron pills and or eat green veggies and other foods that are high in iron. So that may or may not be your problem, but apparently it is a VERY common thing for women to have and constant tiredness and weakness are big symptoms of it. Whatever it is I hope you find a way to overcome it!
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Yes, I am depressed. I am on Effexor XR, which is helping me feel better, yet I am still tired all the time unless I eat more. I've tried, high protein diets (not good for IBS!), low fat diets, and balanced diets and nothing gives me more energy except for more calories....hence gaining weight.
I have had an iron deficiency test and my iron is fine and I was tested for anemia. I feel stuck!
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I love Luna bars! I used to eat one every afternoon as a snack! Then my dietician said they were too high in sugar and cut them out of my diet. Needless to say I don't see her anymore. She swore if I cut out things like Luna bars out of my diet the weight would "peel right off". Yeah right! I should go back to eating one of those in the afternoons. Great idea!
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I've read a lot about people eating Luna Bars on here. I saw some at the store but didn't buy them, had never heard of them before here. Is there a particular flavor or kind that is okay for IBS that I should try or are they all IBS safe?
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Here's a maybe solution: have your doc order a lab test for Vitamin B-12 deficiency. This never would have occurred to me, but my doc is pretty smart. I complained about being exhausted all the time and wanting to sleep, and she ordered a test and found my B12 was so depleted she said I shouldn't even be able to stand up. Turns out there's only one little section of your whole system that will absorb Vitamin B12 -- so all those vitamins I was eating were useless for B12 -- it's the lower part of your upper intestine. And mine was removed because of Crohns Disease, so I can't absorb it at all. Solution? Vitamin B12 shots. I could tell right away it made a major major difference. Fixed the insomnia, hand tremors, exhaustion, constant fatigue, lethargy, and joint and muscle soreness. Ask about it!
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Tina,
I was on Wellbutrin, 150mg. I took it for about 18 months and then stopped. It definitely helped me psychologically, but I don't think it did too much for my IBS. However, some people really benefit from an antidepressant's effect on the gut. I just wasn't willing to risk the sexual side effects  that might come from trying different ADs, and Wellbutrin has a very low incidence.
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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