Extreme fatigue (zzzzzzz) - help!

Recap: TAH/BSO June 2005. Been on Bi-Est for about 8-9 months, currently taking 5.5 drops twice daily (at .25 mg per drop), standard 80/20 mixture. Have had some success and some not… Currently experiencing extreme fatigue, the kind where I could literally curl up and fall asleep under my desk at work. When I awake in the mornings, I feel like I took a sleep medication the night before, I am so out of it and sooooooo very sleeeeeeeeeeepy. It doesn’t improve much during the day, I get better enough to get to work, but I feel extreme tiredness all day long.

Anyone have any thoughts? What have others experiences on Bi-Est been? Grrrrrrrrrrr, to be “normal” again….. <sigh>

Lori

Hi
I am pretty new to here but I do know that my doctor and some research told me that my tiredness was due to not enough testosterone. So I am on testosterone gel. and still struggling with that and different tries at estrogen. Sorry if that doesnt help but that is all I know.
Mindy

Hi Bella (nudges bella, hun you were sleeping again) I would definatly call the doc and let them know--I had extreme tiredness and joint pain at the same time--I couldnt even shop, I wanted to just go home and curl up and sleep. I called my reg doc, gyno and even talked to my pharm. odly my pharm. and reg doc had no clue! But my gyno said it could be my hormones and proceeded to knock off my progesterone and add testosterone. Well within a week the utter exhaustion and painful joints disapeared. I still could usually take a afternoon nap but it could be my crazey life--4 kids (two angels and two attention deficite tazmanian devils) a part time job, and part time college. I just need a 28hr day and 10hr night of uninterupted sleep

Bella11,

I have been experiencing the exact same thing for about 10 days now. Everyone keeps telling me that it will take a full year or more to get my total pre-surgery energy levels back. I am 10 months post-op today .

I think it may be due to the heat and I have also read on here, that the heat can also affect your absorbtion of estrogen-if you are using a patch. I do not know where you are from, but I live in S.Carolina and it is horribly hot and humid here-the worst day we have had so far. I have taken a nap every day that I have a chance to... and going to bed early in addition.

In addition, I came down with a GI virus last week and have found that when I eat too many carbs or sweets-they affect me in a much more negative way, than before my hysterectomy. I have been drinking alot of real coke-which I only do when I'm sick.

I was just thinking today, that I should fill my Rx for the testosterone cream I have ordered. Maybe it would perk me up.

Hope your energy returns soon....it is soooo frustrating.

Sweetpea

In addition to the good ideas offered by the other ladies here, I want to add that you may want to have your thyroid levels checked (not just TSH, but T4, T3). I have hypothyroidism and I know that when my thyroid levels aren't being treated enough or working properly, I too get the extreme fatigue. I could literally sleep all day and have no motivation or energy at all. Hypothyroidism can mimic low estrogen in that you can lose some hair, have lots of dryness, joint pains, fatigue, weight gain, slower metabolism, etc. Just something to consider if you haven't already. Thyroid problems do commonly occur in post hysterectomy women as the thyroid is indirectly related to your other hormones via the endocrine system.

I have had ALL labs drawn several months ago.

My thyroid levels were all normal. Estrogen was finally in the therapeutic range.

Testosterone-both total and free was very low to none-that is probably the answer for me.

I have gone thru a couple cycles like this before I started hormones I was so tired I did not even want to go out of the house at times and was crying...

My whole body felt heavy...that kind of fatigue It was hard to drive as so hard to keep my eyes open. Went thru a lot of sleep tests and expense and even got a CPAP oh was awake all night with extreme sweats so was not sleeping well either

my bit of apnea is so mild but was desperate to try something finally at my wits end called my gyn and she said you need estrogen
was a struggle but back to being myself for the most part I have flashes still and recently experienced this cant keep my eyes open feeling again oh and get headaches day after day in cycles I started some B vitamins and general vitamin and maybe that has helped some I have done testing now and waiting to see if my hormones need tweaking I have tri-est testosterone and progesterone all in one cream.. 2x day

I have been alot better since adding progesterone and testosterone. Good luck!