I just can't live like this much longer. I have to get real with my pdoc. I sleep, on average, fifteen hours a day. No joke. Obviously, it is affecting my life. I have zero energy. It must be my meds. My diet is super clean and I abstain from meat, eggs and dairy. I drink lots of water. I get the morning sunshine. I take a multi-vitamin and a large dose of Vitamin D and B12. It has to be my meds, right? I am on quite the heavy cocktail of an antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer. I have lived, more or less, like this for years. My diet used to be pretty terrible (albeit delicious) so I used to blame my tiredness on that. When I have talked to my pdoc about my energy she prescribes antidepressants, but I'm not depressed. I am just so tired. The AD make it worse. I am saving up to see a ND. I want off these meds, but in the mean time I am going to have to continue to see my pdoc drug dealer because she's covered under my insurance. OY! I don't know how to deal with this; if given my druthers I would sleep all day and night. Sometimes I have bouts of energy and I get my bread baking done in one go and in the freezer. Anyone else ever been in a similar situation?
It might be your diet. B12 is notoriously poorly absorbed as a supplement. Also, if you're taking a vegan Vitamin D2 that's poorly absorbed as well.
If I were you I would try adding a bit of high quality animal foods back into your diet, like free-range local eggs, raw milk, or select organ meats from pastured animals. I know that adding those things to my diet did a world of good when I was a vegan and feeling very run down.
I'm going through the same thing. I know it's the meds and it's really hard. Mid-day I get soooo tired that if I don't make myself take a rest, I feel sick to my stomach. I went to the dr to get blood work done to see if it could be anything else, but it isn't. I guess it's a sacrifice I have to make because these meds are working so well otherwise.
I went through 8 different kinds of meds (for anxiety, depression) before I finally found one that allowed me to function and not feel like sleeping all the time. SSRI's were the worst! I am best with Cymbalta, which is an SNRI but then I noticed that even that was making it really hard for me to wake up in the mornings. So a year ago I added wellbutrin and I feel normal and human. Ask about wellbutrin. It gave me a good boost and really countered the sleepiness.
I know meds seem so unnatural, but there was no way I could have gotten myself out of that hole without the meds. I am so grateful that we live in a place and age in which these are available.
I'm in the same boat - v. low on energy. I have been trying to exercise to get some energy but it's really negligible amts. I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead earlier this year and since have been wanting to go on a planned juice fast but haven't got a chance. I recommend the movie if you haven't seen it.
How are you doing? Any improvement? As a few others have suggested, a thyroid check would be something to consider.
I also used to be fatigued. Turned out I had anemia from not being able to properly absorb nutrients....and gluten was the culprit. As soon as I removed gluten from my diet (and dairy and eggs), things improved dramatically. I do have to supplement with iron...and I know you won't like this but I take heme iron. Since you are vegan and if you are anemic, you would need to really increase your non-heme iron intake.
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