any medical advice?

[sparkly_stars]

I have a weird question (probably medical-ish)..
I''m feeling tired a lot of the time, even if I get a lot of rest I still seem to always need extra naps during the day. I go to bed early and when I wake up I still feel tired. I excercise, and my diet isn''t horrible..
I have no idea whats up.. I don''t even know what to look up either..
I''ve talked to my doctor before, and not much luck with that..
has anyone gone through anything like this?

I thought it was because of low iron, (like I said, I have really no idea what could cause this), but when I talked to my doctor, she listed symptoms and said I probably didn''t have that..

*help*.. hehe.. I feel like a little old lady who is 98, and needs naps all the time, and on weekends cant do much if I have to work, or finish school work etc..

 

[ammayernyc]

I would go to your doctor and get a full blood panel. You never know what could show up. I went to a new doctor and was given a full panel and it showed that my calcium was high, which ended up with me having a gland removed. I didn''t even know that such a gland existed!

Also, make sure you are taking vitamins.

Good luck!

 

[kenny]

You may have sleep apnea.
I do.

http://www.sleepapnea.org/

Sleep apnea is a medical condition in which you frequently stop breathing (because the tissues in your throat relax and literally close off) during the deepest stages of sleep.
When the oxygen in your blood gets low enough your brain only wakes you up to a less-deep level of sleep so you start breathing again.
Then it starts over.
You never know it is happening because you never completely wake up.
May happen several times an hour robbing you of the deep sleep everyone needs.

I read that about 80% of the people with it are not aware of it.

I went in for anovernight sleep study in a clinic and got diagnosed.

It can lead to very serious health problems, heart problems, brain damage , death.

 

[sparkly_stars]

thanks so much AmandaPanda!
any specific vitamins I should lean towards?

I have this weird fear of doctors.. and I KNOW its bad..
I always fear they''ll tell me I have something.. it''s horrible..
seems I always put it off...

so a full blood panel is what I should ask for? how much blood exactly do they take

--------------------
Kenny, when you got this diagnostic... what happened? is it severe!?

I definitely am going to look into everything you guys are saying.. (thanks!!!)

 

[moremoremore]

umm, how about going to the doctor?

the doctor is the only one who can tell you if you have a problem...but then again, you may enjoy feeling bad all the time and not knowing what the problem is...I think you know what you need to do

Don't worry about how much blood...it doesn't really matter once the needle is in...and you won't feel but a tiny pinch....I put off going to the dentist for a very long time b/c I am deathly afraid. Went yesterday and I feel great knowing exactly what needs to be done.

 

[kenny]

I can tell you my story but it may not be typical.
And your sysmptoms may not match mine.
Read the website I linked you too and google sleep apnea yourself.

Look into it.
It is very common, they estimate 12 million Americans have it, but awareness is very low, but growing.

 

[sparkly_stars]

hahah,
the doctors is slowly calling my name louder and louder..
I will in fact do that..
I have a million things to get checked up

Kenny, I''d love to hear your story, even if our symptoms don''t match(and what happened in the end to try and treat it)
feel free to email, or PM me , or anything!!!
(or post it here.. for all you know some other PS-ers could have it!)
thanks for the suggestion though, I''m goign to look into it

 

[kenny]

I will convey this.

Ususally the person snores.
has trouble waking up. . .
can fall asleep VERY quickly. . .
gets headaches and has memory problems.

The classic patient will be an overweight male over 40, although women and slender people can get it, and children can get it too.

The person's sleeping partner notices he stops breathing for a while (maybe 30 seconds) then suddenly gasps for air and starts breathing but all the while keeps sleeping.

 

[kenny]

The treatment almost always recommended is simple and painless but it kind of sux.

You have to wear a mask to sleep every night.
It is connected via a hose to a machine the size of a small shoe box that contains basically a fan.
It blows air into your mouth or nose while you sleep.
You get used to it and don''t even notice it.

Too bad that 50% of people who start using these machines, called CPAP for continuous positive airway pressure, stop using them.
I blame the doctors for not educating the patients on how to use them, change them, and exchange and adjust them till you are comfortable.
Some unit have a water container to humidify the air so your throat doesn''t dry out, and a even heater for the water.

Once you get the right mask and get it set up correctly it is very comfortable.
Sure, I wish that I didn''t have to use it, but it sure beats dying.

 

[Lorelei]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Sparkly. DH has suffered from sleep apnoea in the past and had tests and the sleep study. He also used to snore so badly it gave me anxiety attacks

Thankfully things are much better now. This also made him very tired during the day as he wasn''t getting his proper rest - mind you NEITHER WAS I

I hope you feel better soon and get this sorted out.

 

[kenny]

Each sleep study cost about $2000 (I needed two).
Then the machines are about $400.

My insurance covered everything 100%.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Sparkly I can relate ever since high school I have always been tired and require lots of sleep. The doctors couldn''t find anything wrong so I just live with it. It sucks

right now I am in a war with my allegeries. Horrible. I am not winning the fight. Good luck.

 

[kenny]

Oh yes, also if you sleep alone (or with a heavy sleeper) you won't have someone telling you that you do this when you sleep.

People have set up camcorders (with a dim light) timed to start in 4 hours (when you should be sleeping deeply) or audio tape recorders to document their sleep.

I complained of memory an concertration problems to my doctor for months.
Since I am not overweight apnea didn't occur to him.
But when I mentioned my sleep partner said I stopped breathing that was the clincher, and he ordered a sleep study.

The first study was do get a diagnosis (wearing no mask).
The second study (with a mask) was to determine the minimum air pressure I need.
Waking up that first morning after using the mask was magical.
I immediately felt as if I had been awake for 3 hours, fully aleart.
I had no idea I this was how I was supposed to feel.

 

[hilbake]

Sparkly, if you go to the doctor, make sure that they check out your thyroid. If you have an underactive thyroid you can be tired a lot of the time. All they will do is feel your neck to see if the gland is enlarged, and then they''ll take some blood. If you do have hypothyroidism, you will have to take one tiny pill (the thyroid hormone) every day. I have had this since I was a teenager and it really isn''t bad. Once you have the right dosage of medication, the tiredness will get better. Definitely go to your doctor.
Hope you feel better!

 

[MissAva]

Also sometimes if you get too much sleep it makes you more tired, a vicous cycle. Have you tried cutting back on the amount of sleep you are getting?

 

[Erin]

As a teenager I was tired all the time and could sleep at the drop of a hat. Turns out I needed braces. My teeth were aligned but they all grew slightly inward towards my tongue. My tongue couldn''t properly rest on the floor of my mouth so it either would hover above my teeth or lie slightly crooked/ half-in half-out. It was blocking my air passage while lying on my back sleeping. Unconsciously, I strained for air all night.
I hope that made sense.

Maybe you should consider video taping yourself through one night and see any odd behavior that may give you a clue into the possibilities. If you play it back and see yourself gasping for air or snoring a lot - at least you''d have something to tell the dr.

 

[dani13]

Go to the dr and get a physical exam. He/she should order bloodwork, including thyroid functions tests, and another test for autoimmune disorders like lupus. Fatigue is a common and vague complaint that needs to be worked up appropriately.

Start taking a multivitamin daily. Also, make sure you stay well hydrated-lots of water! Being dehydrated can make you tired.
Also, do you take medication, like birth control pills? Alot of pts complain about fatigue with the pill- I am an ob/gyn nurse, so I hear about this a lot!!!! Good luck!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

I completely agree with everyone else''s recommendations, but I seriously want to stress the importance of taking a multivitamin, I was feeling the same as you when I stopped taking for a couple of months and the day I started back it made the world of difference. Now I never go without it and if I nap it is out of boredom not truly being tired. Also, actually getting too much sleep is not good for your body, a healthy adult truly doesn''t need more than 6-7 hours a night, anything over that and for some reason it seems to do more harm than good. Goodluck and definitely have your doc run all the tests on your blood.

 

[Mara]

I want to stress going to the doctor...it''s great to get advice on a forum like this but sometimes the internet can be scary with too much information and general symptoms that can scare you when it may not even be what you have....I''d get to the doctor right away and make them do a full workup on you and have them run some tests. Also you may want to get your hormones checked, sometimes they get out of balance and then weird stuff can happen.

 

[cutes814]

Date: 11/1/2005 6:11:04 PM
Author: Mara
Also you may want to get your hormones checked, sometimes they get out of balance and then weird stuff can happen.

Hey Sparkly! When I read your first post it reminded me of when I was pregnant and did not know it. During the first trimester of the pregnancy, your hormones go cookoo and you become extremely tired.

When I was 1-2 months pregnant, I was unaware of it and was always tired. No matter how much I slept, I could still go back to sleep right away. I felt exhausted. I constantly needed to take a nap.

It''s a long shot, but can you be pregnant? If you never had this problem before and it recently started happening, you might want to check it out?

I''m just sharing with you my same experience I had. Just a thought.

 

[perry]

Sparkly:

In general the advice given above is sound:

I have dealt with the issue, and have no less than 4 separate things that cause exhaustion (some of them mentioned above). Sleep Apnea, Airborn allergies, Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and finally food allergies. It took me about 4 years from the start of my process to when I had it all figured out. The Dr office only found one of those items (sleep apnea; but then it took me a year or so to get the equipment to work on my part - I''m an expert on AutoCPAPs) The rest I had to search out and offer ideas for testing.

First step is a basic medical screaning by your dr. Many times they will identify something. For some people, that does the trick.

Then you have to start a search on many things. While their are a common dozen or so things to check, then their are hundreds of things that it could be.

Please keep in touch by PM or email if the Dr does not find something obvious. I''ll be gald to help.

Perry

 

[AndyRosse]

Definitely just go to the doctor and tell them your symptoms and ask for a full blood work up. And if the blood work up doesn''t reveal anything out of the ordinary, please just don''t give up. Insist that you and your doctor continue looking into other things that might not show up in a normal blood work up. If the doctor isn''t willing, find another.

I have similar symptoms and blood work of course shows nothing. I just gave up, but in reality, I should really just find another doctor and hope they have other suggestions.

Good luck!!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I''m not quite following why you''re asking for medical opinions on a "hangout" forum. This is a totally inappropriate place for people to respond with medical opinions!

Please spend your time wisely consulting a dr. rather than researching sleep apnea for hours on end!

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 11/1/2005 6:29:18 PM
Author: Milly

Date: 11/1/2005 6:11:04 PM

Author: Mara

Also you may want to get your hormones checked, sometimes they get out of balance and then weird stuff can happen.

Hey Sparkly! When I read your first post it reminded me of when I was pregnant and did not know it. During the first trimester of the pregnancy, your hormones go cookoo and you become extremely tired.


When I was 1-2 months pregnant, I was unaware of it and was always tired. No matter how much I slept, I could still go back to sleep right away. I felt exhausted. I constantly needed to take a nap.


It''s a long shot, but can you be pregnant? If you never had this problem before and it recently started happening, you might want to check it out?


I''m just sharing with you my same experience I had. Just a thought.

This was my first thought as well.

 

[kenny]

Hey!
I know!
You are pregnant and the fetus has sleep apnea.

Just kidding.

By all means see a doctor.
That goes without saying.
Nobody is practicing medicine here.
Look at my early post.
I did not want to elaborate.
She asked for elaboration.

Sorry, didn't mean to freak anyone out.

I don't know what she has.
I do know sleep apnea is a possiblity and very few people are aware of it.

What's wrong with talking among friends?
Information is good.

 

[moremoremore]

On a non medical note and which can''t hurt.... get yourself a down *blanket* (it moderates body temp...I''d die without mine) and put some lavendar in your room (they say it helps with sleep e/t I don''t love the smell) and put a nice fan on or open the windows so that it''s very cool (that also helps)...Ahhhh, that''s the best.

 

[kenny]

I hear a glass of milk before bedtime helps you sleep better.
Alcohol makes you drowsy, but if consumed within a couple hours of bedtime actually harms your sleep.
Also having a TV in the bedroom is not good for your sleep, even if it is off.
Something about association.
You should only associate that room with going to bed.

 

[door knob solitaire]

"I am not a doctor, but I play on on TV..."-sha da boom!

I had the SAME afternoon napping problems. May not be for your reasons. I consulted a dietitian...and her advice was to get the B vitamins. B12 for sure...and B6...and the rest. After taking these my body no longer operates in super slow mo...I don''t have the urge for daytime naps

.

Another supplement you may want to consider is Valerian Root. This is an herb that when taken many experience a good nights sleep. Non addictive...but a caveat...IT STINKS. Sort of like old wet well used gym socks...but it works. (probably because you pass out after smelling it!!) Hold you nose as you take it.

On another angel of attack...melatonin is the natural hormone that allows a restful sleep. Guess what one of the best sources are you can consume? Walnuts. Cool huh? Your blood melatonin may increase up to three fold after eating walnuts. It also improves your ability to resist oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Your antioxidant power will increase as well. They are rich in omega 3 which is a great weapon againist heart disease. It is thought that as we age...the melatonin decreases...hence lack of sleep. A palm full is a good serving size. (Oh I also learned...not to consume carbs before bed and no eating any later than 2 hours before sleeping...as doing so adds to my sleep apnea.) Your cereal in the AM...salad at lunch...your desert cake/cookie...walnuts want to be your friend!

Unless you have a nut allergy...you might try incorporating a few of these ideas...and see if you have any relief. It may be a less expensive avenue...but don''t put off the doctor too long. As others metioned...it never hurts to be on the safe side!

One of the best suggestions given to me...was to start a journal. Begin writing when you are sleepy...what you ate...how you felt after eating...and when you start to feel the crash. You may recoginize a pattern and if your symptoms lead to blood sugar issues... you must get professional advice promptly. The journal will be helpful for your doctor.

Gotta go...I am getting sleepy. I hope you are too!

DKS

 

[sparkly_stars]

I just quickly wanted to say thank you,
and to mention that the doctor is going to be called today.

The reason I came on the hang out forum and took time to ask this is because it isn''t the first time I bring this up to my doctor. And since I never know what to mention, it seems nothing is ever done.

so MC to your post, I''d like to say that the suggestions (blood work etc) were helpfull, and I''m glad so many of you responded (I will reply again once I have more then a sec to do so!) And coming here was to get a better idea as to what to say to my doctor since nothing has been done. I figured a lot of people would have gone through something similar and could help me look different posibilities up. (and it DID help!-thanks!!)

This gives me a bit more information to go in the doctors room "prepared" (I feel that when I go in without any "real" information...even if its just possibilities, we never come out of there with a positive outcome).
At least this way here, I can have a list of what I feel (I have some symptoms that I don''t even know how to describe, that I never realized could play a factor-sleeping pattenrns etc..)

so again,
Thank YOU!!!!

 

[Lorelei]

Good decision Sparkly. Take a list with you, it can often help the doc pinpoint the various symptoms more easily, let us know how you get on.