Question:
Why am I so tired all the time?
I am 3 months out and feel great except that I am so tired all the time. Last night I went to bed at 7:30, usually the 'night owl'. I just can't hold my head up. My latest labs showed my iron to be low. I have been taking additional vitamins as my surgeon instructed. If low iron is the cause, how long until the levels will be back up? If that isn't the reason, what else could it be? I'm drained. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys. — [Anonymous] (posted on February 4, 2002)
February 3, 2002
Hi, I am about three and a half months post and I know exactly what you
mean!! At my last follow-up appointment my surgeon gave me a prescription
for B12 injections. I had my first one about two weeks ago. While it was
not the miracle I had hoped for---it did help some. Of course, so has
losing 72 pounds!! Just my experience, hope it helps. Diane
— Diane D.
February 3, 2002
I'm almost 6mo out and I find that if my calorie intake is under 800
calories I'm wiped out. I have also read that when we are consuming less
calories our bodies want to go into hibernation to hold onto what we
consume and we need to increase our exercise to fool it into thinking its
hunting for food, that will raise our metabolism instead of slowing down
with our low calorie consumption. My labs are fine but seem to be dragging.
I'm down 90lbs and am looking good.Due to preexisting health problems I
can't be too active but I'm trying anyway to break this funk. Even with
800-950 calorie intake I haven't lost weight in 5 weeks. My dr wants me to
get over 1000 calories in but I just can't seem to do it. I'm getting over
70gm of protein and 2-4 liters of water so thats not it. I think my body
has readjusted its metabolism to a slow slow burn, so I'm trying to rev it
up the best I can.
Anyway, thats what I read about how some peoples body reacts to rapid
weight loss and low calorie consumption.
— Helen B.
February 4, 2002
I was exausted from the time of my Open RNY on May 8th until in December. I
don't mean just tired, but whiped out.
I was getting once a month B-12 shots but they just were not enough. After
months of begging my doctor (not surgeon) for bi monthly shots, she finally
had me take a blood test. And indeed my B-12 levels were not helped by once
a month shots! So she finally said I can get them bi monthly. Now I feel
like I'm alive and not half way in the grave. Some of us need more B-12 to
get the level up in the normal range. I was one of them. Perhaps you are
one. Don't give up! Get some blood tests and get aggressive if you have to.
Sometimes they just won't listen unless we scream bloody murder. I insisted
on those extra shots as I knew I needed them. Good luck.
— Danmark
February 4, 2002
Are you taking extra vitamins or extra iron. More vitamins might not help
if they don't have much iron in them.
— garw
February 4, 2002
There are several things that can be whipping you right now. Saggy protein,
low iron as you see, B12..... If you are doing your 60-90g of protein
supplement a day, that shouldl (in theory) be covered. If your iron is NOT
ferrous SULFATE, then your levels should pop up fairly quickly. Iron is
taken with C, but no other vites or minerals or meds or caffeine or milk.
You can take it with a few bites of other foods, though, like egg &
toast or something breakfasty. Or your protein shake, providing there is no
milk in it. Ferrous SULFATE (read the back of the container) is not
absorbed well by us, so other forms of iron may work more quickly. And then
B12. So, hopefully, you will have these 3 drawn again before 30 days and
see if your efforts are helping or not, before you go any further.
Personally, I think we need B12 shots by the time our levels hit 400, and
not waiting til they bottom out around 200. But that's me, living with
this miracle!
— vitalady
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