Mystery Illness - Exhausted
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hi! I am not sure which field of doctor that I need to see, as I am struggling with a 'mystery illness' . In a nutshell, I have had extreme exhaustion for several years, punctuated by short (hours long) spurts of energy in which I rush to get everything done, because once those hours end I have days or weeks of sleeping round the clock, feeling as if I'm walking thru quicksand, aching in my bones, with a foggy and worthless brain. In my good hours, I am quick, energetic and intelligent. I have been to several GPs and had many blood work ups done, all indicating nothing. My last bloodwork was this Feb - zip. I eat well, sleep A TON, and have eliminated as much stress from my life as I can. I AM overweight - but this has been due to eating sugar constantly to be energetic enough to make it thru my workdays for the last ten years. Last September, I quit my job and since then have stopped my sugar habit completely (since I can sleep all the time) and have already lost thirty pounds. This does not help my symptoms, however. I simply don't have to 'force thru' my days anymore. I have had depression in the past, and been put on Lexapro, which worked well while I needed it. It did not help my physical symptoms at all though. I have stopped taking it since I recovered from my depressive episode. I do not believe that I am currently depressed at all, although I do have a fairly stressful home situation - caring for a spouse with crippling major depression. I do have many problems with allergies - both external (animals, pollens, dirt, dust, etc) and food allergies (oral allergy syndrome) and intolerances. I have been helped by not eating gluten for the last three years. I am asthmatic. This brings me to now: Quite by accident, I have discovered that Claritin D (with pseudoephedrine) alleviates NEARLY ALL of my symptoms. I have taken it the last two months for spring allergies, and while I'm on it, my energy levels become normal, I think clearly and more focused, I sleep better and much, much less. I know I'm not supposed to take this indefinitely, but it WORKS. What should I do here? Thank you for your help - I really have no clue still what it is I'm struggling. I feel as if I'm fighting a dragon that I can't see.
1 like, 17 replies
Jaybelle Minnie25
Posted
Minnie25
Posted
Jaybelle Minnie25
Posted
It's always worth having vitamin D checked out before giving up and going for an end-of-the-line junkyard 'diagnosis' of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. For severe fatigue, it's always worth having your adrenals checked in a blood test too. Although rare, Addison's Disease is treatable. Your previous bloods have probably rules this out, but it's worth asking your doctor about to be sure. The vit D is also a simple blood test. All best wishes :-)
debbie75601 Jaybelle
Posted
Jaybelle debbie75601
Posted
debbie75601 Jaybelle
Posted
Jaybelle debbie75601
Posted
Your dose of 4000 IU daily (or 28,000/wk) seems low - general advice from NHS is that 40,000 - 60,000IU/wk is appropriate to reverse deficiency. You could be waiting a long time for recovery. Is there a reason you were prescribed such a modest dose?
Minnie25 Jaybelle
Posted
debbie75601 Jaybelle
Posted
Jaybelle Minnie25
Posted
Minnie25
Posted
ptolemy Minnie25
Posted
Minnie25 ptolemy
Posted
KMRC Minnie25
Posted
a great way to get vitamin D is get in the sun for 15 minutes a day.
hope4cure Minnie25
Posted
Actually what u describe could be a number of things I would keep testing with your doc. It took 3 yrs before they finally listened blaming my exhaustion as everyone has that issue advising to eat better and work on less stress and better quality of sleep..
Minnie25 hope4cure
Posted