# What Engergizes?



## Lookin'foraLife

Besides all the many symptoms of IBS-C, being diagnosed with intestinal yeast overgrowth and unknown parasites, I have developed many signs of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and feel severely faint all day long (some improvement late at night) and can barely stand for long. Any medications or suppliments that might improve my energy levels? I've gotta work for a living....


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## Kathleen M.

Have you discussed this with a doctor and been tested to make sure that is what it is (and not thyroid or anemia or other things that sap energy).One fairly standard set of supplements and lifestyle changes do help some people with run of the mill fatigue and may help some, but may not be enough to help with severe debilitating fatigue with neurological symptoms.This is the LEVITY system. It does help with mild to moderate depression and mild to moderate fatigue. Some of this may also help with other things, but may not be enough all by itself to fix everything. This has some clinical data to back it up, so I feel fairly confident it can work for some people.Light. 20 minutes of natural sunlight, preferably without sunblock or sunglasses. A light box inside can be used if you can't make it outside or live where the weather doesn't work.Exercise. 20 minutes of light exercise (like an easy walk or some yoga/tai chi, etc) Preferably during the 20 minutes of sunlight time.Usually for chronic fatigue they usually do try to find some exercise that you can do to help get things going. The main thing is not to overdo so you exhaust yourself to much. You may need professional help setting that up if you are very fatigued so you learn the right way to get up to a 20 minute walk a day.Vitamins. An assortment of B vitamins, selenium and vitamin D.A B-50 complex will do the job of the B's and has a few extra things in it.200 mgs Selenium400 mgs vitamin D.This system was not developed for severe chronic fatigue syndrome, but if you won't or can't see the doctor for that this probably wouldn't be a bad thing to try and it might help at least a little bit.


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## M&M

I totally agree with Kathleen - you should get tested for anemia or any other number of disorders. Fatigue is the primary symptom of a long list of illnesses. The reason to get tested is that many diseases that cause fatigue are totally reversible or controllable through medication. So, if you get to the root of your fatigue, you may be able to fix it once and for all. That would be your best case scenario.The quickest way to "fix" fatigue is to figure out what's causing it.After that, I think you should first see a cardiologist for your fainting. It sounds like you are definitely dealing with hypotension (low BP) and orthostatic intolerance (being unable to be upright for prolonged periods). A cardiologist will do a Tilt Table Test on you to diagnose your problem. From there, you can go on medications to help control your BP, and make some diet changes that the cardiologist recommends (like upping your sodium intake, or taking sodium pills). But you definitely would not want to try upping your sodium intake to "see if it helps" on your own, because that is a dangerous thing to play with without a dr's strict supervision. Hypotension can and does cause SEVERE fatigue, because your body (and brain) is not getting the blood supply it needs to keep working properly. I used to have some great links to Tilt Table Test info and hypotension info. I'll find them and post them here for you.I think a cardiologist needs to be your first stop to get that fainting stuff taken care of. I had my Tilt Table Test about 7 years ago (give or take, my memory's shot) and have been dealing with BP problems for about 10 years. For some people, depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be able to totally control your symptoms with medical intervention. So just getting that sorted might make a really big difference in your quality of life!


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## M&M

Here are a few links with info on hypotension. Mayo Clinic general hypotension info (you'll have to keep clicking "continue" to get all their info)http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-blood-pressure/DS00590Mayo Clinic orthostatic hypotension info (again, you'll have to keep clicking "continue" to get all of it)http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/orthostat...tension/DS00997More in depth info from Medlinehttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007278.htmVery brief info from Merckhttp://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec03/ch023/ch023c.htmlBrief info from Mayo Clinic on tilt table testinghttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tilt-table-test/AN00268More detailed info on tilt table testing (TTT)http://www.heartsite.com/html/tilt_test.htmlIt's not a bad test, but if you have a positive result you get really sick and (possibly) pass out. But, it's worth it to get a diagnosis and to start a treatment plan.


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## Lookin'foraLife

Thanks for the responses. I don't think I actually have CFS but I do have some of it's symptoms. I have been tested for thyroid and anemia problems and don't have them. I also don't think it's hypotension since my blood pressure is normal. My doctor thinks the parasites and yeast overgrowth I have is responsible, but the meds he wants me to take are taking a long time to order and get in from overseas. In the meantime I'm drained. I don't actually faint, but feel as though I'm on the verge.I take vitamin D and B-50 complex, B-12, vit C among other supplements. I haven't tried selenium or exercise (I don't think I can handle it). I read on the boards that Q10 or Niazin (B3) can help energize. Do you recommend any of them?


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## Kathleen M.

B3 would be in the B complex.Not sure about Q-10 and energy. I've never noticed any difference in energy levels when I've taken it for migraine prevention.Start with the sunlight part of the exercise with sunlight. even if all you do is some gentle stretching at least see if you can do some body movement. Unfortunately there comes a point where too sedentary makes things much worse than small amounts of activity. You don't have to do a hard core work up a sweat exercise. Just start with some light movement and if you can stroll very slowly around the backyard.


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## M&M

Did you read any of the information I posted, or did you just dismiss it? The disorder I am talking about is feeling faint when you're upright. That is the symptom you have described on more than 1 occasion here. That is not normal, and needs to be checked out by a cardiologist. When doctors take BP at an office visit, it's done while you're seated. Therefore, if you have orthostatic intolerance (which is the symptom you've described) your BP will be ok when seated, but will drop upon standing.You need to have a cardiologist investigate this because it is not normal and DOES cause severe fatigue.


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## Lookin'foraLife

Kathleen- The B3 in the B complex is only 50mg, whereas in Niazin it's 500mg so that might make the difference. I'll try to get some sunlight and stretch. Any there any medications I could take? M&M- I actually read all about it and went to see my GP since an appointment with a cardiologist will be available only in 2 months. I specifically asked him to check my BP also when I stand up to see if there was a drop, but he said there was only a very slight drop and it wasn't significant and my BP was normal. Do you still think I should see a cardiologist?


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## M&M

Lookin said:


> Do you still think I should see a cardiologist?


Are you still having symptoms? If the answer to that question is yes, then the answer to your question is also yes.


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## M&M

Here is some additional information, just to clarify the actual procedures during the TTT:


> How is the Test Performed? A trained nurse or technician and a physician may do the test. You will be asked to lie down on a special examining table with safety belts and a footrest. An intravenous line (IV) is inserted into one of your arms and a blood pressure cuff (or similar device) is attached to your other arm to monitor your blood pressure during the test. You are attached with electrodes (adhesive stickers) to an electrocardiograph (ECG) recorder to monitor your heart rate. For your safety, you are belted onto the tilt table. It is then tilted upright to a 60-80 degree vertical angle for approximately 45 minutes. You are instructed to limit the movement of your legs and not to shift your weight during the test. You will also be asked to describe any symptoms you may be experiencing during the test. If after 45 minutes you have not experienced syncope, a medication, usually Isoproterenol/Isuprel that is similar to adrenaline that the body naturally releases, is administered while you are tilted again, for up to another 45 minutes while your heart rate and blood pressure continue to be monitored.


Reference:http://www.hrspatients.org/patients/heart_.../tilt_table.asp


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## Lookin'foraLife

I sure hope they have that test in my country. It's gonna take a long wait till I get an appointment.My GP just took my BP and pulse, wasn't sitting or standing for long, wasn't tensing muscles. Strange thing just happened to me: I got out of a hot bath and immediately felt dizzy, nauseous and then collapsed into a chair and then just lay on the floor for about 10 minutes until I felt well enough to sit up again. It was awful and scary.Is this one of the signs?


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## M&M

Actually, that was something I was going to ask you about. (Seriously!) Taking a hot shower or a hot bath can be a MAJOR trigger for some people with orthostatic intolerance. That's a big reason that I've had to shower and wash my hair separately at a later time for many years. So yes, that is very, very typical for orthostatic intolerance.It's the heat that does it. It can even happen if you're in a hot room, or if you get over heated. I could swear that info is on one of those pages from the Mayo Clinic above.


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## Lookin'foraLife

The site attributes the fainting after hot bath to dehydration and I wasn't dehydrated last night when that happened.I just don't see the connection between my awful IBS-C symptoms and these hypotension symptoms which began with the IBS, improved then came back with a vengeance. None of the possible causes on that site seem to click with me. I no longer understand what is affecting what in my body. I'm just a sack of pain and symptoms.


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## M&M

Yes, well that's what my cardiologist told me too. "It's from dehydration". Impossible, because I have been religious about drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day. That's when you know the cause is from your nervous system. Basically, the brain and the body aren't communicating properly to each other. That is a disorder more specifically known as POTS. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. That's generally the explanation when it's an (otherwise) healthy young person with this problem. When I say otherwise healthy I mean someone who isn't in heart failure, doesn't have a heart defect, isn't dehydrated and isn't in shock due to massive blood loss. http://www.dinet.org/There's a little more specific info on POTS. It quite likely doesn't have anything to do with your IBS-C. Unless you have ME, and the IBS-C is a result of having ME.But honestly, there are loads of reasons why people pass out, and many (or maybe I should say most) are poorly understood at BEST. Perhaps you have a heart defect that's gone undetected until now. Seeing a cardiologist about this would uncover that for you. Who knows. That's why I think it's important not to self-diagnose, but to actually go to the dr and have a test done for any health issue really. You can read loads of info online, but even the most up to date, accurate info is still just "general" info. It may or may not apply to you personally, because your situation may be just enough different from the average person to change the playing field.


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## Lookin'foraLife

Thanks M&M, I'm certain there's a connection somewhere to my digestion problems. One day out of the blue being hit with all these conditions at once after being healthy all my life? Can't be random.


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