If you just felt like general yuck everyday where would you start?

[wbtx]

Everyday is just a slog for me. I have 0 energy, slight aches and pains and just a general yuck feeling. I force myself to help the girls with school and do my housework, etc. but I honestly I don't feel like doing anything. I don't think it is depression, I feel like it is physical. I hate Drs. so where would you start Hive?:D

[Heather in OK]

Having your thyroid and iron levels tested.

 

If you dislike medical doctors you might consider finding a naturopathic doctor who can treat you naturally.

[scrapbookbuzz]

Let's start with:

 

*Are you taking a GOOD daily multivitamin?

*Is your iron low? (If you're not eating any red meat, raisins, leafy greens, or taking any vitamins with iron, chances are that is a contributing factor.)

 

There could be many more reasons, but that's a good place to start!

[Cammie]

Everyday is just a slog for me. I have 0 energy, slight aches and pains and just a general yuck feeling. I force myself to help the girls with school and do my housework, etc. but I honestly I don't feel like doing anything. I don't think it is depression, I feel like it is physical. I hate Drs. so where would you start Hive?:D

 

 

I know you hate doctors but can you start with a general health check-up? Make sure it includes thyroid. It is very common for women to have thyroid problems and they can have side effects like you describe (also feeling cold, weight gain or inability to loose, dry skin.)

 

Also depression DEFINATELY feels physical - I know. It can be aches and pains and other physical issues that stem from depression so don't rule that out!

 

Good luck!

[Lovedtodeath]

drrind.com

 

:)

 

I could tell you many specific things that have helped me, but this is where I would start. Also, don't forget if you have a chronic illness. A while ago, I was looking for some general energy boosters when I have an autoimmune disease. DUH!

[Aggie]

Along with the rest of the suggestions, look at your diet.

 

Are you eating sugar? Caffeine? Lots of white carbs like bread and pasta? All three of these cause me to feel wiped out.

 

Sugar is an inflammatory and I can feel the aches come on after I eat it.

 

White carbs mess with my blood sugar. Have you had your blood sugar tested? Is lethargy a sign of diabetes, anyone? I don't know if it is or not, but it may be a test to ask for.

 

Hope you feel better soon.:grouphug:

[wbtx]

Other multivitamins make me nauseated. I try to take calcium but am not always consistant. I take 200mg caffeine and drink iced tea but not coffee.

I do love my white sugar and chocolate.:D I am not overweight or underweight. I am 43:001_huh:

[Jen in PA]

I have thyroid issues, so I have to say that I would ask a doc just to rule that out. Since you take iron, my next guess would be your vitamin D levels.

[houseofrabbits]

Dear wbtx,

 

I have to second all of the other ladies' advice you've gotten. I don't have much respect for the allopathic medical profession either but there are times that you need to use their services such as getting a cbc (complete blood count) and then going from there. We've used alternative therapies but I'll use my insurance to get a diagnosis first. And I hate to be the harbinger of bad news -- but flintstone vitamins are not going to cut it. Go to the health food store and get a reputable brand. Many people are actually just dehydrated and would benefit far more from increased water intake rather than caffeine.

Praying you'll get to the bottom of all this.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

 

Also depression DEFINATELY feels physical - I know. It can be aches and pains and other physical issues that stem from depression so don't rule that out!

 

Good luck!

 

:iagree:

[kalanamak]

Everyday is just a slog for me. I have 0 energy, slight aches and pains and just a general yuck feeling. I force myself to help the girls with school and do my housework, etc. but I honestly I don't feel like doing anything. I don't think it is depression, I feel like it is physical. I hate Drs. so where would you start Hive?:D

 

PG test.

[....]

Are you getting a workout in every day? Maybe walk for an hour in the evening?

[Lovedtodeath]

I have to second all of the other ladies' advice you've gotten. I don't have much respect for the allopathic medical profession either but there are times that you need to use their services such as getting a cbc (complete blood count) and then going from there. We've used alternative therapies but I'll use my insurance to get a diagnosis first.

You can get a much more accurate diagnosis with no guessing by using alternative testing. I have been through a ton of medical things and the electrodermal scan is wonderful, individualized, and one test that will find everything. One of my problems was with my heart and for a year and a half the medical doctors scratched their heads. Electrodermal scan and boom! I couldn't utilize potassium. Homeopathy was prescribed and no more heart trouble. I was on a $450 a month prescription and a severely restricted diet for severe ulcerative colitis. Electrodermal scan... 3 allergies to avoid, 3 months of treatment, no other restrictions... no more symptoms.

[abbeyej]

Exercise. Test for iron and vitamin D levels (you can probably just do a walk-in clinic and ask for those to be ordered). Drink water. Cut out sugar (which can increase inflammation and make all of those little aches and pains worse). ... But I'd start with getting a daily walk outside -- even if it sounds just awful. :( I wish you well.

[Tiramisu]

A B-complex worked wonders for me. I understood why when I found out I had a B-12 deficiency. Since I've been on the B-12, life has been very different.

 

I agree with the advice to get a little exercise. It really can increase energy levels.

[Whereneverever]

A basic lab work up, an honest look at my diet, and including more regular exercise. And if that didn't fix it in a reasonable time, an indepth physical.

[wbtx]

I am going to start with water and vitamins, I will continue to seriously consider exercise:lol: and I will probably eventually go to the Dr. It is really hard to find a good Dr these days. I can't believe someone knocked my beloved Flinstsones.:D The Dr. Rind website was very interesting. The adrenal fatigue sounds right on. I consider myself a healthy person, but really I do just about everything wrong except drink and smoke.

Anyways, thanks again.

[Perry]

Daily exercise.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

The Dr. Rind website was very interesting. The adrenal fatigue sounds right on. The first and easiest thing to try for adrenal fatige is sublingual B-vitamin spray. :)

[AngelBee]

A B-complex worked wonders for me. I understood why when I found out I had a B-12 deficiency. Since I've been on the B-12, life has been very different.

 

I agree with the advice to get a little exercise. It really can increase energy levels.

How much do you take?

[LittleIzumi]

How much GOOD sleep do you get? I'm like that but I get maybe 5 hours of sleep a night and I take ages to fall asleep anyway, so not nearly enough.

[Tiramisu]

How much do you take?

 

For the B12, 1000 micrograms. I tried cheap drugstore brands and better brands and I don't think it made a difference. After one month, my levels tested within the normal range, but they were still low enough that my doctor told me I could still take a multi-vitamin with high amounts of B12 and not worry about getting too much. I'll be retested in a few months.

 

For the B-complex, it was one that had relatively low levels but it still really worked well. I noticed that some brands at the health food store have much higher levels.

 

Hope this helps.

[Goodallmomma]

I agree that it could be iron. I have a low iron count and get tired fairly easy. Also, taking a multivitamin for women would help. I hate to get up and exercise, but if I do it just for 20 mins in the morning I end up with a good bit more energy throughout the day. Do you eat breakfast?

[vkay]

This was me, one year ago exactly. I had been feeling like this for some time so I went to the doctor because I just couldn't deal with it any longer.

After doing typical blood work and checking for iron and thyroid - all was fine. Others said to exercise and you'll feel better.....ha. I couldn't exercise with the way that I felt. No way.

 

Finally, I changed docs, the next one said he was sure it was low vit. D and did a blood check - he was right. I went on a prescription strength vit D to pull up my number and it was like emerging from a coma or something.

 

Ok, maybe a little dramatic, but seriously, I felt 300% better!!!!

 

It can't hurt to check your D level. I'm so glad that I did.

 

GL

[Lovedtodeath]

 

How much do you take?

I was having nerve pain and after B12 shots it went away. I had them every 2 weeks, prescribed and self administered. Usually if you are deficient in B12 you cannot absorb it any other way. I tested normal. :001_huh:

[AngelBee]

I was having nerve pain and after B12 shots it went away. I had them every 2 weeks, prescribed and self administered. Usually if you are deficient in B12 you cannot absorb it any other way. I tested normal. :001_huh:

 

Hmmm...I did not know that!

 

I am glad you are feeling better :grouphug:

[Tutor]

Two weeks ago, I cut out all high fructose corn syrup and cut my refined sugar intake by about 90%, and I am amazed at how much better I feel! I originally did it to help myself lose weight (I've lost 4.5 pounds!), but my energy level and mood have greatly improved... I never realized just how run-down and blah I felt until I didn't feel that way any more.

 

Also, someone on here awhile ago mentioned the book When Your Body Gets The Blues, and I have found the encouragement and suggestions there to be extremely useful as well. I started taking the suggested supplements and getting daily doses of sunlight and exercise, and if I forget or get too busy, I notice!

 

I am not a huge fan of going to the doctor myself, so I completely understand your hesitancy. I would try some of these basic lifestyle changes first, and if that doesn't seem to have any effect, get a check up just to make sure there isn't something more going on.

Edited January 26, 2010 by Tutor
typos

[ChristusG]

Yep, first I'd go to the doctor and ask for a full blood work up. Everything from thyroid levels to vitamins/minerals to iron. Wait on those results and then go from there.

 

In the meantime, I'd make sure I'm drinking pleny of water, eating plenty of fruits and veggies and an overall good diet.

 

Also, make sure you get outside and go somewhere. I know that if I have a few days where I stay at home and do not go outside, I start getting tired, run down, and achy.

[Marylou]

Google "silent inflammation"

[patchfire]

How much GOOD sleep do you get? I'm like that but I get maybe 5 hours of sleep a night and I take ages to fall asleep anyway, so not nearly enough.

 

This. And not just quantity either, but regular sleep. Going to bed & wake times should be relatively similar every single day.

 

I have been severely anemic and felt as the OP descibes. When I take a good multivitamin AND a separate iron supplement (w/ folate & B12), I feel much much better. The sleep is a big component of it, too, though, and one that I think is often ignored in our society in general.

[OhM]

Everyday is just a slog for me. I have 0 energy, slight aches and pains and just a general yuck feeling. I force myself to help the girls with school and do my housework, etc. but I honestly I don't feel like doing anything. I don't think it is depression, I feel like it is physical. I hate Drs. so where would you start Hive?:D

 

I haven't read through all the other responses - I bet you got some great advice.

 

But me? When I feel like this (and I have and do from time to time) I start with exercise. Nothing major, even a 2-3 mile walk helps. Anytime of day is good, but I have the best results when I get up and go out first thing in the morning. It usually doesn't take long to get me out of the slogginess (and makes me wonder why I so often get away from exercising!)

[Jan in SC]

I have to 2nd (or 3rd) the idea for a Vitamin d check. I could.not.move for almost a year. I had all the "typical" things checked and everything was fine. I finally asked to have the Vit. D checked. My doc sort of laughed, but ran the test. He was stunned at the results and sent me to a rheumatologist. It is an amazing difference!!!

[sbgrace]

Another vote for vitamin D. I will be surprised if you're not low (you want to be in the 50's optimally and no lower than the 40's which is a sub-optimal level, lower is low). You want a 25(OH) D test. If you hate doctors to the extent you just won't get around to getting D levels tested, supplement aggressively. The average healthy adult can take 9,000 IU per day indefinitely of D3. So find a 5,000 IU D3 and take two a day 6 days a week. Continue this for a couple of months and I suspect you'll feel better.

[Dawn in OH]

When I realized last Spring that I felt the way you do I looked at a few things:

 

1) my sleep pattern and amount of sleep I was getting

2) my diet

3) my thyroid

4) my iron

5) vitamin D level

 

In my case, my thyroid was ok. My iron was on the low side of the normal range, I wasn't getting enough sleep, and apparently I was taking in too many carbs and refined sugars. Apparently my hypoglycemia had returned.

 

Once I got all of that under control, I started to feel better and even lost some weight. I had much more energy and was just in a general "better mood".