Physically fit and healthy but just not able to wake up

[Shock]

Hi all - just after opinions:

I think I am reasonably healthy and fit - I go to the gym almost everyday and dont ever get sick. But I just feel overwhelmingly tired all of the time. I don't think its a kind of physical tiredness - for example I feel like if I closed my eyes I could drift off at almost anytime of the day, but I can go to the gym and run 5klm without any issue (I dont feel pumped up after exercising either like a lot of people say they do - just feel the same level of tiredness). Getting up in the morning I near impossible - in fact thats probably when I am most depressed - I feel like killing myself when I first get out of bed. One day on the weekend I decided to not set my alaram and just see how long my body needed to rest - my housemate woke me up over 24hrs later! Naturally, I have had blood tests but nothing has been revealed.

Has anyone experienced tiredness like this? Could I have chronic fatigue syndrome?

[total eclipse]

Wow hun your thyroid is ok your vit b12 levels were they checked blood glucose level it could be many things hun only your doctor can tell you but allergy season seems to know people out good not breathing properly I hope you find cause of this fatigue hun Have you gone to sleep specialist maybe you are sleeping properly at night hugs

[Samara]

Well I actually wrote a response to this, or was in the middle of writing a response, and then I stopped because someone came to talk to me, and then I ended up closing the browser, forgetting I had the response. But I am rewriting it, so sorry about the response being late.

I know what it is like to feel CONSTANTLY tired. I am talking about a kind of tired that is almost to the point of exhaustion, the type where no matter how much I rest, I still feel tired when I wake up.
It has me sleeping most of the time, honestly, and feeling as though I am physically weak (sort of like feeling a bit light headed, or not enough energy to get up or do anything) too often.

This tiredness has prevented me from going to work on time, many days…. And it has also made it so that I was unable to show up to work at all, many days as well. It got to a point where I actually lost my job in part due to this concern.
But while I had my job, I would end up having to leave work early, because I felt like I was going to pass out, or fall asleep at my desk. I talked to my boss about this numerous times, and he had various things to say, he thought that it must be my sleeping regime, and that the solution would be for me to be more disciplined.

I tried explaining to him that I can adapt a “normal” bed time, and get to sleep, and wake up “on time”, and still feel tired. In the past I have slept through alarm clocks, fire alarms, and people coming and going multiple times… even with a “normal” sleeping regime.

To be honest, it was yesterday that I slept right through people leaving the house. This would have meant they were up and getting ready, making noise, probably said bye to me too. I heard none of this, I had no awareness either that it had gotten so late. This is how hard and how heavy I sleep.
When I left school once, I fell asleep sitting up in the vehicle… I just feel “THAT” tired that it’s almost like this instant need to sleep, this instant drained feeling. This instant weakness that takes over my body.

Not only this, by my eyes often burn. They feel like they are burning… especially if I only get 6 or less hours of sleep, it’s practically impossible for me to function at that point. This can remain true even with more sleep.

Some days I am capable of sleeping 16 hours no problem, and honestly could easily do this on most days. Then, if I sleep longer, I end up feeling more tired.

Maybe you know what I am talking about here, or what I am describing…It’s basically as though I could sleep more, even if I have slept enough. It never feels like it’s enough.

Obviously with this interfering with my life, and with my work, I have had this tested many times. By tested I mean, I had many things checked out, to rule out the possibility of it.

My family assumed that since I did not go out much, that I must be low in Vitamin D (Sunlight)… so I had that tested, and it came back fine.

They assumed that because I did not eat much meat, that it must be my iron levels… had that tested it came back fine. I became a vegetarian a year and a half ago, and had it tested too many times since, and it always comes back at a normal level, with doctors saying there is no concern in that regard.

I then thought that it might be my thyroid, since my family has issues with their thyroids, and I was reading that thyroid problems can be a cause of depression and other issues…. So I was eager to get this tested, hoping that it would be my solution, and would finally tell me what was wrong with me. Well the first test came back borderline, meaning not quite, but a possibility. But subsequent tests stated that it was fine, and nothing wrong with it… So another disappointment, when I thought I had figured out what it was.
I also had many other vitamins and things tested, and they too, every single time, came back clean.

I checked myself for STD’s and any other kind of sexually transmitted issue, and have done this for 6 years now, not just once a year, but multiple times (I am not active, but I have read that it can take time to show up). This has come back clean for 6 years, so in that regard, it’s not anything like that causing my fatigue either.

Family told me many times to take this supplement or that supplement. Wanted me to take mutli-vitamins (I did), wanted me to take vitamin A, B12, C, D etc… I did all of that, but nothing changed. (I don’t do that anymore… I am kind of anti-pill unless absolutely necessary).
There were times, honestly, where I left work early to go home and sleep, because I felt that fatigued and tired…. So I have gone to doctors again, and again… to find out.

I went to MANY family doctors and they all had their theories. The first one (A woman), thought it must be my internet addiction, and figured that if I stop that, I will feel fine. (When I stop that I don't exactly feel any better honestly... and although people around me think I am addicted to the internet, it is more about me being able to connect with certain people that I otherwise have no other way of talking to... When they are not around, or are not online, I am bored with the internet and often go away from it).

Second one told me to change my diet. I did that…. Even cut out certain foods (I was trying to figure out what was causing my acne), entirely… and then re-introduced foods etc…

Third one said that I should exercise. Did that, but as you said, it never changed anything… it didn’t make me less tired…

Another, told me to take an energy drink. At this point I am thinking that the doctors I see are just plain dense. Not only do energy drinks have a crash, but I cannot believe that this was given as “medical” advice, and I took time off work to hear somebody actually tell me that. Just seemed unprofessional, lazy (in the sense that they just wanted me out of their office, and didn't want to actually have to figure out the problem that I am facing), and uneducated to me.

The only other thing that ever came up, was when I was getting myself blood tested to go on Accutane (a very potent version of Vitamin A, that requires monthly blood tests and other limitations just to be on the medication; and I have not gone on this medication yet to date), for acne issues. The doctor said that something in my blood was high, and needed to come down a level, before I could go on a proper dosage of that medication.

I believe it was my “triglycerides” that was the issue. Basically, I am known to eat a lot of potatoes, breads, and granny things (pasta, noodles etc…). These end up converting into some BS thing where basically the sugar levels and other things in my blood rise.

After hearing this, I was like THAT must be what the problem is, and all of these other damn blood tests never even caught the problem!!! I was angry that I had so many blood tests and it’s some dermatologist who is noticing this, not even all of the other doctors I went to.

In any case I immediately cut out almost entirely my potato consumption (it’s my favorite food, and I eat it the most), and other consumptions. I did this for some time. My acne did not change, nor did I feel any different either. Again I was told to exercise too, because that brings down those levels as well. I did that too.

It did not change anything in terms of how I felt or anything else… in regard to being tired. I thought it might be the reason why, or the explanation. Well again, a dead end.

It was only recently that I was reading up on something, because I wanted to make sure I understood it as my memory was telling me it was (refreshing my memory). I was reading up on “Bi-Polar Disorder”. This of course took me to Borderline Personality Disorder (same thing, but the real name is Borderline, not Bi-Polar).

Anyway, basically everything that I was reading was true for myself, so I read more into it, and it said that exhaustion in terms of feeling tired was a part of this problem; as was depression (I have that)… and other things.

It seems at this point that I may be the level of “BPD” that would require medication (something I absolutely never wanted to do, or have to be stuck with, or have to fry my brain with etc…), and it would explain a whole heck of a lot, if this were true.

As of right now I am not diagnosed, but honestly I have had everything else checked… and it has come back clean now after countless blood tests, and years of years of looking for some kind of problem to be found.

I don’t think there is a way to test for a hormonal imbalance, I remember seeing a Dr. Phil show where he promised a guest such a thing, hormonal and chemical imbalance tests, but I am not really sure that such a thing is really that widespread yet, and probably is not available for myself to actually confirm any kind of chemical issue.

At this point I believe I might require medication, but I am struggling with that reality… but it seems that might be the issue for me, after having tested everything else out.

You would have see what I said here, and maybe read into that disorder too; or possibly another disorder that could basically be draining you so intensely emotionally, that even with a proper diet, and exercise, and good friends etc… you still cannot seem to keep yourself from feeling exhausted.

Oh, and then a friend of mine said oh you don’t drink enough water. Drink more of it. Blab la bla. Well I am doing a lot of that lately (as in more than just a couple of days, I mean months now). Also cranberry juice, and Gatorade with “electrolytes” LOL. But I still feel emotionally “drained”. Honestly.

The other day I ended up laying awkwardly on the bed, and sleeping for hours, after having already slept. A family member came in, and asked me if that was how I was sleeping… it was just me laying down for a “nap” because I was that tired, and it turned into hours again, of more sleeping…

The only other thing would be a form of sleep apnea, but I am not certain by what you said either that this is it, and to figure that out, you’d have to go in for a test. That test would require you to stay up all night, and basically fall asleep at the testing place while you are monitored to see if anything odd happens.

But I am not a doctor, again; however from what you said I am not hearing that it is that. There are usually signs of a sleeping disorder, different kinds of signs. Signs like people noticing that you stop breathing during your sleep, or falling asleep in impossible situations and places, during times where you otherwise would not have done such, even standing… or while driving etc…

You know, however, mostly what you are feeling and what goes on, so maybe some of those things are true for you for that idea of a sleeping disorder.

Anyway, I just thought I would share what I deal with, and how I tried to figure it out… and all of these things. It’s no solution, but firstly for you to know you are not alone, and secondly for you to consider that it might actually be a mental/hormonal imbalance of some sort, or at least give it a look around and check into that idea.

It might explain a lot, if it ends up being something where you read it and say “that’s me, and that’s me… this too!” etc… I am not saying it will be what I said it is for myself (BPD), because there are many others that also have the same effect on the body.

Take care.

[morning rush]

it was hard as hell for me to wake up all the time, and I got all the tests and they turned out okay...but now I've started to take vitamins and supplement like b12, vitamin D and C and strangely I started to see improvements...I wake up more easily and less drowsy...I haven't taken them for long, maybe 2 weeks so far, so I don't know if it's a long term or short term thing...also I started to eat better like quinoa and bulgur cereals...so that could also be it...maybe you're lacking iron? for me I realized that my body misses nutrients and that's why I was so tired....

hope this helps

[Nightlight]

I am the same way. I exercise daily, eat healthy, get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, but I am always tired. Not sure what it is.