Fatigue during and before period. Help!

[murphtang.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone ^_^ :)

I have a very frustrating issue that no one has been able to answer for me thus far, so I thought I would ask you excellent people ^_^. I am currently on implanon as well as the pill ( Gedarel--to control my bleeding). I also take Mefenamic acid and Tranexamic acid to help with the horrid pains I get when I am on my period (still get some cramps in the early days, but that may be because I ran out of transexamic acid and haven't been able to get to the docs >.<;;).

My concern now is that, aside from being an absolute emotional failure around and during my period (honestly, it sets my already disordered thinking into absolute overdrive :/) is that I am so. tired. just before and during my period. For example, I fell asleep at 11pm last night, had a full night sleep, woke up at 9am, and am so tired. I feel sluggish and ill and generally awful, despite having slept for 10 hours :/ And today is a better day than most because I actually managed to sleep properly and didn't go to work today. It is just so interfering with my life and annoying and unpleasant. I asked at the clinic today, and all they said was "go to bed earlier, and do exercise". I have started doing more exercise, and I have tried to go to bed earlier, but nothing makes a difference.

I don't know if anyone else has had this issue and has any advice to give me. I don't think it's anemia because I don't bleed that heavily anymore, and now that my periods only last 7 days instead of months on end, I don't see how that would be an issue :/

Thanks everyone!

(Edit: Changed greeting to something more gender-neutral)

Comments

[eavanmoore.livejournal.com]

I get fatigued around when my period starts. Not as extreme as you, but I do feel strangely exhausted. I think of it as aligned with the other symptoms of being sick I experience (cold, sneezing, occasional nausea. But I don't know why it happens.)

But that may not even be the same thing, since mine are actual periods and yours would be withdrawal bleeds on the pill. (Right?)

[kaberett.livejournal.com]

I get fatigue around my period too -- in my case, it's reckoned to be an effect of endometriosis, which I have, as fatigue and endo are quite commonly associated. Given the pain you get with your periods, and the particular combination of drugs you're on, I'd be surprised if that wasn't something that your doctors are suspecting - do you know whether they've considered investigating you for endo?

(I'm also neither a guy nor a girl ;) )

[murphtang.livejournal.com]

Ah sorry :/ Changed it :)

Well, my doc said "it could be endo. But we'll just give you these and see if they help" when I bought it up because...well its the NHS, and you can't see a specialist (read: gyno) unless you are referred to one, so a lot of it is just through GP and since the pills are working, I doubt I will get a referral. Took me long enough to get them to give me something that wasn't just IB profin, and I don't even want to go into how they treated me when I expressed concern over how I was coping mentally (let's just say the phrase "You seem fine to me, everyone has ups and downs" came into the conversation). Needless to say, I prefer to just...avoid them. :/

[kaberett.livejournal.com]

You are an absolute STAR, thank you for getting it and taking action and being awesome <3

I'm also on the NHS. I'm a bloody awkward case so please don't be put off BUT here's the list of stuff I've tried or know about (http://kaberett.dreamwidth.org/10425.html).

It might be worth you stacking your HBC to avoid withdrawal bleeds.

However, it might very well also be worth you pushing your GP very VERY strongly for a referral to a gynaecologist - it'll be hard work, but they really *ought* to do so if mef & HBC haven't improved symptoms entirely after 6 months (this is official NHS guidance, I can try to dig it out if you like). I also spent YEARS avoiding GPs because I thought I was clearly wasting their time etc up until I finally managed to get referred (via a couple of trips to A&E).

Am East Anglia-based, will travel. Lemme know if you want an advocate to come along and shout at a GP for you. :-p

[murphtang.livejournal.com]

No problem at all! :)

Thanks so much for that list of things. The amount of advice from both the sexual health clinic and the GP are so limited. And also, they always insist everything must be caused by an STI...I know people get them, but geeze, I've had periods like this since they started and I've been tested, and I've TOLD them this. BLAH. I do stack my HBC, asked today at the clinic if I could stack for three months worth (before they said only two) and they said no problem whatsoever, so I'm going to do that (only problem then is my pregnancy anxiety, whole 'nother kettle of fish lol). I still get minor cramps around when I should have my withdrawal bleed (my body is evil and wants me to suffer...-_-;).

Thank you s much for your support <3 It is so comforting to know I'm not the only one in a position like this. I think the thing is there has been significant improvement from the meds they've given me, just not on the mental health and fatigue side of things. I think I'll make an appointment with my GP and get my levels checked like archangelbeth suggests below, and go from there. If it is something to do with thyroid/ferritin/etc. then it can be sorted more easily...course I'll have to bother them incessantly again probably, but meh. -_-;

[archangelbeth]

For fatigue, my standard pair is: How are you thyroid levels? How are you ferritin levels? (Get numbers on both, for The lower the ferritin level, even within the "normal" range, the more likely it is that the patient does not have enough iron. If you have low ferritin normally, just a little bleed might still tip you over to where your body says, "****er this for a lark, I'm tired.")

Others find energy loss if they don't have enough D. I think even B has been implicated for some, and I know that adding daily extra B helped my PMS. (But test and get the levels; some people get more anxiety/irritation on extra B.)

Good luck!

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I think even B has been implicated for some...

Anecdotal, but when my B-12 levels were a bit low (on the low border of the lab's "normal" range), my NP recommended that I might feel like I had more energy if I got more B-12 into myself, either via supplement or diet.

[fajonna.livejournal.com]

A good B-complex supplement helped me a lot. I take Schiff Super B-vitamin complex every morning with breakfast. It has seemed to help with moodiness also.

[dkwgdk.livejournal.com]

I sympathize a great deal with this problem, it happens to me.
Short answer: Check your thyroid and ferritin levels, as Beth suggests. Ensure that you are eating enough protein (source unimportant). Take B vitamins. Exercise. As much as you can, reduce carbs in your diet.

Long answer: I have massive fatigue around when I ovulate and again when I actually menstruate. I thought this happened because I bled so heavily during my periods, but then I got the Mirena IUD and despite a significant reduction in my levels of bleeding, I still get the crushing fatigue. (It feels, to me, like I am walking through Jello, and at the worst I want to literally lie down in the street and close my eyes.)

I have very severe depression, and my psychiatrist has suggested that the fatigue is actually related to my mood disorder. You mention that you have more "disordered" thinking along with your fatigue. I also have this problem -- I get really confused easily. I forget what I'm doing, academic writing is more difficult, I can't remember words, I walk into things. All of these things (for me) are also depression symptoms.

I find that increasing the dose of my antidepressant (Pristiq in my case) for three days when I ovulate and again right before my period helps some with the fatigue and confusion.

I don't know that this is the answer, and it might be hard to find someone in the NHS who is willing to try this, but just wanted to throw it out there. For some folks, like me, depression causes a constellation of bizarre physical symptoms that don't seemed linked to one's mood until they disappear under the influence of ADs. I also don't think that everyone needs to be on antidepressants, and they CAN have nasty side effects. But, it might be worth considering.

I've also had good luck with mild prescription stimulants -- Provigil (now available as generic modafinil) has helped a lot with alertness, but it eventually contributed to these huge anxiety attacks and I stopped taking it.

edited to add: Carbs, especially potatoes, make me sleeeeeeeeepy. That's the only reason I suggest eliminating them where you can. I have to be careful about this, though, because too few carbs = me crying all the time. Cutting back starch (potatoes, corn, wheat, rice) and getting carbs from fruit and veg seems to have helped me. This may not work for you.