# Feeling so faint and weak



## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

Hi everybody,I've been feeling so faint and weak for a long while already with IBS-C even when I have no pain.From the time I wake up until the moment I go to sleep I feel drained of all energy and I just drag myself out of bed everyday. I had no irregular findings in my blood test.Is this part of IBS? Why might I be feeling like this?Thanks for any responses.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Are you eating regularly? A lot of people with IBS really have a hard time eating properly.Are you getting enough quality sleep AND enough exercise? A lot of IBSers have problems with one or both of those. It doesn't take a lot of exercise, but sometimes way too little can be fatiguing and adding a 20 minute walk a day can really help.How is your blood pressure? Do you run too low? Did they check your thyroid with your blood tests? They don't always do that.Extreme fatigue usually indicates something in addition to IBS going on. Could be a full out sleep disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or something else. If the light headed is all the time I would try to get the fatigue evaluated as something separate. Occasional dizzy when you have abdominal pain or have a BM can be the IBS setting off the vagus nerve, but if it is all the time that may need more investigation.Some fatigue is to be expected with IBS because feeling sick and being in pain are physical stresses that are somewhat fatiguing. But it shouldn't be as bad as what you see in some problems that directly cause fatigue or excessive daytime sleepiness (like sleep disorders can and you may get enough hours, just not enough quality with those).


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## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

With the onset of IBS I originally had serious vertigo, after a few months it went away. So I'm wondering if my feeling faint now may also have something to do with the gut-brain connection in IBS we often hear of. Have you heard of anyone else who suffers from this?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I get occasional vertigo but it is separate from the IBS. I'm just really prone to viruses that like to mess with the inner ear. I think vertigo is more in the ears, not so much in the brain itself. Usually the mind-gut connection is not evidenced by neurological symptoms associated with brain misfunction.If you are having constant unrelenting vertigo and fatigue. Or even episodes of that I would not assume it is just the IBS and avoid getting it checked out.Did you report this to any of the doctors that did your recent tests in a way they got it was this bothersome?


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## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

I have also developed serious memory and concentration problems since the onset of IBS.My doctor chalked it up to stress, however I'm not under any significant stress at all and these symptoms persist into holidays when I'm not even working and can sleep long hours. My blood pressure and thyroid is also fine. Only deficiency found was with vit. D. Any guesses as to what may be causing this?


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## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

I feel like my IQ has dropped some 20 points (at least!). Damn it- I used to be smart!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I would see someone that can evaluate you for chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. If your GI doc told you they were just stress, well it can be in the short term, but on going like this needs to be checked out as long term it isn't normal. Now IBS causes stress so you may not have had any mental stress going on, but the physical stress of being ill and in pain is also stress and just as bad for you as emotional or mental stress.You might post your fatigue and mental symptoms on our FMS and CFS forum here http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showforum=3 and see if anyone there can help you figure out what the best next step is.Just assuming it is all IBS and nothing else doesn't sound like a good plan.


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

This caught my eye today when I was scanning, so wanted to pop in and ask a few questions. What thyroid levels were checked that came back fine? Did you have a FULL thyroid panel run, or did the dr just check your TSH level? If you didn't have a full thyroid panel done, that would be a good thing to do - the full panel would include your FreeT3 and FreeT4 levels, not just TSH. Do you check your blood pressure throughout the day? What is it, if you don't mind saying? Some drs see 102/50 and say "that's a great blood pressure", but depending on the person that can leave you feeling faint, drained, and cause muddy thinking, because not enough blood (and therefore oxygen) are reaching your brain. What is your heart rate (pulse) at those times? Does your BP drop when you go from sitting to standing? How about your heart rate (pulse) - any change when you go from sitting to standing?Do you feel faint and weak all day, or does it come on in spells? When you feel that way, is it more of a "shaky" feeling? Does your vision ever brown or black out, or do you ever see black dots when it happens?Do you have any other neurological symptoms? That would include things like tingling feelings, weakness in your limbs, etc?Lots of questions, sorry about that! It's hard to be able to make many suggestions based on just a few symptoms, you know how that goes. Is your dr continuing to pursue a diagnosis for your symptoms, or just brushing them off? It may be time to think about firing your dr and hiring a new one, or at least getting a 2nd opinion. When you have any kind of weird, vague, or different from the norm symptoms (like yours) it can sometimes take half a dozen drs to finally find the right one.


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## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions.To M&M: I had a full thyroid panel. My free t4 was high, but the indoctrinologist said it meant nothing since everything else came back normal. My cortisol serum was abnormally high, had it redone 4 times with different results each time until I was told it normally fluctuates and should not cause concern. I haven't checked my heart rate or blood pressure throughout the day, just once sitting, 110 over 50 I think.I feel faint mostly all day long, less when I'm sitting or lying down and not active, not shaky, just all over rag-doll feeling.I've always had serious cognitive and mood problems a week before my period (PMDD).Now that you mentioned it, I actually have an array of neurological symptoms that I just attributed to the IBS but most actually began about 2 months before the onset of my IBS:It began with racing thoughts during a stressful time and an inability to shut my mind off to go to sleep, sleeping only about 2 hours a night (kept thinking and planning), so I began taking Nocturno sleeping pills (low dose) which helped and still do to this day. Then the vertigo began, having to sit down because I felt I may faint, concentration and memory problems, horrible taste in my mouth all day, like everything I ate or drank was spoiled. This eventually improved but still happens from time to time at a lower degree. I developed auditory hypersensitivity and actually even had around 5 incidences of auditory hallucinations while lying awake in my bed at night (never mentioned that to anybody...). At times I also see floaters which has never happened before. In addition to all this I have all the usual symptoms of IBS-C.Now I'm thinking, perhaps neurological problems contributed to my development of IBS in the first place?What do you think? Does any of this add up?


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Lowered brain circulation has shown up in 100% of subjects with CFS and IBS in an old study out of U Adelaide. Lowered circulation can play a causative role in vertigo. My wife has digestive and GERD Problems along with vertigo (from an incorrectly done massage). I have GERD and IBS-D, along with a minor case of brain fog. Both of us have successfully treated these conditions with a flavonoid supplement designed for cholesterol control. (The racing thoughts certainly rings a bell from my past. Fortunately, that seems to have passed. Lightheadedness still occurs from time to time, but I usually attribute that to a blood sugar crash or situations that bring on high anxiety, which are rare for me.) Among its functions are bilberry extracts to strengthen the vascular walls and gingko and grape seed to increase circulation. It does cross the blood brain barrier, as well.I have treated my fatigue, which was of the falling asleep at the wheel severity, with some highly absorbed vitamin minerals for the past 11 years.I would think that feeling faint is something you would want to get answered by a specialist. Other than that, the flavonoids might help with your circulatory problems. Mark


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

Wow, thanks for the detailed reply! Fantastic! Putting all these symptoms together is like trying to put a puzzle together, when you're not sure you have all the pieces. I wouldn't write off any of your symptoms. Simply put, IBS does not cause any neurological symptoms - so all the symptoms you're describing are totally separate from your IBS.Now, after hearing some of your other neurological symptoms, especially your auditory symptoms (including the auditory hallucinations) - now this is probably the first or second time I've ever said this to anyone on this board in my 7 years here - You may have the neurological illness known as M.E. Please have a look at this wonderful website dedicated to distributing accurate, up to date information on M.E. http://www.ahummingbirdsguide.com/Many people throw around the term CFS and suggest that anyone who is chronically tired might have CFS. That's simply not true. (And that's why I use the more accurate term M.E. when speaking of the disease.) This disease is an acutely acquired neurological disease initiated by a viral infection, and characterized by damage to the brain stem. Though primarily a neurological disease, it also involves cognitive, cardiac, cardiovascular, immunological, endocrinological, metabolic, respiratory, hormonal, gastrointestinal and musculo-skeletal dysfunctions and damage.What strikes me also, from your posts, is that your "faint" feeling happens when you're upright, not when you're lying down. This is an issue for a cardiologist, but is also a primary symptom of M.E. In M.E. patients, not enough blood is pumped throughout the body. The result is sometimes severe limitations physically, of your cognitive skills, and in your orthostatic tolerance (being upright).I'm certainly NOT a doctor, but I've been an M.E. patient and advocate for many years, and it wouldn't shock me to find out that you might be diagnosed with M.E. at some point. Please check out the website, read about the symptoms, read about the tests - because there are several objective tests that, done together, return abnormal results for patients with M.E., thus giving a definitive diagnosis. I look forward to hearing back from you after you give the website a brief overview. I can't say enough good things about that website, and the creator of it - Jodi Bassett. She has also published some PSA-type videos to educate the public about M.E. on YouTube. She is an amazing lady, and even with her cognitive dysfunction is able to write papers and essays that go way over my cognitively impaired brain. Like you, I am sometimes very frustrated by the cognitive decline! Ok, really will close for now.







I look forward to hearing from you!


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## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

Thank you so much for your responses and input!To Mark: Does the lowered brain circulation cause IBS symptoms or is it a result of IBS?The flavanoids actually cured your IBS as well? Are all flavanoids created equal? Will any flavanoid do is there a specific brand that would be best? Do they need to be taken forever more? (By the way, they're pretty expensive.)What vitamin minerals are you taking?To M&M: Wow! The M.E. symptoms listed on that site are really extreme. It seems to me that if that were my diagnosis I would barely be functioning at this point. Cudos to you for putting up with such a debilitating disease for so long! My general functioning has definitely deteriorated, but not to that extent. I still work full-time at a demanding job. But you're right, I should really get checked out. Perhaps by a neurologist?


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

Yes, I think a neurologist would be a great place to start. That's where I started, a neurologist and a cardiologist, and then I went on to another dr from there. I think that's a great idea.Patients with M.E. really do run the gamut as far as the severity of their symptoms. Jodi Bassett is severely disabled, so she does try to provide more information for and about other patients who are severely disabled. (As we sometimes lack the energy to explain our limitations for ourselves.) However, there are many M.E. patients who are able to carry on an almost normal life. Some are able to work full-time, and only curtail social activities. Some can work part-time, etc. You're right, you may not have M.E. who knows. (Not me, lol) But, some people do have M.E. very mildly and are still able to carry on with their lives mostly in tact. Kind of like IBS patients, or people who have the flu, or any other illness. Some are severely impacted, and some are mildly impacted.But either way, I am very interested to keep tabs on how you're getting on, and what the neurologist says once you're able to get in! I hope that you will be able to find a doctor to listen to you, take your symptoms seriously, and work to help you as much as they can.


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## workinghard (Nov 29, 2008)

i had fatigue issues before i got my ibs under control- but i'm sure they were certainly due to depression. i'd say a doctor's opinion would be important to get.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I have sent you a PM with some links to look at.Mark


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