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 ;) )

[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!

[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.