I'm trying to cut down on the caffeine, and hopefully one day cut it out altogether. Right now, though, I don't have any other way to keep myself going. The fatigue is pretty much daily and I can't work if I'm unfocused and unmotivated. I also have C-PTSD and take an antidepressant, but the fatigue tends to spiral into depression if I don't do something to pep up. I do take vitamin d and have increased it now that it's autumn, per my therapist's suggestion. I can't drink coffee anymore, my… read more
I've found that yoga has helped a lot with my energy levels. I try and get up every morning and do a half hour session. It's not easy to get up sometimes, but I often feel much better throughout the day when I do make the commitment. It seems so counterintuitive, that working out would elevate your energy levels, but it's honestly true. Start with small, achievable goals (like a 15 minute walk) and then work your way up (like a 15 minute jog). Additionally, working out can lower your estrogen levels, which is a good thing for us endo sufferers.
I take 10 mg of Adderall in the morning and 5mg in the afternoon. It is the only thing that has consistently helped me. It was originally prescribed for ADHD but technically, my “attention deficit” is caused by overwhelming fatigue. All I want to do is close my eyes! The Adderall has allowed me to be functional at work and to have enough energy for my family. It helped with my depression because It gave me my life back. I still have other symptoms but the fatigue was the worst of them all and I’m thankful to have something that actually works!
@A MyEndometriosisTeam Member, That was helpful. I have a long way to go on managing my expectations toward myself. My therapist says I try to put on a cape and be a superhero and I need to be ok with the fact that I'm just human. Thank you for sharing, I appreciate it.
I have cPTSD, too.. I’ve been pretty open about it and most has been from my childhood/ex-husband. If you ever want to talk, I am happy to share my email or instagram or something.
I deal with fatigue, too. Besides the endo and cPTSD, I have POTS. All three are fun chronic conditions with fatigue as a symptom. It’s difficult to deal with. I believe I have the gene mutation Katherine referred to and I take b12, but honestly I doubt much gets through bc I don’t think I metabolize it well.. I do drink a fair amount of tea. I love tea and I try to rest and manage my expectations. Not a lot of help, I guess.
I found out I'm a MTHFR mutation carrier (yes, I know what that looks like, LOL) and that means I can't metabolize regular B vitamins like folic acid. I have to take the methylated form; I lack a gene in the last part of B vitamin metabolism. So might be worth asking your doc about that; either testing for the gene or just taking the methylated form. My understanding is if you do not have the mutation, there's no harm in taking the methylated form. But confirm with your doc.
Matcha green tea is supposed to be good; antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. My acupuncturist lets me have some coffee but she also recommended black tea. For when I need a fizzy drink, I like my SodaStream. I just drink it plain. Or Zevia ginger root beer is good; I don't like their ginger ale as much. I also just found Q ginger beer on Thrive. Lastly, I found Reed's at Big Lots (cheaper than my grocery store), if you have one near you; I just put the Amazon link so you know what it looks like. None of these is alcoholic; it's like root beer except ginger.
https://thrivemarket.com/p/q-drinks-ginger-beer
https://www.amazon.com/Reeds-Ginger-Extra-Ounce...(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11172906498457448332&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)&hvtargid=pla-(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11172906498457448332&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)&hvtargid=pla-(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)