Alicia64 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 All this week I've been exhausted. Not normal exhausted, but tired like when you're pregnant and want to fall asleep at 9:30 in the morning exhausted. I manage to stay up until 1 p.m.ish and then HAVE to take an afternoon nap. It's been really bad. After the nap I feel better, but still sluggish. And, yes, I'm getting plenty of sleep at night. No problem there at all. Any suggestions? Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMarie Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Lower your expectations. That is my strategy and also lots of caffeine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Check your vitamin D, your magnesium and calcium levels. Also your iron. And coffee. Make sure that level stays high. :D Just kidding--if it is adrenal in nature, you don't want caffeine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I don't think that there's anything wrong with having an afternoon nap if you feel tired, and if there seems to be a good reason for it. I'd also look at the big picture of your activities, stress, eating, etc. and see if you can find any other factors in addition to hormones/menopause. You may also want to get some blood-work done to see if there are any other issues like vitamin D, B, thyroid, lime disease, etc. P.S. Did you check to see whether you are pregnant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 I don't think that there's anything wrong with having an afternoon nap if you feel tired, and if there seems to be a good reason for it. I'd also look at the big picture of your activities, stress, eating, etc. and see if you can find any other factors in addition to hormones/menopause. You may also want to get some blood-work done to see if there are any other issues like vitamin D, B, thyroid, lime disease, etc. P.S. Did you check to see whether you are pregnant? Yes, absolutely get some blood work. It could be blood sugar related, too. Or, if it is just this week--were you under a lot of stress lately that ended a week or so ago? Sometimes that happens to me when the adrenaline stops pumping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMarie Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 If it is blood sugar, which I also struggle with, increasing your protein might help. A heavy on the carbs breakfast catches up with me pretty fast. Pancakes = nap here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMarie Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Do you get any exercise? I know, counter intuitive, but exercise if you can make yourself do it really helps. Just getting out for a walk first thing in the morning helps too, but after coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 You may not be sleeping as well as you think. From what I've been told, most women have sleep problems from 40-60 at some point, some more subtle. And yes, it can be hormonal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 I don't think that there's anything wrong with having an afternoon nap if you feel tired, and if there seems to be a good reason for it. I'd also look at the big picture of your activities, stress, eating, etc. and see if you can find any other factors in addition to hormones/menopause. You may also want to get some blood-work done to see if there are any other issues like vitamin D, B, thyroid, lime disease, etc. P.S. Did you check to see whether you are pregnant? That would be awesome!! But I haven't had a period in 2 yrs. and DH is fixed. Kind of doubt it, but that sure would be fun. I made an appoint. w/ the OB for Monday. She's the dr. I see when I really have a problem vs. just needing a pap. When I say tired I mean lay your head on the kitchen table tired. I've worked out every day this week hoping it would help -- in the late a.m. I drink coffee. I feel better after a nap, but it's . . . not good overall. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Hun, I really hate to be the bearer of bad news but it could get worse even in postmenopause. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how something like this can BE in a civilized country in the 21st century and what the deal is about the conspiracy of silence around it.Please don't go all Judgey McJudgerson on people who take HRT. I don't because of cancer in the family, but I'm getting a lot of comfort from reading a blog by someone who does and is very radical and outspoken about it:http://menopausemillitancy.blogspot.co.uk/You do what you have to do and then you do what you have to do to keep people from finding out and worrying about you or thinking that you should be stood up against a wall and shot because they have NO CLUE what some of us go through.Coffee is supposed to make it worse. Avoid caffeine and alcohol if you can. I can't.I don't know if there really are people who breeze through this or if they're all lying, but I tend to think it is probably the former. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I was feeling this way and found out my ferritin levels were very low, even though my hemoglobin was on the low end of normal. I'm feeling much better after four months on iron supplements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 acupuncture has helped with my menopause symptoms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I have had this kind of fatigue and I was blaming it on the change of life. All my blood work was great except my vitamin D but even getting that back up to normal didn't help. I stumbled over the problem quite by accident. I got my eyes checked and guess who needed bifocals. What a difference! Tired eyes, led to yawning, led to nap time. A couple years later I started feeling that crippling exhaustion again. Sure enough, I needed my prescription strengthened again. I have been feeling pretty tired lately and probably need a change again; The eye doctor assures me it will level off someday! I hope you find answers that work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 You are two years post menopause and have crushing fatigue. I would definitely go to the doc for some bloodwork and an exam. Any others symptoms at all besides fatigue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 You are two years post menopause and have crushing fatigue. I would definitely go to the doc for some bloodwork and an exam. Any others symptoms at all besides fatigue? I have arthritis in my lower back that is really annoying and really bad anxiety in situations that used to be fine like being on a chairlift. This crazy fatigue just hit me on Monday and I've had it each day. I made a hair appoint. for tomorrow at 1:30 worrying that I'll be too tired to get to the appointment. :confused1: Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 All this week I've been exhausted. Not normal exhausted, but tired like when you're pregnant and want to fall asleep at 9:30 in the morning exhausted. I manage to stay up until 1 p.m.ish and then HAVE to take an afternoon nap. It's been really bad. After the nap I feel better, but still sluggish. And, yes, I'm getting plenty of sleep at night. No problem there at all. Any suggestions? Alley I had this a year ago. Crashing fatigue describes it perfectly. Get up at 6 normal like.....by 12 noon I can't stay awake through my son reading a 5 minute passage to me. I had a full blood panel....I had low vit D, low progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. I took 10k units of vit D daily for 30 days then 5k units for another 30 days and I spent a lot of time in the sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I would have Vit D levels, magnesium, and thyroid levels checked. Low thyroid can cause that type of fatigue. My magnesium was low and I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I live for afternoon naps. I've noticed I don't NEED them as much. I've only been on meds for a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Just wanted to second the vit d and mag as well as avoiding carbs in the am. High protein high fat breakfast with little to no carbs makes a huge difference for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Agree with the bloodwork already suggested. Extreme fatigue can also be a symptom of impending cardiac issues, so ask the doctor about that, too. If everything else is okay and it's hormonal, as someone suggested already, exercise will help, often dramatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Iodine can do that. Have you had your thyroid levels checked? Chocolate does that to me. CHOCOLATE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I have had this kind of fatigue and I was blaming it on the change of life. All my blood work was great except my vitamin D but even getting that back up to normal didn't help. I stumbled over the problem quite by accident. I got my eyes checked and guess who needed bifocals. What a difference! Tired eyes, led to yawning, led to nap time. A couple years later I started feeling that crippling exhaustion again. Sure enough, I needed my prescription strengthened again. I have been feeling pretty tired lately and probably need a change again; The eye doctor assures me it will level off someday! I hope you find answers that work for you. This is such an excellent suggestion. It made me realize that dd13 is more energetic since getting vision therapy this spring. Since VT, she started using an exercise app and now she's added early morning runs to her routine. Very interesting. P.S. I have glasses for distance but only wear them when I really need to, usually for driving. I wonder if I'd feel less fatigued if I wore them more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMarie Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 If it has just been this past week you could just have a virus. I am a year into menopause and the fatigue issue has been more gradual, and hot flashes during the night are part of it. It sounds more sudden, what you are describing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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