Feel wierd and the specialists don't seem to help

[Aurelia]

Mostly I'm tired. I'm always tired. I can lie down and nap at any point in the day even after having gotten up 1 hour before. I can sleep 12 hours straight and still nap later in the day. That can through off my sleep. It takes an hour to fall asleep for me so they are gonna test me for sleep apnea but not sure how much that will help.

It just feels like I've slipped. I can't keep up with school work and my life just seems a complete mess. My room is a mess and my memory sucks. Especially my short-term memory. Plus understanding and following the teacher is hard (though to be fair the course is difficult). I've got permission to record his lectures but I wonder how much good that will do since he includes a lot of info that is interesting by not directly related to what I need to know for the course.

And time seems to escape me. Its like I'm in a time warp. It seems like yesterday that I started classes (Jan 10) and I'm behind and I didn't see it coming. Midterms are next week, luckily I only have 1, but I also failed to hand in an assignment because I didnt' understand it. Yet I run out of class the first chance I get. Forcing myself to sit down and do work is hard too.

I'm taking Ritalin for ADHD, Clonazepam for GAD, Trileptil and Effexor for Depression as well as Metformin for insulin resistance from the PCOS.

I'm at the point I almost resent the specialists that things haven't improved. I know there is a point when I have to take control and direct my life the way I want it to go but the fatigue and memory issues are frustrating and not helping.

It also doesn't help that I don't exercise and eat well. I saw a Dietician that tricked me into a Fitness program for $600 Can and it looks like one of those ones they get you to stay on and renew and keep forking out money for. She hasn't helped me learn what foods can affect my conditions and I'm disallusioned and refuse to go back.

Any ideas on how to start getting it together?

Also does anyone else experience problems with their memory (short term mostly) or fatigue? I'm at the point I'm fed up and just want to fix it all but don't know where to turn.

[Linda]

I think if you can figure out why you are so fatigued....your short term memory might improve. It seems to me and I could be wrong here that you are taking a lot of meds. Maybe it is time for a med check with your Doctor?

I am thinking thyroid too...maybe that is messed up. When is the last time you had that checked?

[songwriter]

sounds like it could be a metabolic problem your dealing with.
I am not a doctor or an expert, but I've stumbled across a lot of research on the net linking related diseases (chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome,thyroid disorders to name a few) to metabalism.
If I were you , I'd start by researching chronic fatigue, metabolism, and diet on the net.
I've spent literally thousands on 'specialists' but have gleaned some of my more pertinant info from the web.
Of course, thats how I got hooked up with this fine bunch of folks!

[Aurelia]

Thanks for the input. I read a lot about PCOS and that women should be refered to endocryologists (spelling bad) but to check for thyroid problems and such but when I bring this up with my family doctor she said it was a US thing where they like to refer to specialists a lot (No offense to my US neighbours).

I have felt my mother has PCOS since I was diagnosed but they aren't really looking into it but she has thyroid problems. I think my doctor put a test on my last blood work for that since I was annoying her about it, lol.

I was an RPN/LPN (US) for a while and I'd met many nurses who told me many stories where the outcome would have been bad if they hadn't stepped in as a nurse regarding their or a family member's health. I think sometimes you need to be educated and sometimes persistent with doctors.

I know I'm not eating well but my appetite has really hit rock bottom, which my family says is good because I might lose some weight then, but I'm gonna try getting on the bike at home and force myself to eat more.

Oh, I also feel like I have to go urinate all the time. I can go and before I've left the bathroom feel I need to go again. Then its just a dribble. I'll just ignore it in the daytime but at night I can't rest comfortably if I feel the slightest pressure in my bladder. I think I read somewhere this is a diabetic trait (I have insulin resistance that can one day lead to diabetes).

[tridlette]

It sure sounds like you need to rule out any insulin related issues and I wouldn't let the doctor tell you no.

If you aren't digesting food well, your brain isn't getting the energy you need to focus. So you really need to get this sorted out.

They should do the lab work to check your blood sugar level average... I think they call it A1C. A thyroid panel would be easy to do also. Being in the US, I don't know what the national health care rules say... but this is YOUR life, and you should be able to try to stay healthy. Having the doctor do a full blood work up could answer a lot of questions. Have you had mono~nucleosis? The virus can keep you tired for what seems like forever.

I am not a doctor, or a nurse, but I have spent a lifetime coping with a lot of the same symptoms. I am awaiting results from my blood work. CBC with differential, thyroid panel, liver panel, cholesterol, A1C... they can be drawn all at once... and I think the price of finding the cause would be worth it.

As for dieting... I can tell you from experience... not having an appetite doesn't help you lose... it does just the opposite. Try eating several small healthy snacks each day... eat every 2-3 hours. Just a small bite... remember that your stomach is only the size of your closed fist. Drink plenty of water... even though you seem to urinate all the time, it is important not to get dehydrated.

Don't shop when you are hungry. Buy healthier snacks (I love junk food, so I am not saying healthy, but something healthier!) Try eating nutrition bars. High protein bars help maintain your blood sugar, but watch not to get one with high total fat. Try several different flavors until you find a few you like. You can always snack on half of one, and save the other half for tomorrow. Invest in zip lock baggies if you do that! Stale bars are gross!

Good luck. Let us know what we can do to encourage you.

Laurie

[Aurelia]

Thanks for the encouragement and input!

My doctor's office is right beside a blood clinic so I think I'll make her make sure everything possibly affecting me is on that bloodwork requisition.

I asked the pharmasist where I get my medications about something first thing in the morning. I explained about decreased appetite and fatigue and I hate breakfast (prob cuz I'm too tired to make something) and asked about something like a protein bar or drink or something fast I can just get started on and he gave me the same crap my doctor gave me. Well from her it was oh cereal is easy (hate cereal and toast), from him its like well none of that stuff will help blah blah blah. I wonder if he thought I wanted to replace meals with bars to lose weight like some scam diets try to sell you but I explained that wasn't what I was looking for.

I think I'll just ignore em and find something I like that is healthiER ( ) to eat first thing in the morning. It gets the metabolism started and should help.

I also have a big Coca-Cola addiction (dont' give kids pop, I've had it since I was young) so I figure my body is so screwed up with all the caffeine and sugar I've poured into it all these years that it is rebelling at being cut off.

But I've had periods where I've ate healthier and exercised and felt great. All I need is a boost of energy to get me started on that path and determination to stay on it and I will feel better. My doctor says just exercise and it will give you energy but I dont' think she understands it takes some energy to start. Kinda like those old water pumps where you put a bit into it and then could pump water out.

[tridlette]

You got me thinking. I remember reading somewhere a few months ago, that you get more energy from ONE apple than two cups of coffee. Could you possibly start your morning with an apple? I hate yellow and red delicious apples, but I enjoy a Mac or a Cortland. I am not a real apple eater, so I promise, I do not practice what I am preaching... just a suggestion.

[Aurelia]

Actually I love Mac's but my dad will sometimes screw up and grab Empire's and I dont' like the taste and won't eat them. Then he gets mad no one's eating the fruit and it goes bad so he doesn't want to buy anymore. I should leave the bananas and oranges to him and the apples to my mom who actually reads the labels (sometimes).

[Kaiti]

I can actually vouch for the too tired to move adn moved anyway

I hope you are feeling a bit better. I was wondering, not to get too personal, but a co-worker of mine always seems to get bladder infections when she is dehydrated, which leads to rounds of other illnesses for her as well, but that was the first thing to pop into my mind when I was reading.

I say about the moving because for me, it is 99% mental. I can trudge my butt anwhere as long as my head says so ;D I didn it today when I started my sweating to the oldies that I haven't done for quite a while, but it helped clear my head and get the toxins out of my system.

Oh, and worrying about things can really bring you down as well. Try not to worry as much and see if that helps. Take things as they come. I have finally learned to never ask if it could get any worse, because it always did.

[Aurelia]

Thanks Kaiti! I know a lot is mental but someone suggested I get up and exercise right away. So for 3 weeks I'd get up and get on the exercise bike and pedal for 15-20 minutes with my eyes closed have sleeping, lol.

Stress is a biggie because my group at school is pretty stressful. They shot down every suggestion I make so I realise that this project is not ours as a group, its their's and I'm just a third wheel they got at the last minute to lighten the work load. Its a semester long project so its going to be stressful until the end of April when I will be free. It's frustrating as well as demoralizing but I've decided to just not give a heck about it. All I want is to pass so if they want to take the work I've done and redo it themselves because they want it done differently then its their time.

But the group leader is now saying we have to work 50 hours a week on this until its done (last week of april). Other groups are doing 20-25 hours. She wanted 60 and I told her I couldn't physically do it. Plus I work 10 hours a week and I have 6 hours of classes as well as homework and I'd like to have a life in there somewhere. They seem to waste time doing things the long way and when I point out ways to do it more efficiently they ignore me. Yet then they expect me to match their hours. This has been the biggest stressor in my life right now. Can't wait til its over with!

But I will try the apple and exercise again and short meals throughout the day. I'm also gonna try tapering off some of the meds and see if I feel better or worse so I can decide which ones I don't need. I am definitely not going off the ritalin or my antidepressant or the insulin medication but there are 2 others I might be able to live without. Never know until you try.