View Full Version : Unrelenting tiredness
Hi guys,
I posted on here not so long back about disabling tiredness. It's getting worse and I'm getting scared and worried how bad it is. I had to book an out of hours doctor the other day because i was desperate for any help but they couldn't do anything. The bags under my eyes are getting worse and what i don't understand is I'm getting enough sleep. I've had blood tests done and a home sleep apnea test which came back clear. The doctors say it's the depression and anxiety but I've never had tiredness like this in the 5 years that I've been like this. What can i do as this is really affecting what i can and can't do?
Bonnibelle
01-02-16, 12:32
I am suffering the same and it too has worried me and had an impact on my life.
I am exhausted all day even if i sleep. I feel weak, woozy, fatigued, anxious... its horrible.
Apparently it's very common with anxiety and depression.
glassgirlw
01-02-16, 13:17
It's very common I think. I am the same way. Had a really bad week last week and I think I am just still feeling the after effects. Thinking about starting a multi vitamin supplement....maybe that will help ☺
I was found to be vitamin d deficient and have started on those but no effect yet. I think it probably is my depression worsening. I get obsessed that it'll never go away, tiredness is the worst for me because it stops me from doing things whereas i can fight through the anxiety and depression.
I can sympathise. The lack of sunshine makes me look as if I have not slept for a month. I am getting extra sleep. extra rest, eating regularly and healthy and yet I have dark rings under my eyes, a lack of colour in my face, constantly yawning and no energy. And when I try to do anything, I feel dizzy and unstable and panicky.
If I get much more rest, I might as well be a corpse!!!
So, I think it way well be vitamin D; roll on the sunny days. :wacko:
I'm not convinced with the vitamin D argument. Most people in the northern hemisphere are vit D deficient. I'm afraid it's just another effect of relentless anxiety-if you can accept that it's part of the condition you may feel less afraid of the symptoms? Your bloods were fine and this has eliminated a physical cause.
I agree with you Pulisa that i don't expect to see much improvement in my mental health issues with the vitamin d prescription. If any of you have come across my other posts, you'll see i have become obsessed that I have chronic fatigue syndrome/ME. My anxiety will often tell me I've got the worst case scenario problems or not the most obvious reason, which is probably the anxiety and depression. If i were to still tiredness after they had been resolved, then i would start worrying
Chronic fatigue/adrenal burnout call it what you like but at the end of the day prolonged anxiety can cause blanket exhaustion on a 24/7 basis regardless of how much sleep you have. Acceptance of this fact is the key and you sound as though you are well on the way to doing this.
I am suffering the same and it too has worried me and had an impact on my life.
I am exhausted all day even if i sleep. I feel weak, woozy, fatigued, anxious... its horrible.
Apparently it's very common with anxiety and depression.
Me exactly.
When my blood test was fine the doctor assures me anxiety and depression causes lethargy. An anxious mind is never resting and that burns a lot of energy. And being anxious about being tired makes it even worse. I worry how I'm going to get through every day, days in advance. I feel exhausted, weak, lightheaded. I'm bored with my life because I can't go out many places and can't keep up with the friends I have and just thinking about fighting anxious feelings and thoughts everywhere I go makes me feel tired.
Do you wake up feeling tired?
Do you get a tired feeling in your eyes?
I don't doubt that anxiety is incredibly tiring but its only more anxiety when you obsess about why you're so tired. I think we just have to accept we aren't relaxed, we DO have anxiety and depression (in my case and most people I suspect, because we are not living) and stop believing we have some mysterious illness, because it's mental energy, muscle tension and more fatigue. I know how much this sucks. I've been tired in my life but nothing like this and I've had panic/anxiety for 5 years too.
Shazamataz
02-02-16, 04:28
I can certainly relate and am sorry you are feeling this way.
I developed Chronic Fatigue over 20 years ago. For the past ten or so I've managed okay with it and have had the same job working 15 and then 20 hours a week for 11 years and managing to have a bit of a life. I have dogs so we go for long walks often with friend so that is my main social life.
Until October when the anxiety hit (I've had it under control for a long time so it's only been there in the background). I've been through hell and back the past three months with failures and really bad reactions to medications and have not been able to eat a lot of the time and sleep is just a fantasy for me in recent weeks.
I have never been so exhausted and am terrified I've slipped right back into severe Chronic Fatigue, which has now made me depressed and I am constantly worried about it as I need to go back to work, but right now I barely manage to get my dogs out each day.
I'd definitely say anxiety makes your body tired and runs down your immune system so the tiredness is likely quite normal, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
Are you on meds that cause fatigue?
silver blaze
02-02-16, 10:42
how much vitamin d should you take
GingerFish
02-02-16, 11:24
I can safely say that mental disorders can cause the type of tiredness you are describing, even if you are getting a good amount of sleep. When my depression, panic attacks and OCD especially are high, no matter how much sleep I get and no matter how much I rest and eat well, I feel exhausted. Its a different kind of exhaustion than what I would feel if I had just ran a marathon. Its a deeper exhaustion and affects me physically, mentally and emotionally. The tiredness and exhaustion doesn't improve until my conditions do so as hard as it is to even lift a hand when I am in that state, I have to continuing working through it and try to remain as positive as I can and over time, which can be a few days or a few weeks, it gradually lifts and I get more energy than what I had before, until the next setback comes.
Ditapage, i wake up tired every single morning without fail. It is mainly my eyes that are tired. My body seems to be okay and i can go out and do things without my body feeling tired but my eyes sting so much due to the tiredness and it affects what i can do as it makes me irritable and anxious and to just come home. When i read back in my journals that i keep, i talk about unrefreshing sleep and being tired 3 years ago but I've never experienced tiredness like this before. It worries me that it'll get worse and worse and I'll never be properly awake.
Shazamataz, that sounds awful. Is it Chronic Fatigue you have or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? The only meds I'm on are pregabalin which i haven't been on for too long and I'm currently coming off, and 10mg of citalopram which i took years and years ago and never had any tiredness.
Silver Blaze, I'm currently taking 20,000iu a week, 3 times a week for 27 days until i run out. My levels were 38, don't know what that means but they said i was borderline deficient.
Gingerfish, I've been struggling with this general episode of depression and anxiety for about 3 years now and tried pretty much every SSRI, mirtazapine and venlafaxine without any working properly. I start my CBT with IAPT on Monday but it worries me that seen as i seem treatment resistant, the fatigue will just last and last and not go away :s
Shazamataz
02-02-16, 20:09
Shazamataz, that sounds awful. Is it Chronic Fatigue you have or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? The only meds I'm on are pregabalin which i haven't been on for too long and I'm currently coming off, and 10mg of citalopram which i took years and years ago and never had any tiredness.
:s
It's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ ME that I've had after having a bad case of glandular fever. The fatigue has been with me my entire adult life and it's freaking me out at the moment because this downturn in my mental health feels like it's taken me right back to when it all started. So exhausted am barely able to function. I just have to hope that when I get more sorted mentally the physical will heal. Only sleeping about 4 hours a night certainly doesn't help!
I hope you get some relief soon.
It's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ ME that I've had after having a bad case of glandular fever. The fatigue has been with me my entire adult life and it's freaking me out at the moment because this downturn in my mental health feels like it's taken me right back to when it all started. So exhausted am barely able to function. I just have to hope that when I get more sorted mentally the physical will heal. Only sleeping about 4 hours a night certainly doesn't help!
I hope you get some relief soon.
Do you have other symptoms that go along with the chronic fatigue syndrome other than tiredness?
What are you like when at your best with it?
If you've recovered before to a more manageable point, you'll get there again. I'm guessing the stress that you'll be going through won't be helping your body
Shazamataz
02-02-16, 23:38
Do you have other symptoms that go along with the chronic fatigue syndrome other than tiredness?
What are you like when at your best with it?
If you've recovered before to a more manageable point, you'll get there again. I'm guessing the stress that you'll be going through won't be helping your body
Generally with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome it's mainly tiredness, but not 'normal' tiredness. I also get very 'foggy' and have trouble concentrating and have lots of aches and pains. I think it's different for everyone.
At my best I manage to work 5 hours a day and go for a hike/walk with my dogs for around an hour and a half and on really good days we might do that twice. I also had a period when I was doing good that I did several hours a week volunteer work, taking photos and updating the internet for a local dog rescue organisation.
The thing is, I think I've always had some anxiety and depression as well so it's hard to seperate what's what with the energy and motivation. It's true though that your mind really affects your body so finding a way to heal the mental stuff will have a huge impact on the physical.
At the moment for me, the tiredness is really driving my anxiety. And then the anxiety is making the tiredness worse which then has an impact on my depression. I've been to the doctors 3 times in the last week because I've been that panicky about the tiredness. Going that many times makes me pretty ashamed and embarassed but i dont know what else to do. I can't wait to see a psychiatrist, my GP said he would send off a letter to one. I'm just scared as to how long I'll have to wait. In the mean time I've got a CBT session on Monday but i dont know how much I'm going to be able to take in when I'm this bad
I've Bern having fatigue too and its horrible. I've got to try doing more each day but at the moment it's really difficult. After a hour of work I am struggling and I feel I am not achieving much in the day.
I've Bern having fatigue too and its horrible. I've got to try doing more each day but at the moment it's really difficult. After a hour of work I am struggling and I feel I am not achieving much in the day.
It's awful isn't it. It's horrendous for me. I just feel like i haven't had any sleep ALL the time. It never lets up. I was driving today and just didn't feel right and it's scaring me feeling tired and driving. I've had this for 3 years with it getting severe the last few months. I dunno how to improve it :s
Ssmith i could be writing what you've written. The tired eyes, the tiredness driving the anxiety, the fear it will never get better and driving home the other day I started to feel so weak it terrified me. its the eyes and then the eyes affect my head- it feels pressurized (no pain) - do you get that too?
I believe it's anxiety. I also believe it's depression because anybody would be depressed in our condition. I wish I had a solution instead of "me too." I do feel this tiredness less if I am active. I went to the beach and didn't feel tired swimming. But as soon as I start feeling anxious I feel tired. If I sit too long and think about tiredness I will guaranteed start feeling it. I think we have mental fatigue. Especially if we're trying to figure out all the time why we feel so tired. I don't know about you but I overthink everything and end up too anxious to go anywhere. For example before I leave the house I obsessively think about where I will park, how will I feel, what will I do if I panic, what if I faint, what if, what if, and then this overwhelming tiredness hits. Would explain why our bodies don't feel tired. If you're honest with yourself, how anxious and depressed are you? If you didn't feel tired, would you fixate on another symptom?
I say if I wasn't tired I wouldn't be anxious but when I'm not feeling tired it's because I am obsessing about another symptom.
Do you spend a lot of time in front of a computer or looking at your phone? I've realised my iPhone makes me sleepy. So does lack of exercise. I never imagined feeling tired meant the body needed to move more but I have learned that energy creates energy. Depression depletes us of motivation and anxiety makes us depressed! It's a vicious cycle.
My doctor told me that we might not think we're anxious but our bodies are like a dripping tap - the tap water being adrenaline and it's incredibly tiring. We may not be having panic attacks but we have a low to moderate level of subconscious anxiety draining us behind the scenes.
Ssmith i could be writing what you've written. The tired eyes, the tiredness driving the anxiety, the fear it will never get better and driving home the other day I started to feel so weak it terrified me. its the eyes and then the eyes affect my head- it feels pressurized (no pain) - do you get that too?
I believe it's anxiety. I also believe it's depression because anybody would be depressed in our condition. I wish I had a solution instead of "me too." I do feel this tiredness less if I am active. I went to the beach and didn't feel tired swimming. But as soon as I start feeling anxious I feel tired. If I sit too long and think about tiredness I will guaranteed start feeling it. I think we have mental fatigue. Especially if we're trying to figure out all the time why we feel so tired. I don't know about you but I overthink everything and end up too anxious to go anywhere. For example before I leave the house I obsessively think about where I will park, how will I feel, what will I do if I panic, what if I faint, what if, what if, and then this overwhelming tiredness hits. Would explain why our bodies don't feel tired. If you're honest with yourself, how anxious and depressed are you? If you didn't feel tired, would you fixate on another symptom?
I say if I wasn't tired I wouldn't be anxious but when I'm not feeling tired it's because I am obsessing about another symptom.
Do you spend a lot of time in front of a computer or looking at your phone? I've realised my iPhone makes me sleepy. So does lack of exercise. I never imagined feeling tired meant the body needed to move more but I have learned that energy creates energy. Depression depletes us of motivation and anxiety makes us depressed! It's a vicious cycle.
My doctor told me that we might not think we're anxious but our bodies are like a dripping tap - the tap water being adrenaline and it's incredibly tiring. We may not be having panic attacks but we have a low to moderate level of subconscious anxiety draining us behind the scenes.
Yep, you sound exactly like me haha. My eyes are constantly stinging from how tired i am. I went to sleep last night at 11.30pm, woke up at 7am and i am absolutely shattered like i haven't had any sleep. I have got the biggest bags under my eyes and i can't stop yawning.
I also over think everything. I think that probably goes along with the GAD that I've got. The problem I'm having is that the tiredness is making my depression and anxiety a lot worse and it's scaring me how bad I'm feeling. I've never been this bad in the 5 years I've been like this.
I would say that without the tiredness, I'd still be anxious and depressed, but not to the extent i am with the tiredness.
I do spend a lot of time watching tv or on my phone. Mainly obsessing over what I've got and googling. I know i shouldn't but i just don't have the energy to do anything else. I just keep thinking if I'm getting 7-8 hours of solid sleep every night and I'm still ridiculously tired, it must be something else at play like a sleep disorder. I'm seriously considering asking the doctor whether i can take a stimulant to make me feel more awake as this is horrendous. I don't know any other way to lessen it without medical intervention
I do spend a lot of time watching tv or on my phone. Mainly obsessing over what I've got and googling. I know i shouldn't but i just don't have the energy to do anything else.
Sleeping 7-8 hours and spending your waking hours sedentary physically and your brain running a million miles a minute stressing would be totally exhausting for anyone. Getting some exercise in would definitely be beneficial.
Positive thoughts
Ssmith I relate completely to the thought you wouldn't be so anxious if you weren't so tired. But today I did an exposure activity without fixating on tiredness, I wasn't tired at all and that's usually the reason for my anxiety. I don't want to be a downer but I'm sure your anxious mind would fixate on something else. I wasn't tired at first but my anxiety was HIGH and by the end of it I was EXHAUSTED. Which reminded me that whether we have full blown panic attacks or underlying general anxiety -even if we don't feel so anxious- adrenaline burns us out.
I'm thinking of also trying to not look at my phone excessively for a week. I do EXACTLY the same as you: sit around googling what I have. We don't realise the mental exhaustion of that alone, on top of smartphones causing fatigue and lack of motivation. My friends who don't have anxiety say they get tired from their phone as well. Especially in the eyes. We are even more tired because we are anxious and probably somewhat depressed. My therapist said limit it to 15 minutes a day for a week and see if it has any effect. Because I've noticed on days I have looked less at a screen, I don't feel tired. And if you are using it before bed, you're probably not getting the sleep you think you're getting because the brain stays wired.
Maybe try that before asking for a stimulant.
Thanks for your message Ditapage. Unfortunately I've got worse and worse quite quickly to the point I'm in a very severe and serious depression now. The depression is making my entire body feel like it's lacking energy but the anxiety is making me want to pace up and down. It's horrible. Got an appointment on Friday with a GP who actually runs the city's mental health governing body as well so I'm hoping she can help me out and get me out of this. At the moment, I'm just wanting to sleep all the time which i think is a part of the depression and I've also started getting early morning wakening. Despite that, I've been trying to keep myself busy as an hour feels like a day at the moment.
Anyways I'm rambling but I'm hoping that everything lifts soon. I've been trying to go on my phone less as i think you're right about it having an effect
Bonnibelle
10-02-16, 20:28
I am seeing my gp tomorrow for this exact reason. I've had chronic fatigue for months now and with it my anxiety has returned and is rife. I'm weak and can't do housework or go out. It's made me feel off balance and drained. I feel awful daily. Scared I will pass out. Worried incase I never feel better. My eyes sting and body feels weak. I rest as soon as my chikdren are in school and in used to exercise daily and do yoga. It's made me very low and I'd say mildly depressed. I'm not surprised. I'm even anxious about my gp coming to my house tomorrow but I have to face it. All the worry is making me feel worse. The fatigue drives the anxiety for sure.
Hi guys,
I posted on here not so long back about disabling tiredness. It's getting worse and I'm getting scared and worried how bad it is. I had to book an out of hours doctor the other day because i was desperate for any help but they couldn't do anything. The bags under my eyes are getting worse and what i don't understand is I'm getting enough sleep. I've had blood tests done and a home sleep apnea test which came back clear. The doctors say it's the depression and anxiety but I've never had tiredness like this in the 5 years that I've been like this. What can i do as this is really affecting what i can and can't do?
I can tell you in recent years.. the way I have felt...it feels like your heart is beating its last beat.. so tired.. and its just plain and simple depression and stress.. I can just about tell you that is all that you are dealing with. I hope and pray so much that you take care of yourself and feel better and that all of us can get some relief for the stress.
dizzy daisy
13-02-16, 20:57
My "tiredness" has come back the last few days and it's frustrated me so much as I thought it was starting to improve. For me I can sleep fairly well and wake tired too although I feel like my limbs are like lead sometimes. My GP suggested doing some gentle exercise as she feels that could help with the fatigue. I haven't really done too much though I have to admit. I walked a few times with the dog but that's about it. When at work I can get sudden bouts of tiredness about midday and I try not to focus on it, but other times it freaks me out.
When this first happened I totally freaked out and saw my GP convinced something was wrong. They sent for a lot of different bloods and told me if anything was going on physically then these tests would alert them. They came back fine and so after a lot of worrying I have decided to accept that it's down to anxiety. I read dr Weekes - essential help fur your nerves and was so relieved to see the first chapters addressing fatigue caused by anxiety. This helped me to accept things. I went on a short break fur my birthday and worried I may spoil things due to me feeling quite fatigued- actually I did ok and I remember on our last night thinking I felt lots better!! Within days of getting back it started again! But this helped me again to prove to myself it must be just down to anxiety.
It's still not at all pleasant to deal with though and I just wish it would stop now for all of us xxx
dizzy daisy
14-02-16, 16:00
I'm suffering with the tiredness big time today. I'm so fed up of it xxxx
I'm suffering with the tiredness big time today. I'm so fed up of it xxxx
It sucks doesn't it. I've been trying to keep busy and stay as active as i can. I've been going for runs, doing chores round the house, going out to see friends, walking the dog everyday, and the tiredness is still as bad as it always is. I can't sleep in for the life of me, i wake at 6am every single morning without fail and i seem to be such a light sleeper as well. The littlest of noises will wake me up which is weird as I've always been a deep sleeper.
I've been to the doctors in the last few days begging them to do something as I'm still not convinced it's all down to depression and anxiety but I've been told to 'just wait it out'. I look tired all the time still and the bags under my eyes are ridiculous.
I had a brief period yesterday for the first time in months where i felt alert and awake, what everyone else would call normal. It felt so good! But unfortunately it didn't last. I seem to be doing all the right things but it just won't go away
dizzy daisy
16-02-16, 09:01
It's truly horrible. I'm so annoyed as it did subside for a bit but now it's back. I hate it. My GP said try and get some exercise as this can sometimes help. I do try a bit but am worried it might make things worse. Friday and sat were horrible with fatigue and it triggered panic attacks. Sunday I was pretty washed out with it, yesterday I felt better do I went out walking with the dog for miles. This morning I'm tired again grr!! I feel like my body is made of lead when I get like this xxxx
Can anyone update on this thread? I'm suffering from random bouts of extreme fatigue every day and my biggest anxiety is about CFS/ ME which I'm convincing myself I have. This is making me more depressed and anxious but I don't necessarily feel anxious when this extreme fatigue hits me out of nowhere. It can last an hour or two before gradually wearing off.
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