Getting Healthy

LexiPlexi · December 2013

I'm not quite sure what my problem is, and neither are my doctors. I've had all the tests done and they told me I have Chronic Fatigue. No sh*t guys, I could have told you that! I feel like chronic fatigue is just their way of slapping a label on something they don't understand just to make it seem like they know what's going on. Mayoclinic & webmd says causes are not understood, symptoms aren't always the same, treatments are unsuccessful... waste of time.

I am always so ridiculously tired. I get light headed when I stand up, need tons of sleep, have random muscle pains, and I just lack energy in general. I am not overweight, I am not depressed, I am otherwise quite healthy. But I am worried about this being a major issue when I have kids. We aren't TTC yet, so I have some time to get my health in check, but have no idea what to do. Have any of you experienced this? If so, what did you do?

I had a pre-conception appointment last week and the doctor pretty much said to suck it up & deal. "Everything else seems to be in good working order and all moms are exhausted in the beginning anyway so what would be the difference ha ha ha". She showed no sensitivity at all. You may not get it, hell I don't get it, but don't make a joke out of something that I am clearly struggling with and am very worried about!

I think the worst part of all of this is I think she's right. I'm 99.9% sure I am just going to have to suck it up and deal. (especially since no one really knows whats going on or how to go about fixing it)

magpie1127 · December 2013

Just because you arent overweight doesnt mean you are healthy. What percentage of your diet is fresh veggies? I've found that something as simple as switching out what I used to eat for breakfast (cereal) for a smoothie made with lots of fresh greens (usually kale or spinach) and a little bit of fruit gives me TONS of energy. When it comes to eating healthy, I prefer to add nutritious foods in, rather than eliminating foods. Eating a plant-based diet (minimal grains, dairy and meat) can change your life, no joke.

LexiPlexi · December 2013

I said I'm not overweight or depressed because those are thought to be the two main (supposed) causes of chronic fatigue.

But yes, I've changed my diet. I could do better though. I exercise too but I dont really see a difference when I eat better & exercise more so I kind of slack at it. I know my issue isn't as terrible as some others may be dealing with so I try to keep some perspective.

FemShep · December 2013

I would seek a second (or third or fourth) opinion until someone takes your condition seriously. In the meantime, I'd look at eliminating certain things from your diet and tracking, very closely, what happens with your symptoms. Start with eliminating gluten and processed sugar. Track every single thing you eat. Track your specific symptoms with time, experience, amount of sleep, etc. This type of detailed info makes it easier to find patterns as well as possible causes. Good luck to you-parenting a newborn is exhausting, I couldn't imagine doing it with CFS.

krcran06 · December 2013

If you want to try something for a diet reset I would wholly recommend Whole30 which is a strict reset for Paleo (gluten free, dairy free, processed food free). I did it for October and I have never felt better. I am a teacher in a new school this year, been stressed, eating crap, not sleeping, living on tea, coffee and diet coke so I knew I needed to reset myself. The first couple of weeks clean were miserable due to my high consumption of sugar and caffeine before but after that it was like being on a natural high. My weight didn't change but the biggest improvements were:

-No mucusy coughing and sinuses (for once I am allergic to everything)

-Amazing sleeps, falling asleep naturally and staying asleep

-Energy/alertness (think of how you feel hungover then go the opposite way from normal to awesomeness)

It also has a clear suggestion for adding foods back in after you have eliminated it to see which ones bother you.

LexiPlexi · December 2013

Thanks ladies. I think I will try to pay more attention to what I eat. Since eating healthier didn't really help, it may be an allergy to something specific. Tracking could help me find out what it is. I don't think I have the will to follow through on a Paleo-type diet, but cutting out particular foods and slowly adding them in to see my reaction sounds smart. (Its crazy that I've never thought about this before haha)

And yes, I will definitely keep looking for a doctor that's more understanding. The problem is since I've already had my healthy woman's visit (or whatever its called) I have to pay the office fee out of pocket to interview doctors.

annibes · December 2013

I am going to second the gluten-free suggestion. When you go gluten-free, you kind of have to cut out processed foods, and the difference in how you feel is pretty amazing.

Wine&Cupcakes · December 2013

annibes said:

I am going to second the gluten-free suggestion. When you go gluten-free, you kind of have to cut out processed foods, and the difference in how you feel is pretty amazing.

I third this. Also, gluten allergies are NOT routinely tested for so that may be something you want to harass your Dr about if removing gluten doesn't help. Removing gluten is VERY hard as it's in MANY products, including sauces, salad dressings, etc. but is doable.

I'm also assuming that you had your thyroid and iron levels tests as part of a metabolic panel during your physical? If not, def get those done as hypothyroidism or an iron deficiency can certainly cause these symptoms. How much do you sleep regularly? If during the week you only sleep 4-5 hours but sleep 12-14 a night on the weekends, you will still not "catch" your body up very readily.

I also second the exercise and whole food eating suggestion, along with minimizing sugar. Long walks may also help.

SmileyJay · December 2013

Being normal weight doesn't mean you are healthy. You need to have a blood workup done to check for vitamin levels.

Has your B12 vitamin level been checked? The first thing I would do is start a B complex vitamin. You may not be eating enough B12 over a long period of time (especially if you are a vegetarian) or if your body does not process it correctly.

I also recommend to cut out gluten for a month or so and see how it goes. I promise it is not so hard. My husband is diagnosed Celiac (actual endoscopy diagnosis) and so we don't eat gluten. He didn't have your symptoms but his were very scary - limbs losing feeling and random dumbness. You find ways to still have your favorite meals and it is easy. I even feel better and I don't have intolerance. It is overwhelming the first few weeks because you have to learn a lot, but it gets very easy afterwards.

Definitely get this figured out before pregnancy and kids. Having a young child wares you down fast, if your starting point is so low then that would be a recipe for disaster.

SmileyJay · December 2013

You said eating healthy didn't help. How long did you eat clean? You need at least a month - a few weeks is not enough. The same goes with gluten. Commit to it for 1 month and then see how you feel.

Another common allergy is milk. Cut it out and just see. It's worth a shot!

diddle86 · December 2013

Sounds like Lymes Disease... Its a simple blood test to see if you have it

Getting Healthy

Re: Getting Healthy

DX (me): Inborn error of metabolism - protein restriction, metabolic formula & weekly blood tests

DNA Results (7/1): DH is NOT a carrier for my genetic disorder!

7/3: Metabolic clinic gave the green light to TTC - holy crap!

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