steroid hormones & low mood

[whose_da_man88]

Hi,

I had been reading up on serotonin levels and realised that this one chemical/neurotransmitter can cause both depression and anxiety. One symptom that i keep getting is fatigue/lethargy. Some days I wake up and my body feels like it has run a marathon or was hit by a train and it's impossible to get up. And when I do get up, i feel like I want to crawl back into bed or into a corner.

What I find is that if I cope through the day, this feeling of fatigue/lethargy (amongst other symptoms such as feel very dull and detached in the brain), seems to dissipate in the evening and I feel like I'm close to normal.

I can find details of morning anxiety etc but I can't find any information why things clear up in the evening.

I have a theory and wanted to see what others think. When I wake up, I can't get back to sleep. I hear the cortisol is released into the bloodstream around 3AM and that too much cortisol can make you tired. Is it possible that I am too stressed when I sleep and my body is releasing too much cortisol - which I then lower when I do day-to-day things so by the evening I don't feel tired anymore?

Thanks.

[Doolhof]

Hi whose_da_man88,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us and your experience. I suggest you have a chat with your Dr. He/she may be able to enlighten you on what is happening and maybe offer advice on how to handle the feelings you are experiencing in the mornings.

Our bodies certainly are amazing "machines". The intricacies of all the different chemical combinations and systems that make us human are incredible.

I agree with you that early morning lethargy and fatigue is not a good way to start the day.

I sometimes look on Google for information, if it is something medical I run it past my Dr to make sure the information is factual or something he agrees with.

Hope you find some answers.

Cheers from Dools

[Marno92]

Hey whose_da_man88,

I had to login to my BB account just to reply to this post. What you have explained is exactly what I am experiencing right down the schedule. I generally get to sleep ok because I feel ok of an evening, and then by early morning 2-5am I awake feeling shaky, confused, achy and fatigued. Most mornings getting ready and going to work are a big struggle.

Because it happens in the morning I tend to put myself into an anxious state and it takes me all day as you've mentioned to get out of it.

Along with the above symptoms I struggle with back, shoulder, neck, abdo aches and annoyingly Naseau. I have had countless scans, and blood tests to rule out any issues. The thing I struggle with the most is accepting the results and diagnosis of GAD and also Health related anxiety.

Anxiety is a new one for me and it came out of the blue. I just started some medication from my GP and will be accessing a psychologist for the first time this week.

I agree with Dools, I would run your symptoms past your GP so they can rule out physical issues.

I too hope you find some decent answers, its so frustrating at times.

Cheers

Marno92

[whose_da_man88]

Thanks Doolhof and Marno92.

I will have to check in with my GP. I had an MRI and as expected came back clean and forgot to ask at that time.

Lately i've been waking up around 6-7AM and can't sleep (about 6-7 hours sleep). I then lie in bed either trying to sleep or listen to the headspace app or do breathing excercise. I get up and I am ok. Gradually the symptoms start to come and I feel like crap - namely the brain feels disassociated, heightened sense of awareness most noticeable in the gut and chest, and lately the whole chest is thumping. It seems by evening I am almost back to normal. Go to sleep and then repeat.

Anyone else like this where it is better in the evening?

Sorry to hear Marno92 that you have going through the same struggles. I too also struggle to accept it is anxiety/depression symptoms ... in actual fact I stopped seeing my psychologists because I didn't see how what they were doing was helping but I have recently resumed again and trying to trust in what they are doing and to accept it is "anxiety" - well at least that what I'm going through is anxiety symptoms.

Hence a lot of reading and Googling and this is one post I'm trying to make head to tail of is why my pattern of symptoms don't match others ... I don't feel it is morning anxiety which is what comes up a lot on Google.

Thanks.