Does Anyone Struggle With Lack of Energy?

[TheAutumnOak]

I need some advice on what I can do to increase my level of energy...I feel tired too often, and it is beginning to affect my life...It is more difficult to get things done...I would appreciate any advice...

[AvasMom]

Vitamin D. Go get your levels checked. I had a friend a year or so with fatigue and she had a vitamin D deficiency. I felt the same way last fall. Vitamin D (and B12...double whammy). Another friend was talking about extreme fatigue this past winter. Guess what? Vitamin D so low her doctor put her on prescription strength supplements.

[Philippians 4:8]

Try gluten-free...it may be extreme but it makes everything in my life better, energy, clarity of mind, mood,... Try it for two weeks and see if you feel better.

[TheAutumnOak]

Thanks! :001_smile:...I was told in the past that I have lower levels of vitamin D, but I didn't realize it would affect me so much...Now I need to go back to the doctor and follow up...Perhaps my levels have gotten worse...

[Nestof3]

You? You looked like this adorable Energizer bunny!

 

Have you had your thyroid tested? I'm struggling with fatigue, and I go to the endocrinologist in two weeks to see if the medication is helping me. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's.

 

I get enough sleep every night, eat well and exercise daily. I jogged/walked for 90 minutes today bur normally for 45 minutes a day.

[Kathleen in VA]

My vit. d levels were so low my doctor put me on a megadose - once a week. I've been on it for 5 weeks and am seeing a difference in my energy level. Also, have your iron checked. Dd18 just saw the doctor today and found that her iron was extremely low. The doctor also recommended Vit. B6. to boost her immune system. Her bloodwork showed she was fighting a virus. Perhaps your body is fighting something and that's where all your energy is going.

[YLVD]

I struggle daily with getting through the day. My situation is a bit unique though. I'm Bipolar II and on a few meds. Two of them make me feel drugged most of the time. But, I can't take anything energizing as I end up manic, lucky me!!

 

What has helped me a bit is really good sleep hygiene. I have always had a hard time sleeping. Cutting back on caffeine later in the day, turning off electronics at a certain point and clearing my mind has helped improve my sleep.

 

Another thing that helps is vigorous exercise that I enjoy. It sounds counterintuitive but it works for me. I love swimming and often go right before bed. It makes me CONK OUT. I'm exhausted right afterwards but always have more energy the next day.

[sbgrace]

The D is likely your culprit. Correcting that level will probably make a big difference even if there are other underlying issues that need addressed (sleep issues, thyroid, other deficiencies, etc.)

 

If you know your D was low go ahead and start aggressively supplementing. Then test in 2 months to see where you are. You want the 25 OH D test. Healthy levels are 50 and above. The lab slip will likely say "normal" is 30something. It's not at all. So if you were low you're probably extremely low. Even a level in the 40's is suboptimal. The vitamin D council website has lots of good information about levels, safety of high dose supplementing of D3 form (and why you want D3 and not prescriptions or D2), and the effects of low levels.

 

Anyway, most people use 2000 IU per 25 pounds a day so that is the amount you may need to maintain a current level. You need to correct a low level and hopefully correct fast so you want much higher. A healthy adult, no matter their underlying level, can safely take doses up to 10,000 IU per day. I can dig up the research on that if you need it. My suggestion is 10,000 IU of D3 six days a week and nothing or 5,000 IU on day 7. Use pills that come in 5000 IU units so you're not taking tons of pills. You can dose D3 once a week if you want. I tend to dose higher during the week and not on the week-end. Anyway, it's the average dose over long periods of time (much longer than a week) that matter.

 

This dosing puts you under the max dose and yet it's enough that you should begin correcting a low level. I took 10,000 IU 7 days a week when I knew my level was low. It corrected quickly and made a huge difference. I had my husband do the six days thing since we didn't know his level at the time. I'm suggesting the slightly lower level for you because you don't know your exact level. This high of a dose will help you correct quickly and it's safe. You do need to use D3 for these doses. The D2 form has less of a safety margin and has other issues too--the vitamin D council has information about the forms and why you need D3.

Edited July 1, 2011 by sbgrace

[wapiti]

:iagree: D3

 

I get it at the vitamin store, 5,000 units. I noticed a difference the first day. I do better taking it in the morning - if I take it too late I have trouble sleeping.

[TheAutumnOak]

The D is likely your culprit. Correcting that level will probably make a big difference even if there are other underlying issues that need addressed (sleep issues, thyroid, other deficiencies, etc.)

 

If you know your D was low go ahead and start aggressively supplementing. Then test in 2 months to see where you are. You want the 25 OH D test. Healthy levels are 50 and above. The lab slip will likely say "normal" is 30something. It's not at all. So if you were low you're probably extremely low. Even a level in the 40's is suboptimal. The vitamin D council website has lots of good information about levels, safety of high dose supplementing of D3 form (and why you want D3 and not prescriptions or D2), and the effects of low levels.

 

Anyway, most people use 2000 IU per 25 pounds a day so that is the amount you may need to maintain a current level. You need to correct a low level and hopefully correct fast so you want much higher. A healthy adult, no matter their underlying level, can safely take doses up to 10,000 IU per day. I can dig up the research on that if you need it. My suggestion is 10,000 IU of D3 six days a week and nothing or 5,000 IU on day 7. Use pills that come in 5000 IU units so you're not taking tons of pills. You can dose D3 once a week if you want. I tend to dose higher during the week and not on the week-end. Anyway, it's the average dose over long periods of time (much longer than a week) that matter.

 

This dosing puts you under the max dose and yet it's enough that you should begin correcting a low level. I took 10,000 IU 7 days a week when I knew my level was low. It corrected quickly and made a huge difference. I had my husband do the six days thing since we didn't know his level at the time. I'm suggesting the slightly lower level for you because you don't know your exact level. This high of a dose will help you correct quickly and it's safe. You do need to use D3 for these doses. The D2 form has less of a safety margin and has other issues too--the vitamin D council has information about the forms and why you need D3.

 

Thank you for this info...I have a very good health food store nearby, as well as a Whole Foods, so I will look there for the D3...

[yslek]

Low energy here, too.

 

It's not thyroid. Not vit D, either. I had it tested a few months ago, and I'm in the normal range (in the 60s or 70s iirc). I do take 4000-5000 IU/day, though, so I probably was low before I started supplementing a couple of years ago. Staying away from sugar has helped some--I don't get that awful afternoon brain fog when I don't eat sugar--but I'm still not very energetic. :/

 

Hopefully yours is an easy fix! :grouphug:

[LAmom]

Try gluten-free...it may be extreme but it makes everything in my life better, energy, clarity of mind, mood,... Try it for two weeks and see if you feel better.

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

I knew of someone that thought they had chronic fatigue syndrome (maybe it really was/is) but changed her diet by going gluten free and that made a big difference.

[Peela]

Agreeing with the others.....I also have chronic low energy. I recently had a blood screening for Vitamin D, thyroid, etc

 

I had low Vitamin D (bottom of medically normal range which is well below optimal), thyroid antibodies (which means my immune system is out of whack- auto immune disease), and low ferritin.

 

Get your iron checked, thyroid checked, Vitamin D.

 

Then I had a bowel culture screening to see if I had anything going on in my digestive system and found that is pretty out of balance, so I am now on digestive enzymes and mega probiotics etc to bring that into balance. It may be why I don't absorb iron well.

 

Meanwhile I have also started taking a multi vitamin which I had in the cupboard and that actually has made more difference than anything. I think the bowel flora being disturbed means that I am not absorbing/creating Vitamin B very well, so i feel that its probably the vitamin Bs I needed.

 

Its sort of a big experiment :) Get whatever tests your doctor will do that might be relevant. Supplement. See what works.

 

Meanwhile I now have the flu which is giving me a great excuse to do very little at all and take really good care of myself.

 

I tend to feel that when women get older, especially into their 40s, taking care of themselves no longer becomes optional when they have enough time. It becomes mandatory. So its a good time to get your diet in order and find out what might be out of balance. Not a good time to drink more caffeine jsut to get through the day :)

 

There are herbs you can try too- siberian ginseng is a good herbal tonic to build stamina. But it wont replace a good diet etc

[mom2scouts]

I also have low energy. I never thought to check Vitamin D, but that's a very real possibility considering where I live. I'm not getting it from the sun!

[Soror]

It was gluten for me, although D levels have some effect, not as much as gluten. I find I do better on a low carb diet as well. For breakfast I do best on almost no carbs because if not I just want to sleep(evening from eating something like a homemade yogurt with berries). I try to stay away from grains and most fruit due to this. I also go to bed early with the kids(we all do here), no stimulation ie tv, radio or lights of any kind at night.

[Ester Maria]

You might wish to check your iron and B12 (especially if you consume little meat).

 

Other than that, the lack of energy quite often comes down to sugar intake. People often notice dramatic increase of energy when they cut on carbs some (as many people overconsume those), combined with completely staying away from white sugar and processed foods which contain sugar. Try it for a while and after the initial cold turkey phase you may feel a lot better.

[Osmosis Mom]

I take a daily multi vitamin and 4 Omega Brites (fish oil) tablets pr. day. Otherwise I'd be like a wilted flower. I don't nap and I don't supervise anything except make sure I have enough water and don't eat sweets (sugar makes me sleepy).:001_smile:

[Luckymama]

I made a few changes this year that have impacted my day-to-day life and energy levels. I cut out caffeine, made the effort to go to bed as close to 10pm as possible (I get up at 6:15am), eliminated artificial sweeteners except for caffeine free Diet Coke when being social, and made exercise a priority. We already eat a very good diet due to dd16's food allergies.

 

I have so much more energy than before. I wake up without being in a daze. I'm slowly losing the weight I gained after my mother's illness and death (1-2lb/month, the rate I put it on). My patience with the kids and with outside situations has increased. And best of all, dh and I are enjoying many more pots of teA than ever before ;)

 

I just turned 45 so I'm a few years older than you are, Tahara. I wish I had thought to make these changes a few years ago!

 

I think you should make smaller changes first like trying vitamins before eliminating gluten :)

[abbeyej]

Vitamin D did make a difference. More so: exercise and avoiding sugar and grain. If I cut out all sugar (not whole fruits, but anything sweetened with white sugar, honey, etc, and, of course, no artificial sweeteners), I simply don't get the sleepiness and mid-day exhaustion that has become common for me otherwise. Exercising regularly along with that has really helped too.

[Crafty Mathy Mom]

Also get your iron checked. Ask for the full panel and not just the finger stick for hemoglobin. My hemoglobin is normal, but my ferritin levels and iron stores were very low. A high quality iron supplement (Floradix) helped me tremendously.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Bradford Academy