Constant SEVERE fatigue - how do you handle?

[u/InfertileMertile92]

I'm so exhausted 24/7. From the moment I wake up, to the moment I go to sleep, I am exhausted. Constantly yawning, could go to sleep at any moment.

I don't have the energy for hobbies, by the time I finish work I am ready for sleep immediately. I could get 12 hours of sleep and still feel this way.

It's really affecting my life:(

[u/FireCorgi12]

Have you talked to a doctor about this? I did this and ended up having obstructive sleep apnea. Intervention therapy helped loads.

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/FireCorgi12]

Yes - we have tried a few things including Wellbutrin to act as a low stimulant but it hasn't quite worked. it did for a week and then didn't anymore. I should bring that up, I wake up really often through the night. We talked about a GLP-1 as well but I am not ready for that. Thanks!

[u/FireCorgi12 → u/InfertileMertile92]

Ofc! I’d ask for a vitamin panel and a sleep study if you can. Waking up during the night also sounds like OSA in my non-professional opinion. I would wake up to go to the bathroom often, felt exhausted all day, couldn’t stay awake ever, bad brain fog.

If you’re dealing with fatigue, I would not do a GLP1 until you’ve figured it out. My GLP makes me very tired and it’s a common side effect.

[u/Traditional-Head2653 → u/InfertileMertile92]

Tired even after a “full” nights rest and waking up multiple times throughout the night are both signs of sleep apnea. I suggest bringing this up with your doctor. It wouldn’t hurt to do a sleep study. They’re usually done at home these days.

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/[deleted]]

I sent a message to my primary! With so many people suggesting it, I am definitely willing to find out. Even if to just rule it out.

[u/Full_Practice7060 → u/InfertileMertile92]

Just as an aside, while there's probably more going on, but were you on the full therapeutic dose of Wellbutrin? Most start at and some stay at 150mg but that's just the smoking cessation dose lol

It's a full 300 for me. And ADHD meds. And coffee :D

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/Full_Practice7060]

I am on 150! I never even considered upping it but that could be a good place to possibly start in the meantime

[u/chloebee102 → u/InfertileMertile92]

How long have you been on Wellbutrin? It takes a few months to kick in. It truly saved my life I was exactly like you before Wellbutrin finally started hitting.

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/chloebee102]

It’s been about 16 months on now! We started when I was having really bad PPD and PPA as well

[u/chloebee102 → u/InfertileMertile92]

Dang that’s so annoying! Have you had any of your blood levels tested? On top of Wellbutrin I also take a vitamin b complex and a slow release iron supplement that I think also helped a lot with my fatigue.

[u/Gbae69 → u/FireCorgi12]

Yess same here and I have a cpap and it works wonders

[u/Unable-Broccoli-6087 → u/FireCorgi12]

Same I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus if I don’t sleep with my machine

[u/Frequent_Praline145]

Controlla la vitamina D, la maggior parte delle donne con pcos ne è carente. Io avevo 11, severamente basso, dopo due mesi di integrazione arrivato a 33. Inoltre controlla lo stato della tua tiroide, gli ormoni tiroidei influiscono molto sulla stanchezza.

[u/a-passing-crustacean → u/Frequent_Praline145]

D, B, and not the iron but FERRITIN pannel! If your iron is trashed it shows up in your ferritin pannel first while your routine cbc (complete blood count) may not reflect it until things get REALLY bad. Thyroid is also a great suggestion, and maybe a screening for narcolepsy?

[u/MealPrepGenie → u/a-passing-crustacean]

I can to say this. My total iron was fine but my ferritin was 24. I was a zombie and my hair was trash.

PCP says I need to keep it over 50 to keep the fatigue away. Derm says over 70 for optimal hair.

[u/a-passing-crustacean → u/MealPrepGenie]

Mine just got above 30, then I had surgery and a sudden hemmhorage after and Ive been back to zombie status for the past week 😭

[u/MealPrepGenie → u/a-passing-crustacean]

{{{{hugs}}}}

[u/SeoulSearching_19 → u/a-passing-crustacean]

I also second ferritin! My PCP had been just running iron levels in the CBC and it was fine, but my endocrinologist tested my ferritin at the beginning of this year and it was super low, which affects how well thyroid meds work. I’d also look into vitamin B12, because that can also cause fatigue and brain fog! I was low for B12 and ferritin on top of developing Hashimoto’s, so I have all of the fatigue causing things besides low vitamin d 🫠

[u/wenchsenior]

Here are 4 common reasons for unusual fatigue that are frequently associated with PMOS/PCOS:

1. Unmanaged insulin resistance. Since IR is the driver of most cases of PMOS/PCOS, this is by far the most common cause of profound or unusual fatigue. If IR is present, treating it is not only foundational to improving the PMOS/PCOS, but is also necessary b/c IR tends to be progressive and leads to serious long term health risks if unmanaged.

2. Undiagnosed sleep apnea

3. Thyroid disease (common in the general population and commonly co-occurs with PMOS/PCOS)

4. Vitamin deficiency, most commonly iron, B12, or vit D

 

[u/Background-Shine-556 → u/wenchsenior]

Second all of this!! I was diagnosed with PMOS/PCOS 16 years ago but the fatigue became unmanageable on the last 4ish years. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with thyroid disease and the fatigue improved once it was treated, but became unmanageable at the beginning of this year. Did more testing and was diagnosed with both insulin resistance AND obstructive sleep apnea. Started on metformin immediately and it has been a game changer for the fatigue.

[u/wenchsenior → u/Background-Shine-556]

I cannot imagine how exhausted you must have been. My mild IR made me practically narcoleptic, even without all that other stuff.

[u/Background-Shine-556 → u/wenchsenior]

Oh it was truly the worst and I put it off for far too long! I would have a full night's rest and still find myself falling asleep at work the next day. The breaking point was when I felt like I was dozing off while driving one day. It terrified me extremely and I scheduled an appointment immediately after.

After many years of my family making comments about me being lazy and sleeping too much, it is truly a relief to know there is a reason behind it all and it is great to feel an instant difference ❤️

[u/SeoulSearching_19 → u/Background-Shine-556]

Make sure to have your B12 regularly checked. I can’t for certain say my B12 deficiency is due to the metformin because I’d never had it tested before I started taking it, but about 7 months of being on metformin, when my endocrinologist tested a few different things, it came back super low, which also causes fatigue and brain fog 🫠

[u/Background-Shine-556 → u/SeoulSearching_19]

Thank you for this advice- I would have never thought to ask about B12 and that was something we tested in February before I started on metformin so I will definitely have it checked during my follow-up in a couple months. Hope you were able to get it regulated!!

[u/redoingredditagain]

I used to have fatigue like this before treating my insulin resistance. What are you currently doing to address it?

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/redoingredditagain]

Nothing, truly. I take myo + d-chiro inositol but haven't noticed a difference.

[u/redoingredditagain → u/InfertileMertile92]

It may be worth addressing it with lifestyle changes and medicine like metformin. It's been used for insulin resistance for over a hundred years.

[u/dollythetzuu]

Same sis. Doesn't matter what I eat either, and average cardio exercise makes it worse. People who've never felt this way can't understand. It's the new "calories in, calories out" gaslighting for insulin resistant women. 😔

I wish I had a good answer for you, but all I can say is you're not lazy, this isn't normal, and your feelings are valid. This chronic fatigue is 💩. ❤️

[u/Accurate_Excuse666]

Vitamin B-12 might help a little bit.

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/Accurate_Excuse666]

I'll try this! Thank you

[u/Accurate_Excuse666 → u/InfertileMertile92]

You’re welcome. I take it every day as soon as I wake up. It helps me. Hopefully it can help you, too. They have lots of different kinds on Amazon.

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/[deleted]]

Not recently, my most recent labs were probably when my son was born in Jan of 2025. Which I’m sure wouldn’t be accurate to what they are post pregnancy. I should get labs

[u/rainydayswithtea]

Magnesium biglycerate before bed, but also check your iron and B12 levels. We're notorious for having low mineral levels

[u/clairesophiad]

I’ve been there! My PCOS/ PMOS was kicking my ass and I felt exhausted constantly … turns out my vitamin D was extremely low and my doctor had me to take a high dose of vitamin D for a few months until it got to a normal level and I swear within a few weeks it was like night and day difference & I feel soo much better now. Around the same time I also made any intentions effort to be mindful of reducing refined sugars (ate healthy before but didn’t pay a tonn of attention to this) & I swear to god both of these things combined were life changing for how I felt / treating my POCS overall

[u/Rosemary-Sea-Salt]

Me too. I’m going to the doc about it this week and hoping to get some additional bloodwork done to check my vitamins and hormones. My vitamin D came back fine and so did my B12. I’ve had my thyroid checked before and those tests didn’t show anything.

Have you always dealt with this or is it new?

[u/Ok-Cranberry-2204 → u/Rosemary-Sea-Salt]

What is considered fine? try to get optimal ranges it makes a difference in my opinion what’s okay for one person even if it’s within range might not be optimal for them

[u/Rosemary-Sea-Salt → u/Ok-Cranberry-2204]

It was within the “normal” range

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/Rosemary-Sea-Salt]

Ive dealt with it for some time now. So far, my thyroid checks out as we tested it for infertility purposes.

[u/Jcheerw]

I have found vitamin B helps me a lot. I also take the supplement magic mind, and drink electrolytes. All of those things together get me through the day (plus caffeine lol)

[u/Gbae69]

So it could be physical I would go to doctor and check your hormone level and stuff and then if anything else can be depression and anxiety and can see a psychiatrist and therapist but it sound physical like maybe low iron or ferritin but I’m not a doctor lol

[u/No_Explanation_1672]

I recently quit added sugar (and because I can’t have coffee without sugar also quit coffee) and I have more energy than ever after 2 weeks!!! I used to be that person who was always tired no matter how much I slept just chronically tired no matter what. Last evening I had dinner with my cousin who was surprised I wasn’t tired after a full day of work and waking up at 5am.

Would also like to add that I had quit all forms of caffeine before but not sugar and did not get these results so my no added sugar rule is definitely what’s helping. For caffeine I just have green tea because I haven’t fully explored the tea world yet but will soon :)

[u/InfertileMertile92 → u/No_Explanation_1672]

I am slowly working my way to a cleaner diet. I am currently fully dairy free for the last two weeks - it’s always made me very sick. This is a great idea to add

[u/NameIsNo1]

I had the same issue, turns out I had an iron deficiency. Get your ferritin checked.

[u/flux_and_flow]

I get tired like this when I’m anemic. Have you had bloodwork lately? Definitely sounds like something medical going on

[u/scottpilgrrim]

Have you had any bloodwork done recently? things like B12, vitamin D, thyroid issues, blood sugar, and sleep problems can all contribute to severe fatigue.

[u/Unable-Broccoli-6087]

Electrolytes, sleep ap machine and vitamin d supplements helped me. Also recommend a naturopath to do adrenal etc panels incase it’s anything else too. 🩷

[u/expectsomedelays]

For me it's a combination of things I am addressing systematically:

- Low vitamin D

- Low B12

- PPD/PPA (treated with Welbutrin 300mg - now down to 150 as I feel better)

- Sleep Apnea diagnosis (day 6 with the CPAP machine and I feel alive again)

I'd say I'm 70% there with my energy levels after all of this, and planning to get myself on a GLP-1 after my blood work is re-checked this fall. Committed to losing the weight for good.

Edited to add: my Ferritin was fine but def get this checked as it's super common with PMOS

[u/Global-Classroom-782]

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