Aa
Weakness/exhaustion/shortness of breath
So I'm posting on here because I honestly have no idea what else to do.
Over the last 4-5 months or so, I have lost a lot of energy. I have felt weak, had shortness of breath, my body has felt heavy, and I've also had some tingling in my arms/hands/fingers. Some days I'm totally okay, and some days (like today) it's as though I cannot even move. My body feels heavy, I'm having a bit of trouble breathing, my chest feels a bit weird.
This is not anxiety related. I've had generalized anxiety and panic attacks my whole life and I have a very good handle on how to deal with them. Besides the tightness in my chest (which could possibly attributed to anxiety) my anxiety/panic attacks don't present with these symptoms.
I've had my thyroid and iron levels checked and they were normal. I'm a 23 year old woman who is at the low end of healthy weight, I eat enough and I eat healthy. I do not drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs, drink coffee or soda. I drink a lot of water and get about 8 hours of sleep every night. I used to walk at least 2 miles a day, every day until I started feeling so fatigued that I couldn't. Now I don't have the energy to do anything bit sit in bed sometimes. It isn't depression, either. It isn't feeling sleepy, I feel wide awake but my body just feels so heavy and fatigued. There is not correlation between my mood and this feeling that I have noticed, I just found that sometimes it occurs more after I eat.
My counselor (who I trust very much and is very respected in my area) agrees that it is not physical.
One doctor told me it was sleep apnea, but I don't feel sleepy and I don't snore. Another told me I just needed an antidepressant. No one is taking me seriously. I'm 23, trying to get my career started, have friends, and run (I ran a half marathon last year and would love to do it again), but about 50% of the time, I physically cannot do more than hang out on the couch. I've been working from home for the last few years (not because of health issues), but I'm looking for an office job so I really need to get this figured out.
Any advice would be so very appreciated.
Over the last 4-5 months or so, I have lost a lot of energy. I have felt weak, had shortness of breath, my body has felt heavy, and I've also had some tingling in my arms/hands/fingers. Some days I'm totally okay, and some days (like today) it's as though I cannot even move. My body feels heavy, I'm having a bit of trouble breathing, my chest feels a bit weird.
This is not anxiety related. I've had generalized anxiety and panic attacks my whole life and I have a very good handle on how to deal with them. Besides the tightness in my chest (which could possibly attributed to anxiety) my anxiety/panic attacks don't present with these symptoms.
I've had my thyroid and iron levels checked and they were normal. I'm a 23 year old woman who is at the low end of healthy weight, I eat enough and I eat healthy. I do not drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs, drink coffee or soda. I drink a lot of water and get about 8 hours of sleep every night. I used to walk at least 2 miles a day, every day until I started feeling so fatigued that I couldn't. Now I don't have the energy to do anything bit sit in bed sometimes. It isn't depression, either. It isn't feeling sleepy, I feel wide awake but my body just feels so heavy and fatigued. There is not correlation between my mood and this feeling that I have noticed, I just found that sometimes it occurs more after I eat.
My counselor (who I trust very much and is very respected in my area) agrees that it is not physical.
One doctor told me it was sleep apnea, but I don't feel sleepy and I don't snore. Another told me I just needed an antidepressant. No one is taking me seriously. I'm 23, trying to get my career started, have friends, and run (I ran a half marathon last year and would love to do it again), but about 50% of the time, I physically cannot do more than hang out on the couch. I've been working from home for the last few years (not because of health issues), but I'm looking for an office job so I really need to get this figured out.
Any advice would be so very appreciated.
COMMUNITY LEADER
It sounds like it could be fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrom. Ask your doctor to run a test for it,
Are you pale skinned? Are you getting enough sun light? This could be as simple as an unbalanced vitamin count. I'd try taking a one-a-day or about 100IU of vitamin D. If that doesn't help, go see an endocrinologist.
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