Why am I exhausted ALL the time! Update Post 98

[RamblingMad]

Have you tried increasing your cardio? With your knee replacement, you might need to take up swimming. I aim for 150-300 minutes a week. It's helping.

Another thing to try is eating porridge every morning for breakfast.

 

[Ning Ning]

I’m tired. Maybe it’s my job, or maybe I’m just getting old. I don’t know. I’ve scheduled a doctor’s appointment for my annual physical in mid April. I want to make a list of possible reasons for my exhaustion that I need to get checked out.

This is my list so far:
Check iron - I’ve had low iron in the past and have been on daily slow release iron pills for the past 10 years.
Check thyroid - I’ve been hypothyroid for the past 23 years and take daily meds. Maybe they need adjusting.
Sleep study - I had multiple knee surgeries over the past 2 years, and the anesthesiologist mentioned that I’m at risk for sleep apnea.
Heart monitor - I have an irregular heartbeat like my dad does. His eventually turned into A-Fib. I want to get this checked.

Is there any other medical thing I should get checked?

Some backstory - I’m a 56 year old middle school teacher. I know all teachers are tired after the last two years. I’m thinking of quitting and finding another type of job. My 7th and 8th graders are ok but the 6th graders are a handful. Dealing with them wipes me out. Plus with teaching classes you are “on” all day. There is no sitting quietly in your cubicle and getting your work done. I have to do all the grading, lesson planning, and paperwork after working a full day in the classroom. But I want to make sure there is not a physical reason for my exhaustion before I bail on teaching.

My heath is good (although I need to lose some weight), but I’ve had a rough couple of years with surgeries. I had double knee replacement in July 2020 due to bone on bone and terrible arthritis in both knees. It was very difficult; however, I was doing ok until Jan 2021 when I got a mild case of covid. Then in Feb 2021, my surgeon discovered my right knee implant and tibia bone were infected. I missed 6 months of work, had 2 additional surgeries, 3 hospitalizations (one because I had a terrible reaction to the IV antibiotic I was on), 8 weeks with a picc line and IV antibiotics. It was an ordeal. I did the knee replacements so I could move without pain and get my active life back. But now I’m too tired after work to live it!

Get tested for the Epstein Barr Virus. My doctor tested me recently and my numbers are high, but it seems to be dormant and I'm not feeling any ill effects. He told me that I would be surprised at how many people have the virus.

 

[dclpluto]

Did you order just the bike or did you get a package. I'm trying to figure out what I need - ear phones, special shoes, mat and bike?

I got the bike plus. Only thing I ordered extra was the pedals so your not clipped in. I don’t mind being clipped in but my wife’s feet is small. They don’t make bike shoes small enough to fit my wife. I also got the extra warranty. This is the first time in my life I paid extra to get the extended warranty. Look at the bike plus bigger screen, better sound system, free shipping.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Another thing to check - fatigue is also a big warning sign for cancer, especially blood cancer. So, make sure they run a full CBC, which will give you the info to know if you have "warning" signs to warrant further checks for blood cancer.

In fact, the problem tends to be that fatigue is a big 1st symptom for a ton of things (as you can see on this thread), so getting a bunch of blood work done is always a helpful 1st step to try to "check the obvious stuff" 1st...

Due to the tibia bone infection, I've had a ton of CBC panels run over the last year. I am definitely going to get another one run at my upcoming appointment.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Get tested for the Epstein Barr Virus. My doctor tested me recently and my numbers are high, but it seems to be dormant and I'm not feeling any ill effects. He told me that I would be surprised at how many people have the virus.

This is going on my list! Thank you!

 

[rwdavis2]

Without having read all the replies: Diabetic? My glucose levels went haywire 4 years ago and I was slowly getting more tired by the week where I could barely function after a few months.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I got the bike plus. Only thing I ordered extra was the pedals so your not clipped in. I don’t mind being clipped in but my wife’s feet is small. They don’t make bike shoes small enough to fit my wife. I also got the extra warranty. This is the first time in my life I paid extra to get the extended warranty. Look at the bike plus bigger screen, better sound system, free shipping.

Thank you! I also just found out that as a teacher I get an Educator's Discount with Peloton, so I'm definitely looking at the upgrade.

 

[Christine]

I take Liothyronine (Cytomel) too. My T3 hormone was way too low. I could barely get out of bed for years, until a specialist corrected this after a full thyroid blood panel - and someone who knows how to accurately read the T3, Reverse T3 and Free T3 results. Synthroid contains T4 ONLY. It does nothing to replace missing T3. I have mine specially compounded with a slow release formula at a compounding pharmacy, so it lasts longer. And instead of Synthroid, I take Armour Thyroid, as it contains both T4 and some T3.

Even so, I take the two thyroid meds at separate times, about 4 hours apart, along with a natural adrenal supplement, again at a different time. All three of these spaced out throughout the day are what keeps my energy up all day. I can NOT take them all together, even if I was ordered to, as they would cause heart arrhythmia.

Four hours after my last dose, I take calcium or iron.

Just wanted to add on to this a bit: I've been on thyroid replacement since 1995 due to having my thyroid removed. I've been on some brand of T4 all this time. I've had all my levels checked with all the T3s as you indicated above. I've had my endocrinologist(s) tell me that there are some people who convert T4 to T3 poorly which is why they check that. So for many people, straight T4 is fine as their body will convert, but some people don't. I guess I've been lucky in that I'm a "converter."

 

[Imzadi]

Just wanted to add on to this a bit: I've been on thyroid replacement since 1995 due to having my thyroid removed. I've been on some brand of T4 all this time. I've had all my levels checked with all the T3s as you indicated above. I've had my endocrinologist(s) tell me that there are some people who convert T4 to T3 poorly which is why they check that. So for many people, straight T4 is fine as their body will convert, but some people don't. I guess I've been lucky in that I'm a "converter."

Yes, apparently I'm not a "converter." Which is why the full thyroid blood panel is needed to see how much of the T4 is being converted to T3 and how much Free T3 is in the OP's bloodstream being used, etc.

Since the OP is having problems, it may be good to get checked.

 

[Imzadi]

It was very difficult; however, I was doing ok until Jan 2021 when I got a mild case of covid.

In case no one mentioned, you may have long COVID. Yes, it is real. NYC has a center focused just on that as it is an evolving condition. It's when some symptoms last long after the virus has left the body. And last I read, more people have it after having a milder case of COVID than a severe case.

 

[Lumpy1106]

OMG! Did we really get to page 4 and I'm the first person to mention it could just simply be burnout? The last 2.5 years has been like a never-ending treadmill for all of us. You're burned out - it's happened to all of us. Find the things that make you happy and make them a priority. It won't happen overnight, but that's what will fix it. That's my $0.02.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Deleted - sorry for the double-post.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

No advice just additional prayers and encouragement, Mrs. Ciz!

 

[MrsPete]

You've already received a great deal of good advice; I'll try to add a little:
- As a fellow teacher, I understand the exhaustion. I've been teaching almost three decades, and I'm exhausted right now. They've added "this little bit" and "that little bit" to the point that it adds up to an awful lot of extra work.
- I do wonder if you might've had Covid again and not realized it - you know you can be symptom-free. I had Covid in early February, and (being vaxxed) I got over it fast, but the exhaustion and the cough lasted a solid 5-6 weeks. I'd come home mid-afternoon and take a 1-2 hour nap, then go to bed between 9:00 and 10:00. This is absolutely not my typical pattern.
- Just after I turned 40 I developed a problem with my menstrual cycle; essentially I was having it twice a month, and it was extremely heavy. The problem snuck up on me so slowly that it took me a while to figure out why I was so exhausted: I didn't have enough blood in my body!
- Regardless of what's going on, you can't possibly do yourself any damage by doubling-down on your healthy choices: Increase your vegetables, cut out processed foods, drink more water, take a walk every day when you come home from work. As a teacher, you should have Spring Break coming up soon; that could be a good time to try to double down on healthy habits.
- One small hint: I've started cooking a huge meal on Sunday evenings -- I make sure it's something healthy and veg-heavy. I portion out five lunches and take them all to work on Monday. This removes lunch preparation from my evenings and assures that I have a healthy lunch instead of a pack of cheese crackers.

 

[Ning Ning]

This is going on my list! Thank you!

I hope you find out the cause of your issues.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

In case no one mentioned, you may have long COVID. Yes, it is real. NYC has a center focused just on that as it is an evolving condition. It's when some symptoms last long after the virus has left the body. And last I read, more people have it after having a milder case of COVID than a severe case.

I know from first-hand experience this can be for real. I had mild Covid symptoms that lasted a couple days. However, for more than a month following I was so exhausted I could barely make it through the day. I was fortunate in that I finally did regain my strength/energy. It happened suddenly for me, woke up one Sunday morning and I felt like my battery was recharged or something.

 

[xipotec]

Please stop telling people to take vitamins. They are useless.

Its a billion dollar a year scam.

Sleep study.
Hormone levels
Diet be sure you are eating good foods.
Exersize.

and of course, the elephant in the room, Stress.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Vitamin D is another one to check, especially this time of year when we're emerging from winter.

I feel you with the fatigue. I'm in a place where I'm not sleeping well at all. Unfortunately, my sleep cycle is out of whack and hard to get back on track

The B and D vitamins plus adequate sleep is big as we get older. Many of us do not get enough sleep and are deficient in D. Personally it can make a big difference.

Hope all turns out well!

 

[TLSnell1981]

The B and D vitamins plus adequate sleep are very important as we get older. Many of us do not get enough sleep and are deficient in D. A week at the beach pops mine up significantly. Personally it can make

 

[comicguy]

You’ve gotten great medical suggestions here, but as a teacher, I just wanted to chime in that every single one of my fellow teachers in the building says the same thing. Doesn’t matter their age, home responsibility (little kids, etc), other life circumstances, we are completely and totally exhausted. Some blame decision fatigue, some fatigue of changes, some that it takes soo much more to keep kids engaged right now, some being in the political hotspot for the last year, bearing so many burdens; there have been many reasons given and I think they’re all valid. Not that it really helps, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Hoping you can get some relief soon!

As a fellow teacher, totally agree with this! The level of stress realized and unrealized can have a major impact on your ability to rest appropriately. This is coming from first hand knowledge. The expectations of admin, parents, students, fellow teachers and the community at large are never ending and unrelenting! The addage since I started teaching is "do more with less" (time, money, cooperation, etc...) but there comes a point that how do I do "regular" teaching work with the constant cuts and loss of time (we have more meetings now than ever before) with less and less results. It seems that teachers are to blame for almost all sociaital ills and the overall root cause of evill, if you listen to community memebers who are monday morning quarterbacks!

I have to teach 5 more years to lock in health insurance for retirement then I will be able to retire from teaching. The one stress that I was finally able to deal with (and I admit this will not work for all teachers and is easier said than done!) is that I only complete teaching responsibilities during my contracted hours. I have come to the realization that if something happened to me tomorrow, my job would be posted the next day and admin will move on as if nothing ever changed. Once I started to do that my stress levels started to drop dramatically and my sleep started to get better and I was able to enjoy things more.

All this to say stress/anxiety can have negative health consequences without a person even realizing it. I feel as teachers over the last 2 years we have for the most part working in crisis mode and just accepting the fact of that is what we do, but remember no one cares about you and your health more than you do!