Since i stopped drinking over a year ago i have suffered from chronic fatigue. I eat a well balanced diet but even after a year it is no better. Has anyone else had to deal with this problem?
Yes I experienced the same - I was permanently exhausted. In the end I was actually diagnosed with CFS/ME but that diagnosis took time and it had to.
They waited 2 & 1/2 years into my recovery from alcoholism to diagnose CFS because recovering physically and mentally from alcoholism can take time (for some longer than others) and show similar symptoms and my doctors were aware of that. Had to wait for my liver to start functioning at full pelt again so to speak before they would give me a diagnosis.
However, it became clear that my problems with CFS I also had had as a young child. But from what I understand, even without having CFS it can take longer for some of us to recover from that tiredness than others. I found early recovery pretty draining mentally.....facing up to the wreckage...financial & all that.....wow! was like I had been hit by a tsunami! !
I am not a doctor but perhaps a blood test just to check stuff out and if all comes back as normal, not lacking in iron & all that stuff then perhaps with being still relatively early on(in the physical sense) in your recovery, perhaps maybe just accepting it's just going to take a little longer....
My first sponsor said she had chronic fatigue for about 2 years and also fell prey to nearly every bug/cold that was going...........I remember saying to her....."I'm sure I never had as many colds when I was drinking" She just looked at me and we both laughed..........."oh she said you did.....you just don't remember them"
Anyway hope this helps - as ever it's only my experience, strength and hope,
Thanks have you had a complete check (blood tests) etc...? Could be a lot of things. Fatigue is one of the symptoms of liver disease. A lot of people are walking around with hepatitis and don't know it. Dr. believe that alcoholics can get hep C just from drinking too much.
I've had periods of chronic fatigue both in and out of recovery. I've had pretty much everything physical ruled out. In my case I believe it's a symptom of my depression, which varies in intensity. Depression doesn't always make me feel "sad." Often I just feel very tired and apathetic.
Just thought I'd mention it as something to consider. Depression is common among us alcoholics.
Thanks, I had a lot of the symptoms of chronic fatigue, and they did not REALLY pounce on me until the second year of sobriety started. I chose to see a psychiatrist, who felt that it was all part of a depression of sorts. He has helped me soooo much to get my "liveliness" back, and so much chronic pain and achiness went away as well. Have you been diagnosed with CFS, or just have some of the symptoms and suspect that you have CFS? I would definitely talk to a doctor and get some blood work going etc. I hope you feel better, I know how it feels to just hurt and be down a lot. Keep all your options open, if a good doc has not diagnosed you yet.
joni
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I was exceptionally tired the first couple of months but it seems to be easing a bit now, I heard a podcast recently where it pointed out that alcoholics do not experience delta sleep or dreaming sleep as much as non-alcoholics and that with time, this delta sleep disappears altogether. I had stopped dreaming when drinking but now my dreams are back, not necessarily good but back, I think its my body catching up on things, but why not go for a full check up, the only thing I had recently which was frightening was a spike in blood pressure but that too seems to have sorted itself.
Nod to Lorna...took me 5 months or so to have dreams. First one was really friggin scary. I was like WTF was that? Woke up all foggy headed like I was drunk. It threw me quite a bit.
I could say I have some of the same symptoms, but I was lazy as hell drinking, so I know I'm more active now...dunno. Plus I have dealt with having depression for over a decade so I wouldn't know the difference and would never get a CFS diagnosis because anhedonia (feeling like things are no fun any more) and lethargy/loss of energy are symptoms of depression. I have heard some medical discussion that CFS, Epstein-Barr, and Depression may all be the same thing. I'm inclined to believe it. My stubborn arse seemingly will not do the 1 thing I know would be best which is to exercise.
Mark
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I accidentally adopted a dog, got sober then started to exercise with her everyday. This has made a huge difference. I also changed my diet and this really helps with chronic fatigue that I've experienced lifelong. After the first few months of sobriety, I was able to sleep soundly, and still feel like I could sleep forever....but I am so much more active now, and I manage it better. Went off the diet I developed through experience over the last year and a half. Over the holidays I ate whatever was infront of me. I paid dearly, not in weight gain so much, but with fatigue, irritability, depression. Just ask my sponsor.
I would check in with Doc, when in doubt. However, I am convinced of the power of exercise and nutrition to affect our every function. This is a close second to sobriety for me. Actually, my recovery is totally linked. I must do it together. Hey, It may be superstition, but I've been taking vitamins and supliments for nearly a year and a half, and have not been sick with cold or flu once! Normally, I'd get the crud at least 3-4 times per year, and everyone around me has been extremely ill all year long. What a plus, thank god.
-- Edited by angelov8 on Friday 8th of January 2010 06:07:01 PM
I tried to sleep my way through my first year of recovery. 10 hours of sleep a night, and a 2-3 hour nap every afternoon. Finally, at my sponsors suggestion, I went to the doc's. Turns out, I had low iron which is a simple fix. A multi-vitamin with iron everyday. And as much as I hate excersize, it helped alot. Nothing complicated, just a simple walk everyday. BTW, it takes the brain aproximately 6 weeks to latch on to a new habit......so I committed to walking everyday for half an hour and started marking X's on my calander. Sure enough, by the 6 week mark I kinda enjoyed my walks.......I used it as time to pray and meditate.
Interesting...I had been getting more & more tired for so long I began to think it might be chronic fatique syndrome...went to the doc, got some tests & it turned out to be a fairly serious vitamin D deficiency! Easy fix for that, but who woulda thunk! I know I need to excercise more, and more regularly...maybe this'll help motivate me!
I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 5 years ago, which has completely changed my life, and it comes under the arthritis umbrella same as CFS and ME, in fact I am currently in flare-up and thinking it has RUINED my life, but it will pass. It reacts to stress and cold weather, and I have a chest infection right now, so no wonder I feel like that!!
Maybe tomorrow will be better. I sure as hell KNOW I won't drink on it, not even if it gets worse. I will be glad to be able to get out and about, having spent the best part of 4 days sleeping. Funnily enough, whenever I have shared about the fibromyalgia in meetings I have met LOTS of recovering alkies who are sufferers of it too.
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Always remember non-alcoholic beers are for NON-ALCOHOLICS
Re: Cronic Fatigue It is very likely that you are experiencing low stomach acid. Symptoms of high and low acid are pretty much identical. This can be exasperated by taking anti acids. Alcohol, especially beer will double your acid. So, now being sober, you're likely taking in a lot less acid. Betain Hydrochloride taken with meals can help, helps nutrient absorption of (B12, calcium, iron etc.) - especially breakdown of fats and proteins. It is very effective for chronic fatique, also depression and OCD.
Here is just one link to check out: http://www.modernherbalist.com/betaine.html This will give you a good start, there are several other articles on this.
Hope this helps, Amber
-- Edited by Amber on Thursday 27th of January 2011 12:05:50 PM
Amber