Tiredness during pregnancy

Tiredness is a common symptom during pregnancy and there are several common reasons why this should be so.

Tiredness during pregnancy is most likely to happen in the first three months and again in the last three months before the baby is born. Most women generally feel at their best in the middle few months.

In the first part of pregnancy the tiredness is likely to be due to the effect of the pregnancy hormones. Towards the end, tiredness during pregnancy, is due to the physical effort of carrying the baby. Other possible causes include anemia, diabetes or other underlying medical conditions. If you do feel very tired during pregnancy then make sure you mention it to your doctor or midwife.

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Labels: chronic-fatigue-syndrome, fatigue, tired-symptoms, tiredness

Always Tired?

Why am I always so tired?

If you browse around on this website you'll find the answers to many causes of tiredness.

Tiredness can be fleeting and clearly related to something you've done or to something thats happened in your life - but sometimes it can creep up unnanounced and without warning.

If you are always tired then here are the things to consider. In general its best to seek an opinion from a doctor and its quite likely you will need some blood tests done to sort things out properly.

Always Tired - some causes:

Medication - are you taking any regular medication? All sorts of drugs and medication can cause a feeling of being always tired. The common culprits are medication for blood pressure or for depression but almost any prescribed drug will list fatigue or tiredness as a side effect.

Low blood counts or anemia - if your blood count drops low enough to cause anemia then you are likely to feel always tired. The red blood cell count is the one that triggers anemia if it drops. The white blood cell count can also cause fatigue if it is low but this usually only happens in people with a suppressed or deficient immune system.

Low thyroid blood levels - an underactive thyroid gland can cause you to feel always tired or always fatigued.

High blood sugar - a high blood sugar, which is a sign of diabetes - nearly always leads to fatigue or a sense of always feeling tired. Paradoxically, a low blood sugar can do the same thing but the tiredness in this case is usually short lived.

Depression - low mood or a depression illness can cause an overwhelming sense of fatigue. If you feel low in mood and are always tired then its possible you have a significant depression.

Other medical conditions than can cause you to feel always tired include kidney problems, liver problems and other serious underlying disease. Also, ladies, don't forget that early pregancy can be a cause of extreme tiredness - sometimes even befort you've missed your first period.

Dont rely on the information on this site - seek advice from a doctor.

Labels: always-tired, fatigue, tiredness

Nausea - Fatigue

What can cause nausea and fatigue?

Nausea and fatigue are odd bedfellows as symptoms. They can occur together for the simplest of reasons but can also be warning signs for more serious underlying disorder.

Common causes of a nausea - fatigue combination are viral illness, medication side effects - and, of course, pregnancy.

Rarer causes include internal problems such as liver or kidney disease or even conditions such as stomach or bowel cancer.

If you have a nausea fatigue symptom combination for more than a few days then please seek the advice of a doctor as soon as you can.

Labels: fatigue-due-to-medication, nausea-fatigue, tiredness

Tired Symptoms

Find help with symptoms of fatigue and tiredness

This site is designed to answer all your questions about being tired. Symptoms of fatigue and lethargy or tired symptoms can sometimes arise suddenly, but more often they appear in a slow starting way so that the fatigue just seems to creep up on you.

Browse this site by using the site index or the search function - you'll find both in the left column of every page.

Details of the ten or so most recent articles are always on the right of every page.

Don't let tired symptoms get the better of you. Find what you need to know here

Labels: fatigue, tired-symptoms, tiredness

Fever and Fatigue

Fatigue is a common symptom if you have a fever.
This combination of fever and fatigue can happen for several reasons.

Firstly - one of the major effects of fever is to cause a gradual loss of body fluid. This results in dehydration and (if it becomes severe) an imbalance in the bodies salt levels. Low sodium and low potassium are both likely to cause profound feelings of fatigue.

If you have a fever then it's crucial to drink as much water as you possibly can. Try to drink enough water to ensure that you are passing urine regularly - and aim to make that urine pale yellow in color. If it looks dark - drink more!

Secondly - fever is usually an indication that your body is trying to fight off an infection - either a virus or a bacterial infection. The fact that your immune system is working full tilt to fight the infection can lead directly to feelings of fatigue and tiredness.

If you are unwell with a persistent fever or prolonged fatigue then you need to see a doctor. Don't rely on websites for medical advice - seek a medical opinion.

Labels: fatigue, fever-fatigue, tiredness

Fatigue? Nolvadex?

Can Nolvadex cause fatigue?

Nolvadex or Tamoxifen as it is also known is an orally active selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) which is used in the treatment of breast cancer and is currently the world's largest selling drug for this indication.

Fatigue is one of the most common side effects of nolvadex treatment. Nolvadex fatigue is sometimes a reason that patients wish to stop taking the drug.

Nolvadex is used slightly less often than before due to the emergence of other breast cancer drugs such as arimidex and letrozole or femara but still has a very valuable place to play.

Nolvadex research shows that the drug has made significant improvements in breast cancer survival rates over the last ten years or so.

Other uses for Nolvadex
Nolvadex is also used to treat infertility in women with anovulatory disorders.

A dose of 10-40 mg per day is administered in days 3-7 of a woman's cycle. In addition, a rare condition occasionally treated with tamoxifen is retroperitoneal fibrosis.

In men, tamoxifen is sometimes used to treat gynecomastia which is an abnormal but benign enlargement of the male breast tissue

Nolvadex 4050mgs is also used illicitly by bodybuilders to prevent or reduce drug-induced gynecomastia caused by the build up effects of anabolic steroid drugs.

Nolvadex Side Effects
Apart from nolvadex fatigue, other side effects include hot flushes, itch, puffy ankles and hair thinning.

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

Does Zirtek Make You Tired?

Zirtek (sometimes spelled Zyrtek) is an antihistamine drug. It is often used to treat hay fever or other symptoms related to allergy.

You can read more about antihistamine drugs here.

When zirtek was first launched as a drug it was regarded as a new type of antihistamine drug. It was said to be non sedating and the manufacturers claimed that taking it would not make you feel tired.

All antihistamine drugs prior to zyrtek had resulted in drowsiness.

Despite the manufacturers initial claims however, it has become clear over time that a reasonably high percentage of those who take zyrtek do indeed feel tired or drowsy or lethargic.

Does zyrtek make you tired or sleepy? If so then it might be worth trying another similar drug. Not all antihistamines work in the same way.

Labels: fatigue, fatigue-due-to-medication, tiredness