*Yawn* (Literally). Anyways, I'm 19 years old - and the sleepiest girl you'd ever meet. My friends have a running joke - Kaities seen the FIRST half of every movie ever released - just don't ask her how it ended. (I can't remember the last time I made it through a movie). Anyways - two Christmas' ago I was in the Hospital for horrible horrible stomach and breathing problems - NO diagnosis - just pain killers. I spent the next month in/out of Emerg and Doctors - no help. They ran EVERY test on me - they checked for Mono - luekemia, diabetes, thyroid - cancer - EVERYTHING...nothing came up. My doctor finally gave up and said "Chicken noodle soup - try THAT". Eventually they found out my immune system was at like NIL - so he pumped me full of natural immune boosters which helped for a while...

But I am ENERGYLESS - I can go out in the morning and fall asleep on the couch by 2:30. Then I wake up for dinner and fall asleep right afterwards until my friends wake me up - and then I'm just dead to the world - a walking zombie so to speak. I have the strange ability to fall asleep ANYTIME ANYWHERE - cars especially - doesn't matter if the drive is five minutes or 3 hours - I'll be out by the destination.

My boyfriend says "You're ALWAYS sleepy" when I tell I'm tired. He's come to an understanding - if I'm watching TV or on the couch or lying on his bed while he's on the internet - it doesn't matter WHAT time of day it is - I'll be sleeping.

I get tired to quickly after doing the itiest bitiest little things. I washed three cars yesterday (Spring clean up http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif and felt like I'd swam the english channel afterwards.

HAS ANYONE experienced ANYTHING like this at such a young age???? I'm turning twenty next month - maybe it's just a quarter life crisis setting in :P

Please help me open my eyes and keep them open!

In my dreams,
Kaitie

http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/yawn.gif

One thing I forgot - HEADACHES! Sometimes Migranes sometimes not that bad - but one thing is for sure - I'll wake up every morning with one. I usually down 3 Tylenol Extra Strenght (I know I know), and that helps for the day. Sometimes though I spend the day on Josh's couch with a blanket over my head because the light is just too bright. He knows not to touch me too much or move me because the movement hurts too much - headaches all the time - ouch ouch ouch.

Headaches and fatigue---have you been check for a pituitary tumor? Have you had your growth hormone and IGF-1 checked? Have you had your blood cortisol and 24-hour cortisol checked? Have you had a blood test for prolactin? Do you have breast discharge? Are your periods normal or unpredictable?

Pituitary tumors can cause just the symptoms you describe. They are very difficult to diagnose because no one ever thinks of them. It's worth a try.

Get blood tests for prolactin, IGF-1, growth hormone, cortisol and 24-hour urine collection cortisol. You might also consider an MRI for a pituitary tumor (though you don't have to have a tumor to have the symptoms if your pituitary has simply stopped functioning). You will need a growth hormone stimulation test and that means going to an endocrinologist.

Good luck.

PS. Do you have frequent infection? Have you taken antibiotics recently? Do you have vaginal yeast infections that are hard to get rid of? The fatigue can be caused by an alergic reaction to the waste products of yeast. The cure for that is Nystatin and completely stop eating all sugar products (bread, fruit, cereal, potatoes etc.).



[This message has been edited by orion (edited 04-06-2002).]

Dear Katie,
I have a fifteen, almost sixteen year old daughter who would like to reply, and can't wait until she can sign up with her own username. Let me introduce you to my little angel. She has been feeling so sick lately that she can sympathize with you.

Hi! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/yawn.gif My name is Lindsey Ann. My user name is going to be CherokeeAngel, if I can help it. I know how you've been feeling. Exactly! I've had no energy. My schedule was: wake up, go to school(napping there when I possibly could, and even when I shouldn't have), come home, go to sleep, wake up, go to school..... and so on. It's awful. I also get the headaches! (It was freaky how alike our symptoms are) They hurt me so much, I can't really do anything. And I take Tylenol 3's for them. The doctors can't really figure out what's wrong, and it is SO frustrating. I'm no longer welcome at my current school, because they are not comfortable with a person who isn't in the peak of health (i.e., falling asleep in class and everywhere else, not being able to keep up with the work, and so on). So, I'll be getting my high school diploma via a correspondence course. It's awful, when I don't have the energy for school, my hobbies, or even my best friend in the entire world. Anyhow, I'll leave you for now. You can reply to this name, if you'd like. Feel tons better soon!

As always,
Lindsey Ann

No posting of e-mail addresses, please. Thank you, mod3 http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif]

[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 04-28-2002).]

you should BOTH be tested for Epstein Barr...I got it when I was a teenager and now, at 30, I still get easily fatigued and I get sick if I don't get enough rest. Trust me, get the test!

Hi Lindsey -
ALAS - someone who knows what its like to fall asleep in class! (though that isn't even the half of it). I found it really hard to get through highschool too - because I was always sleeping through classes (or trying). I remember this one time I woke up to my teacher saying ("I wonder if Kaitie will care to join us anytime soon...") I was soooo embarrassed. Last night I missed my math class (university math here) for the third time in a row - and I had to talk to me teacher and I said "I honestly don't know whats wrong..." of course my Doc gave me another blood test last week for the usual - mono - sugar levels ect ect, and I find out about that tommorow actually - so I'll keep you posted. Basically I'm CLUELESS. I've got no voice right now (sore throat) - and hopefully this is just the usual in the linup of colds and flus I get time after time.

As for being sleepy - my silly boyfriend has come to the conclusion that I have narcolepsy because I sleep anytime anywhere...I told him I doubted it - but he keeps saying "well than what IS it???" and I don't have an answer - so he's sticking to it. Silly.

Just to let you know - about frustrations that is - my boyfriend before Josh never stopped complaining about how TIRED I was all the time....he couldn't take it anymore. (Josh is such a sweety - it's been over a year now)

Okay well - I'm blabbing. I just wanted to let you know (and I know we can't post emails) that I'll write you anytime you want....

And I'll update you tommorow if I find out anything from the doc.

Kaitie

Another thing - as far as schools go - when you get to college or university - make SURE that your teachers know you aren't just a bad student who can't make it 'cause your sick or asleep or both - let them know there is definately a problem. And don't be afraid to take a lighter course load then some of your classmates - it'll benifit you in the end - TRUST me. I tried taking 5 classes all at once and I did horribly in all of them - when I tried two or three I did much better.

Hello Katie and CherokeeAngel --

My name is Drew and i'm a 22 year old male.
I too almost have the same problems you girls do!
It all started about 10 months ago, when i had these terrible stomach pains and fatigue. I've had every digestive test known to man, ( almost ) every blood test, and the doctors still don't know whats wrong!
I've met quiet a few terrible doctors too who are more concerned about who's winning the NHL hockey games than of what my condition is.
The things i also have yet to get checked is my growth hormone and testosterone levels, as well as cortisol. I have a HUGE feeling that this is the problem. Problem is, i waited about a month and a half to see and endocrinologist, and then when i went to see him, all he said was "you're too young to have any hormone problems. I guarantee in another 6 months you'll be alright. I could do tests but i know they wont be the problem." Then he practically kicked me out of his office.

Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this because i can't stand it anymore. Im so young and have so much i'd like to get accomplished, yet i can barely keep awake to do so.

Lets keep each other updated...

Much love,

Drew

Originally posted by Drew H:

all he said was "you're too young to have any hormone problems. I guarantee in another 6 months you'll be alright. I could do tests but i know they wont be the problem." Then he practically kicked me out of his office.

Drew

Unfortunately the doctor you saw Drew is just another in the long line of Bozos that call themselves doctors. I assure you that you can have hormone problems at 20 and you need to go to a GP and demand the blood tests. You are the patient in charge, not the doctor. He is only a consultant.

Oh yeah...I had well over 5 years of the same crap from multiple doctors until finally they found out I had a brain tumor. Imagine their surprise...... Oh well, they had a deparate golf date.....NEXT.

If only I had known that most doctors are just interested in getting to the golf course on time!

Hi everyone: Just an update...
The results of the blodtest came in - and OF COURSE ( shoulda known) everything was negative...'nothing' is wrong - or else nothing SHOWS up wrong...

Grr....
Kaitie

HI~ i too have the same problem as all of you have. I have had a headach, no joke, for 1 year straight. doctors can't figure out what is wrong. I get tired very easily, and i get dizzy a lot. I feel so bad, because my mom has gone through everything with me. I have missed so much school, that my principal has started to call my parents. I too have had every test know to man. The only thing that is different from my headaches are that they are only on the left side of my head. I sleep a total of 10-15 hours a day. I have no life anymore. My doctor had given up hope on me. i hope that one of you have any ideas that would help me out on our problem. Thanks

Hi
interesting article on headaches and fatique,
watercure.com

------------------
--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

The GREAT OUTDOORS...
Hi - not a cure all - but I've been feeling so much better. I've ditched my car - I'm rollerblading everywhere. I've been snowboarding and skateboarding and picnicing outside.
It's like I have 300% more energy suddenly. Vancouver Sun kicks! I've alway been athletic - I think I just forgot...
But like I said - I still crash some nights and I'm still sick a lot...
Just SIT outside and soak in the sun - it's the fountain of youth - I'm not kidding.

Drew - from Vancouver - could something be running through the water? I hate being sick too - go rollerblade around downtown - it feels good.

Kaitie!

Hi...has anyone recovered from CFS and had a "flare-up" years later ?
I had CFS 6/7 years ago and now am suffering a "flare-up"...this has been due i think to spinal surgery and more recently Gastro' flu...
Any advice would be much appreciated as now i believe the whole illness is out in the open ?

Thanks.

Have you tried some of the new whole food supplements out there? There a few with great results to boosting energy levels. Make sure to look for natural ones with vitamins from real fruits and veggies, no chemical additives. A lot of what you need is in the basic food chart, it's most prevalent in the raw form of the food. 99% of the public cooks the food in some manner and drastically reduces the amount of vitamins and minerals in the foods.

Tons of walking also. Have to get your blood pumping. Buy a pedometer and crank up your goals every week.

Try limiting your sleep also, cut down incrementally. Too much sleep is not good for fatigue.

------------------
Steve@MABP

Look up M.E. or a site called: Action for M.E.
M.E. is C.F.S. It is from the UK and it is a charity organization fighting for rights. Gives the best info. I've seen. Have you all considered testing beyond medical? Such as parasites, leaky gut syndrome, heavy metal test ie. mercury, vitamin/mineral deficiancy food alergies etc....Perhaps with a Naturopathic doctor.