Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Smack forehead.

Remember how I have been griping and moaning about a whole variety of problems, from insomnia, to being tired, to being cold, to appetite problems? (I've not been as forthcoming about other problems, but they are there. And this all started in about October or so).

An unrelated site that I was reading while researching something, led me to search "adrenal fatigue" (and yes, it was a programming post, and someone was mentioning burnout, and suggesting getting tested to someone else).

Anyway, here they are, the Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue

The following symptoms are your body’s way of telling you that it is not receiving the support it needs to maintain healthy adrenal function.

* Fatigue
* Feeling tired despite sufficient hours of sleep
* Insomnia
* Weight gain
* Depression
* Hair loss
* Acne
* Reliance on stimulants like caffeine
* Cravings for carbohydrates or sugars
* Poor immune function
* Intolerance to cold

Um, okay so I have most of those symptoms, starting back in November (I don't think I'm losing more hair than normal, and I've always had up-and-downs with the skin - it just seems a lot drier than usual). And I've often joked that I don't have blood running through my veins - it's caffeine. I keep falling asleep on the couch. Another site mentioned raging PMS, too. So, yeah, TMI.

Even more clues:


Should you get an adrenal test?

In general, if you feel happy and well, have steady energy and emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up feeling rested, recover well from stress, and maintain a healthy weight without dieting, then your adrenals are probably doing well.

On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less than seven hours a night, can’t lose excess weight even while dieting, use caffeine or carbohydrates as “pick-me-ups” — these are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.

Yep. Me. How would one even go about talking to a doctor about this without sounding whiny?

I dunno... I'm going to just keep this thought in the back of my mind for now, and if I don't see some improvement towards spring, I am going to talk to her about this at my next physical.

I just hate that I can't seem to pull up the enthusiasm I used to feel about certain things. All I want to do anymore is stay at home.

3 comments:

nerdrium said...

Dude, I mean chick, I mean... Go talk to your doctor and don't worry about how it sounds. You get paid to deal with students and the laser cutter, and your doctor gets paid to deal with you and your not feeling well, even if you feel like you're just being whiny. Think how I feel with my stupid headaches?? I've been in and out of my doctor's office a dozen times in the past six months because my stupid head hurts.

Honestly, I wouldn't screw with it. I'd just go to the doctor sooner rather than later and get it over with. Of course, you're a grown-up and don't need me telling you what to do--I just thought I'd offer some support.

Hope you feel better. :)

G.--

jennifer said...

The only problem is that the tests take an entire day, as they measure things over the course of a day to see the different levels of whatever to be able to adjust medication to take care of it.
I'm going to try some of the dietary suggestions I found (more protein, less starch/caffeine, if I remember correctly). If I can feel better without having to take potentially several more pills a day, I want to do that first.

dive said...

Just reading that list of symptoms …
Hmm … Are you sure you're not becoming a teenager again?