CHRONIC TONIC posts on Thursdays at 9 EST, it is a place to share stories, advice, and information and to connect with others with chronic health conditions and those who care for them. Our diarists will report on research, alternative treatments, clinical trials, and health insurance issues through personal stories. You are invited to share in comments (and note if you'd like to be a future diarist). In addition to our weekly diaries, please join us for ongoing conversations at the Kossacks Networking site.
Please remember to visit the Thursday Night Heathcare Series. Tonight's Diarist: Stranded Wind
If you're tired, you either keep going, or you lay down for a nap. If you've got fatigue it's a totally different situation. I can't speak to what others experience, but I've dealt with fatigue ever since I got Lyme disease. Eating the wrong thing is the usual trigger; ninety minutes after a meal I can feel the beginnings of a headache, an uncomfortable pressure in my middle takes hold, and then my hands, feet, and face all go numb and tingly. Lyme attacks the nervous system and in particular the autonomic nerves, causing troubles with digestion, the heart, and in other processes the body just normally does. This seems to be what happens to me, and when it does I face the strong probability of losing a two to four hour time window. When I awake I will not be rested. Fatigued sleep is not restful, it's just wasted time.
I've had this since 2007 and the following are some things I've discovered that really help.
Note: Low energy and fatigue should be discussed with your health care provider. The following remedies are those investigated by the diarist. Not all remedies work for all individuals, and some may be contra-indicated for individuals for various reasons. Please discuss the appropriateness of particular substances with a health care professional familiar with your particular health circumstances before using.
Vitamin B-12 is available in multivitamins, as subligual dots, in the over the counter energy shots (2 oz berry flavored beverage), and as an injection. Take a multivitamin if you need but don't expect to get any great B-12 effect from it. The dots are less ineffective as they absorb directly to the blood stream, but to really figure out if this helps you need to try an energy shot or two. My condition is bad enough that I keep a syringe and an ampule of B-12 in the side pocket of my backpack. Injections are prescription and they can be a lifesaver.
Vitamins C, D, and Magnesium Glycinate. If your fatigue has a digestive component a high quality glycinate magnesium supplement (not an oxide) along with LARGE doses of vitamin C & D may make a difference. The toxicity levels on the two vitamins are very, very high. My Lyme doc tells me once his patients takes 50,000 units of D daily and excess vitamin C is simply excreted. Do mind the urinary tract pH. You'll have an unpleasant surprise in the form of a mild internal burn if you precipitously quit taking large doses of vitamin C.
SAM-e. S-Adenosyl methionine is a naturally occurring substance that is used to treat depression in about 50% of all cases in Europe. The chemical is a methyl group donor that supports the liver's detoxification functions, it's involved in joint health, and it's a potent, fast acting mood booster. If you have physical pain coupled with fatigue this is a good one to try. The enteric coated pills must pass through the stomach quickly and then be absorbed, so this is a morning thing with a large glass of water. You'll find studies indicating 1,200mg is a good dose. I strongly recommend you start with 200mg and ramp up with an additional 200mg every other day until you find a good level. This is one to avoid if you have a history of mania.
DHEA – Dehydroepiandrosterone supports adrenal function. Your adrenalin glands get a heck of a workout if you're fighting fatigue symptoms and this provides the raw materials they need to do the job. The effect is noticeably stimulating, more so than a triple espresso, but it feels 'smoother' and more body-wide than caffeine. Not something you want to do at bedtime.
DMAE – Dimethylethanolamine is a choline precursor. I personally found this to be a very rough ride, but my fatigue has a neurological basis rather than this particular cellular energy circuit. I include this so folks will know it's available; it might be just the thing for someone else and information on it isn't terribly common.
5-HTP. 5-Hydroxytryptophan is a precursor for the neurotransmitter serotonin, another powerful mood and mental energy booster. I take this almost every day, in the morning, at the same time I take SAM-e. I will occasionally take it in the evening and it leads to curious, dream filled yet restful sleep. Overall it makes me feel 'up', but it's a curious sort of feeling, more a sense that the whole world is brighter rather than the 'jumpy' sensation one gets from caffeine.
I will strongly suggest that you TAKE NOTES as you begin to integrate these things into your life. Even if you're very aware of what you eat and how you feel the odds are pretty good you won't be able to correctly gage cause and effect on these things on the fly. It's important to know when to back off ... and when to not let a bad experience deter you from something that will help. My first day with DHEA was, uhh, quite exciting and I almost turned away, but it's now a regular thing for me. DMAE helped some things for me but after a month I found that it was causing more troubles than it cured and I sidelined it.
Please indicate in comments your willingness to be a diarist:
February 4: Diarist Needed
February 11: Diarist Needed
February 18: Amaryliss
February 25: Diarist Needed