Tired All The Time?

Citalopram Fatigue

Citalopram and Fatigue - what's the connection?

Citalopram is a drug used to treat depression and other related conditions. It is also used on occasion in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder and anxiety or panic problems.

Fatigue is one of the main side effects of citalopram and it is the reason that some people eventually decide to stop taking it.

Citalopram belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Citalopram fatigue is dose related - in other words the citalopram fatigue usually gets worse as the dose of citalopram is increased. Alcohol, even in small quantities can also worsen citalopram fatigue.

Read more about citalopram and the apparent paradox of using citalopram to treat fatigue here.

Labels: fatigue-due-to-medication, lethargy, nolvadex-4050mgs, tiredness-due-to-medication

Depression and Fatigue

Does depression cause fatigue? What's the connection between depression and fatigue?

Many people suffering from depression experience fatigue - sometimes being overwhelmed by lethargy and tiredness. But not all those with chronic fatigue are depressed and it can be difficult to decide what the main problem is sometimes.

There are many possible causes of fatigue and depression is only one amongst a long list.

These are the symptoms of depression - if you have more than two or three from the list below then please consider going to see a doctor to discuss things.

Symptoms of Depression
You may be depressed if you have the following symptoms present every day for more than two weeks

• Depressed mood or overwhelming lethargy

and five things from this list:

• Feelings of overwhelming sadness and/or fear, or the seeming inability to feel emotion
• A decrease in the amount of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, daily activities.
• Change in appetite and marked weight gain or loss.
• Disturbed sleep patterns, such as insomnia or excessive sleep - wakening in the early hours of the morning and not getting back to sleep is a common sign of depression
• Feelings of agitation or sluggishness nearly every day
• Mental or physical fatigue and loss of energy.
• Intense feelings of guilt, nervousness, helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, isolation/loneliness and/or anxiety.
• Trouble concentrating, problems staying focussed or problems making decisions
• Problems with memory.
• Recurrent thoughts about death (not just fear of dying),
• Desire to just "lie down and die" or "stop breathing",
• Recurrent thoughts about suicide
• Feeling and/or fear of being abandoned by those close to one.

These are the symptoms that go with a serious depression illness. If you think they apply to you then please seek help before things get any worse.

Labels: depression-symptoms, fatigue, fatigue-and-depression, lethargy, tiredness

A Chronic Fatigue Blood Test

Is there such a thing as a chronic fatigue blood test?

From a doctor's perspective, chronic fatigue can have many possible causes. Most medical students could easily generate a list of about a hundred conditions capable of causing chronic fatigue.

Despite the claims of some alternative therapists, there is no one single blood test which can predict the cause of chronic fatigue or the presence of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Here are some possible blood tests that your doctor might do if you are complaining of chronic tiredness or fatigue.

• kidney or renal function blood tests - problems with kidney function can result in fatigue
• liver function blood tests - liver problems can also cause chronic tiredness or fatigue
• blood sugar level - a high blood sugar level can indicate diabetes and diabetes commonly first shows itself with fatigue or tiredness
• thyroid blood tests - an underactive thyroid gland will cause slowly worsening symptoms of lethargy, fatigue and tiredness
• hormone level blood tests
• blood count levels - a low red cell blood count can point towards anaemia as a cause of fatigue. A low white blood cell level can indicate problems with the immune system. Very rarely conditions such as leukaemia can show up on this kind of blood test
• inflammation tests - the ESR test and the CRP test can show up inflammation in the blood and are sometimes helpful in those suffering from chronic fatigue
• auto-immune tests - several diseases have the ability to attack the bodies own cells and organs. Blood tests can help pick up this type of problem
• infection screening tests - chronic grumbling infections like tuberculosis or lyme disease can cause chronic fatigue
• viral screening tests - glandular fever (Epstein Barr Virus), CMV and rarely HIV can be picked up in blood tests of those with chronic tiredness and fatigue

There is no one single chronic fatigue blood test - but a good doctor will consider all the options and arrange the appropriate test.

Labels: chronic-fatigue-syndrome, fatigue, lethargy, tiredness

Yerba Mate for Adrenal Fatigue

Does drinking yerba mate help relieve the symptoms of adrenal fatigue?

Yerba mate infusion is prepared by steeping dry leaves (and twigs) of yerba mate in hot water, rather than boiling water like black tea or coffee. It is slightly less potent than coffee and much gentler on the stomach.

The flavor of brewed yerba mate is strongly vegetal, herbal, and grassy, reminiscent of some varieties of green tea.

Many consider the flavor to be very agreeable, but it is generally bitter if steeped in boiling water, so is made using hot but not boiling water. Unlike most teas, it does not become bitter and astringent when steeped for extended periods, and the leaves may be infused several times. Additionally, one can purchase flavored mate in many varieties.

If you are suffering from adrenal fatigue then your complementary therapist may well advise you to use yerba mate in addition to a number of other treatments and lifestyle strategies.

Those using Yerba Mate often report a mental state of wakefulness, focus and alertness but often remark on mate's unique lack of the negative effects typically created by other stimulants like coffee. Yerba mate does not seem to trigger anxiety, diarrhea, "jitteriness", and heart palpitations.

Yerba Mate - Adrenal fatigue

Labels: adrenal-fatigue, fatigue, lethargy, tiredness

Adrenal Fatigue

What is Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is a term for a hypothesised condition of the adrenal glands.

The terms adrenal exhaustion or adrenal fatigue are often used by complementary therapists but are not formal medical terms and many doctors dispute whether adrenal fatigue really exists as a condition.

The adrenal glands are part of the body's mechanism for short term stress response and management

The adrenal glands produce adrenaline - a hormone which increases the body's metabolic rate and muscular contraction strength. Along with the thyroid gland they are also part of the body's metabolic energy regulation and control system, and thus control to an extent the energy available to body systems.

Have I got Adrenal Fatigue?
The alternative medicine theory of adrenal fatigue is that long term stress can cause the adrenal glands to become less responsive to external pressures or to the demands of day to day life. Adrenal fatigue thus causes the adrenal glands to cease to function properly and leads to a wide range of fatigue and stress related symptoms.

You can read more about adrenal fatigue and the alternative medicine approach to stress here.

Labels: adrenal-fatigue, fatigue, lethargy, nolvadex-4050mgs, tiredness

Fatigue due to beta blocker drugs

Almost all drugs can cause fatigue and tiredness but some types of medication are more guilty of this than others. Drugs used for high blood pressure are often particularly likely to cause a fatigue reaction.

Beta blockers are used for various reasons but particularly for the management of irregular heart beat and to protect the heart after a heart attack.
Beta blockers were at one time the first choice treatment for high blood pressure and are still often used for this reason. However, the role of beta blockers in blood pressure treatment is changing and they are now thought to be less effective than other drugs, particularly in the elderly, and there is some evidence that the most frequently used beta-blockers can increase the risk of developing diabetes.

If you are taking a beta blocker then you may well experience fatigue or lethargy.
Fatigue is the commonest beta blocker side effect. Some people also experience heavy limbs and impaired exercise tolerance.

Tiredness due to beta blockers often varies depending on the particular beta blocker you are taking. Some beta blockers almost always cause fatigue (atenolol is particularly bad for this) while others are less prone to causing tiredness or lethargy.

If you have fatigue due to beta blocker drugs then you should discuss this with your doctor at your next visit.

Labels: fatigue, fatigue-due-to-beta-blockers, fatigue-due-to-medication, lethargy